eBook Marketing and Sales

A solid eBook marketing and sales strategy isn’t about one big launch push, it’s about implementing and sustaining a process that continuously attracts readers, converts them, and keeps them buying.

Positioning (Don't Skip This)

Before you start marketing you need to define your target reader by being specific (age, gender, social status, etc of those who might be interested in your book), what is the core promise, i.e. the transformation your book delivers and identify the niches where you can hold some rank on Amazon. If you’re too broad, you disappear. If you’re too specific, you dominate a narrowly viewed niche.

Platform Strategy (Where to Sell)

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) dominates the eBook market so you have to be there.  You should strongly consider using Kindle Unlimited (KU) for visibility.

Other platforms are very, very, secondary and include: Apple Books, Kobo, and Google Play Books.

Sales Funnel (Where you make the money)

You need to think beyond one book and create a series with compelling tales in each book. Create a free or low-cost entry to the series, a lead magnet (e.g. a free short book or sample), one core eBook (£2.99–£4.99 being sweet spot price), follow-up books, a high value up-sell, meaning meatier books, cliff hanger story ending requiring the next in the series and courses for non-fiction or bundles and audiobooks for fiction.

Email List

Having an email list of readers is a critical asset and the route to follow-on readers. Use a mail or newsletter management tool like MailChimp, Substack, Ghost (hosted in the EU) or ConvertKit. Create a regular newsletter and offer often, exclusive content, preview of work in progress and snippets that act as a magnet for readers but don't over sell and then not deliver - be realistic.

Audience Growth

The cheapest and easiest way to grow is organically using social media but pick only one or two channels from TikTok (Hashtag BookTok) which is big for fiction, YouTube for tutorials, storytelling, or commanding authority (like an influencer)  and Instagram for visuals, quotes, reels.

This does not preclude you using other social media channels but restrict them to putting subliminal book suggestions with or without links in replies to others posts. Don't simply post a cover image and expect people to dive in and but. They won't. Try innovative content like behind-the-scenes writing exposes, story hooks or teasers and educational content if non-fiction. Be innovative and interesting. 

Amazon Search Optimisation

Optimise KDP information and make the information appropriate and relevant with an eye on what readers use during their book search. Attract readers who are likely to buy your book. For example title & subtitle where keywords matter, book description, making it sales conversion-focused, creating categories with low competition and high relevance and do the same for keywords.

Think like a person using a search engine here and not like an artist.

Paid Ads

If you have to use paid ads, start small by using Amazon Ads which are best for buyers already on the Amazon  platform, i.e. most of your readership!

Then perhaps expand to Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram). Google Ads are less commonly used for eBooks.

Important: Don’t scale ads until your book converts well organically. You may not need to pay for ads at all if you get the organic strategy right.

Launch Strategy or Make Social Media Algorithms Work for You

Pre-Launch (2–4 weeks)

• Build anticipation using email newsletters and  social media.
• Recruit advance reviewer readers who are prepared to review your work.
• Collect early reviews.

Launch Week

• Offer discounted pricing (£0.99 at launch even).
• Push traffic hard.
• Stack promotions using email newsletters, social media, and perhaps ads.

Consider promo sites:

• BookBub which is  premium and very competitive.
• Freebooksy
• Bargain Booksy

Your goal is to increase eBook downloads, which will trigger Amazon ranking improvements and increase visibility.

Measure

Measure your success by calculating conversion ratios for each marketing campaign - how many sales from each activity.

Reviews Help Sales

Without reviews, conversion of marketing efforts into sales suffers. The best way to achieve reviews is to recruits advance reviewer readers, through your email newsletter list and with a clear-cut call-to-action in your book, at the beginning and the end. You should try for 25 to 50 reviews minimum early on. Reviews make you stand out from everyone else at best, or put you in the race at worst. No reviews? You're not in the race at all.

Branding & Author Identity

You’re not just selling a book. Instead, you’re building an author brand. So, for books of a genre, make the cover style consistent, write in a clear niche and don’t jump genres randomly, plus create a professional looking website. If you're writing in different genres, consider using different pen names so as not to confuse the readership.

Treat your books as products and your activities like a business, not simply a creative project.

Timeline

•  Month 1–3: Setup + first book
•  Month 3–6: Build audience + reviews
•  Month 6–12: Scale ads + series

Conclusion - Straight Talk

• One book rarely succeeds but multiple books often win.
• Marketing matters as much as writing.
• Email list equals long-term income.
• Series equals biggest revenue driver.

eBook Market 2025/2026 

Here’s a current snapshot of the eBook market in 2025–2026), its size and who controls it.

