Selling e-books - using PayPal to accept payments for a PDF download version of your book
This article describes how you can sell you book as a downloadable PDF file using PayPal.
What are e-books?
E-books, which is short for "electronic books", are books that you download and read on your computer. Most e-books come in the form of a PDF file. In order to be able to read a PDF file, your customers must have Adobe Reader installed on their PC. Adobe Reader is free, and available from the Adobe website.
Am I allowed to sell the digital version of my book?
If you do not have a publisher, selling a digital version of your book is an excellent way to publish your book.
If you already have a publisher, you will need to check if you have the rights to sell the digital version of your book from your website.
How to pay for a book download using PayPal
First, you will need a PayPal account which is quick and simple to set up. On your website, you will need a PayPal 'Buy' button positioned next to your book. To buy the book, your customer clicks on the 'Buy' button. The customer pays for the book on the PayPal website as normal. After payment the customer is returned to your website's download page. Only customers who have paid have access to this page.
Advantages of selling a book in digital format
The advantage of selling downloadable books from your website is that you don't need to do a thing. You can sell your books while you are asleep. However, if you already have a publisher, you will need to check that you have the rights to sell the digital version of your book.
Disadvantages of selling a book in digital format
The main disadvantage is that, in rare cases, customers may download your book and then not be able to open it due to problems with their PC. You will need to be prepared for queries and to offer a refund if necessary.
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