PYA have got it covered when it comes to selling physical books - essential for some kinds of books like picture books, cooking, travel, non-fiction and so on - as we organise book fair type events where members can promote and sell their wares.

There's a whole market for electronic books (eBooks) and it's growing so we've created a couple of blog posts dedicated to exploiting the eBook market plus the process - quite different to traditional books - of getting your book noticed and sold.

Remember that Amazon controls the majority of the eBook market and our advice - if you can't beat them (you can't), join them.

Overall eBook Market Size & Growth

The global eBook market is large and growing fast. Roughly $50–60 billion eBooks were sold globally in the fiscal year 2025–2026. It is forecast to exceed $200 billion by 2034. A further estimate places the retail market around $23–24 billion in 2025.

Growth Drivers:

Surprisingly, smartphones are used as primary reading devices and subscription models account for approximately~56% of the market, driven by self-publishing and/or indie authors plus the rise in education and professional digital content.

The market has expanded as a  separate digital media market and is no longer a niche.

Dominant Players

Amazon is by far the most dominant player in the eBook market place, controlling:  around 67–80% of eBook sales in major markets, up to approximately 88% of UK sales and it owns the entire ecosystem for eBooks, namely: Kindle devices, Kindle Store, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and Kindle Unlimited subscription. This vertical integration is why Amazon is dominant as it controls book creation, distribution, reading device and  subscription through Amazon Prime - difficult if not impossible to usurp.

Much Smaller Second-tier Players 

There are some meaningful eBook players but none are close to Amazon in market domination.

The second tier eBook companies include: Apple Book with a 10–14% share, Google Play Books, much smaller but with a global presence, Kobo (Rakuten) who are strong in Canada and parts of Europe, and Barnes & Noble (Nook) who are declining but still relevant in the US.

Combined, these players split most of what Amazon doesn’t control.

Subscription & Alternative Platforms

The major platforms for subscription/commercially based lending (as distinct from public libraries) are Scribd or Everand type platforms which share 7–8% of the market in niche segments.

For public library lending Libby or OverDrive (Borrowbox) dominate.

Recent challengers like Bookshop.org are trying to support indie stores but are small players at present. An important trend is that subscription is becoming as prevalent as outright sales.

Market Intelligence

The eBook market is highly concentrated with over 95% of eBook sales go through just a handful of platforms, with some regional variations. Amazon dominates in the UK, US, Germany and Canada with  competition growing in Asia (local platforms emerging) and both France and Japan (where there are strong domestic platforms).

Dynamics shaping the market:

• Platform lock-in. Kindle ecosystem is closed (with proprietary formats, digital rights management[DRM]) and it makes switching platforms difficult.
• Self-publishing explosion. Amazon KDP is the default route for indie authors. A massive volume of books is created, thousands daily.
• Subscription shift. Kindle Unlimited and similar services are changing how authors get paid (per page read) and how readers consume books.
• Discovery problem. The real competition isn’t publishing, it is being found when there's a flood of new releases every day.

What this means for PYA Members, both Traditionally Published and Independently Published

Amazon is the gatekeeper of the eBook market. You can publish elsewhere but you’ll likely miss the majority of readers. The real strategic choice is whether to go exclusive (Amazon/KDP Select) or go wide (multi-platform, smaller reach per platform). Our advice - bite the bullet, swallow your pride and go Amazon.

Sources

[1]: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/ebook-market-111315?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Ebook Market Share, Size, Growth & Trend, 2034"

[2]: https://dataintelo.com/report/e-books-market?utm_source=chatgpt.com "E-books Market Research Report 2034"

[3]: https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/e-book-market/market-size?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Ebook Market Share, Size, Trends & Industry Analysis"

[4]: https://about.ebooks.com/ebook-industry-news-feed/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Ebook Industry News Feed: News from the world of digital books"

[5]: https://www.wmtips.com/technologies/ebooks/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Top 12 Ebook Technologies in 2025"

[6]: https://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/what-market-share-do-amazon-apple-bn-kobo-and-google-have-selling-ebooks?utm_source=chatgpt.com "What market share do Amazon, Apple, B&N Kobo and Google have selling eBooks? - Good e-Reader"

[7]: https://dataintelo.com/report/ebook-sales-platform-market?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Ebook Sales Platform Market Research Report 2034"

[8]: https://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/amazon-is-the-dominant-player-in-ebook-sales?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Amazon is the Dominant Force in E-books - Good e-Reader"

Is there an Alternative to Amazon eBooks?

Paul Smith

Many of you may know that I prefer to read and sell my books in eBook format - and I know that's not for everyone. So, I've been promoting a collection of eBooks recently on the Wise Grey Owl Mastodon Social Media Network (@wisegreyowl@mastodonapp.uk if you're on Mastodon).

I've been asked quite a few times recently if there's an alternative to Amazon eBooks and there seems to be a backlash against the tech-titans so I thought I'd take a look but it is still work in progress.

I thought I'd start with BorrowBox, which I use to loan eBooks and eAudiobooks from North Yorkshire Libraries. I wondered if there was a commercial version of it and what a rabbit hole I fell into, Alice in Wonderland Style. I thought I'd share some of my findings here.

Firstly, BorrowBox is not used to sell eBooks commercially (i.e. for purchase). Rather, it is a digital-library lending platform. But don't despair yet; exposure in a library of the first in your series (if it's good) may encourage purchases of subsequent releases or get you identified as an author.

What BorrowBox Does

• BorrowBox lets members of participating public libraries borrow eBooks, eAudiobooks (and in some cases e-magazines/newspapers) free of charge.
• You need a valid library membership (library card + PIN) to use the service.
• Loans have a fixed period (e.g. 2–3 weeks or 21 days, depending on library) and items automatically “expire”/return at the end of that period. 
• There are no payments involved when using BorrowBox - the service is free for library members.

What BorrowBox is not

• It does not sell eBooks; you cannot buy a copy to keep permanently.
• You don’t “own” the eBook after download: it’s a temporary loan, analogous to borrowing a physical book from a library.

Because BorrowBox is library-based lending, it isn’t a marketplace for selling eBooks. Instead, it represents a distribution channel for libraries, via lend licences. Some services/platforms for authors/publishers integrate with BorrowBox (or via third-party distributors) so libraries can license eBooks, but BorrowBox itself is not a “store”. For instance, there is a partnership between StreetLib (a publishing/distribution platform) and BorrowBox for global library distribution. 

That means as an author, you could, via a distributor, make your book available to libraries who then lend via BorrowBox. But the user of the app isn’t buying the book, just borrowing under a library licence.

How Authors can get onto BorrowBox (via Distributors)

A common route is to use a publishing aggregator/distributor rather than dealing with BorrowBox directly. For example, StreetLib recently announced a formal partnership with BorrowBox, meaning authors/publishers using StreetLib can “opt in” to have their titles made available to BorrowBox’s library network across many English-language territories.

Another path: Draft2Digital also lists BorrowBox among the library-distribution services through which it distributes ebooks/audiobooks. You upload your manuscript (or already-formatted eBook file) to the distributor. They handle conversion, metadata (title, ISBN/identifier, description), and submission to the lending platforms used by libraries.

Once submitted, your book becomes part of the “Catalogue” from which libraries (not individual readers) may choose to license or purchase a copy. Then library members themselves borrow via BorrowBox.

What Authors need to understand: it’s not Automatic

Simply being “on” the distributor does not guarantee that every library will carry your book. Each library decides independently what to license based on their own budgets, interests, and patron demand. For self-published/indie authors especially: libraries often rely on reputation, discovery signals (reviews, professional-looking cover and metadata, demand from patrons) when deciding to license a title. 

Because of that, marketing, good presentation, and sometimes outreach to libraries (or encouraging readers to request your book) can help; you can treat library distribution as part of a broader marketing strategy, not just another sales venue. 

What this Means for You

Given that:

• You are interested in publishing eBooks (fiction).
• You know about Amazon publishing, but are exploring other distribution channels.

You could reasonably use StreetLib or Draft2Digital to distribute your eBooks to libraries (including via BorrowBox), which would give your books an alternative readership, especially in libraries where readers may not buy directly from Amazon.

This could help you reach readers who prefer borrowing to buying (e.g. casual readers, library-users), and tap into library-driven long-term exposure and discovery as a complement to retail sales.

PYA has a presence on Mastodon - the Distributed Social Network giving Worldwide Visibility of your Posts

You might have noticed on Facebook that your feed is populated with adverts, suggestions for friend, group and page follows and less posts from the people you've taken the trouble to befriend. Twitter (X - if you must) has content that I find unhealthy and unfriendly - not something I want to see any more.

Many social network users are moving to other networks - BlueSky is one that has become popular but I think you might want to consider Mastodon instead because it isn't and never will be owned by a single company where profit (yes, not a dirty word) is paramount and the network's users are the product to sell and sell to. For these networks their algorithm decides what you will see and is always geared towards keeping your eyeballs glued to their network. It has to be like that because social networks are competing with each other; their stock market value comes from their current active user count.

Mastodon is different. It's a decentralised social network that functions similarly to Twitter (now X) but is built on independent servers called instances. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to join and engage effectively.  

Joining Mastodon  

Choose an Instance  

Mastodon is made up of different instances (servers), each with its own rules and community. Some are general (like mastodon.social), while others cater to specific interests (e.g., writing, tech, art). You can explore instances at [https://joinmastodon.org](https://joinmastodon.org).  

Create an Account  

Once you choose an instance, sign up with your email and password. Some instances require approval, while others let you join immediately.  

Set Up Your Profile  

Add a profile picture and header image.  Write a bio that reflects your interests and use #tags in your bio so that people can find it - like #Writer #Teacher #Engineer. Include links to your website or other social media. Your first post should be an introduction and use #Introdction to identify it as such. 

Getting Started  

Learn the Basics  

• Toots: Mastodon’s version of tweets. You can post text, images, or videos. Always include a caption with images and videos to help those with sight issues.
• Boosts: Similar to retweets, these help amplify posts.  
• Favorites: Equivalent to likes, but they don’t affect visibility.  
• Hashtags: Essential for discovery since Mastodon deliberately lacks an algorithmic timeline - hurray!  

Follow Interesting People  

Find accounts by searching for topics, hashtags, or by following people from other platforms who have shared their Mastodon handle. @FediTips or #FediTips is a good account that will help you get to grips with Mastodon.

Engage with the Community  

Reply to posts and start conversations - be nice.  Use content warnings (CW) for sensitive topics.  Respect the rules of your instance.  

Growing Your Presence  

Use Hashtags Wisely. Hashtags help others discover your posts. Popular ones include #WritingCommunity, #AmWriting, #IndieAuthor, and #BookMarketing.  

Post Regularly  

Consistency helps you stay visible. Share updates about your work, ask questions, and interact with others. Checkout #FensterFriday (for posts on Friday), #Caturday (posts of cats on Saturday) and #SilentSunday for posts without an explanation. Posts like these will help you discover new followers.

Join Discussions  

Reply to and boost posts from others to build connections. Unlike algorithm-driven platforms, engagement on Mastodon is more about conversation than reach.  

Explore Other Instances  

You can follow people from different instances, and if needed, you can even migrate to a different instance without losing your followers.  

Staying Active  

Check the Local and Federated Timelines:  

• Local timeline: Posts from users on your instance.  
• Federated timeline: Posts from across connected instances.  
• Participate in Challenges and Events: Many writing communities host weekly prompts, word sprints, and discussions. 
• Use Lists to Organise Feeds: If you follow many people, lists help keep track of specific topics.  

Final Tips  

Mastodon is about community, not about your post going viral. Engage authentically, respect others, and focus on meaningful interactions rather than follower counts.

Promoting Yorkshire Authors has a presence on Mastodon and we post about the PYA Espresso Newletter, Blog updates, Events, tips and news that might be of interest to our members. Please do follow us - it is a closed group so you won't find us by searching - you have to follow the PYA Account. In common with Mastodon conventions you'll find us at @PromotingYorkshireAuthors@MastodonApp.uk (the first part is our username and the second our instance).

Mastodon Apps

There are a number of Android and iOS Apps to allow you to interact with Mastodon or you can use the instance link in a browser (like https://mastodonapp.uk) too, if you wish. I use Tusky, but you might want to research which is the best App for you.  

• Here's a Mastodon Instance used by users in the UK: mastodonapp.uk
• Here are some Mastodon instances tailored for writers:
• Writing Exchange (writing.exchange): stablished in 2017, this is a stable, long-running Mastodon instance for writers. It's an inclusive community that welcomes all, as long as you're kind and respectful to others. The platform aims to provide an environment where you feel comfortable enough to participate freely and authentically.
• Mastodon.art (mastodon.art): hile primarily focused on visual arts, Mastodon.art also welcomes writers and other creatives. It's a friendly home on the fediverse for all things creative, operating on a community-owned and ad-free platform.
• Mastoart.social (mastoart.social):  creative space for sharing art and being part of a friendly creative community. Hosted in Germany, it runs on 100% green energy and is open to various forms of artistic expression, including writing.
• Zirk.us (zirk.us): his instance focuses on literature, philosophy, film, music, culture, politics, history, and architecture. It's ideal for readers, writers, academics, or anyone wanting to engage in conversations about the arts and humanities.

Each of these instances offers a unique community and focus. When choosing, consider the specific community guidelines, the type of content shared, and the overall atmosphere to find the best fit for your writing interests.