The Self-Published Whiz Guide To selling Your eBook On The Google Play Store
Have you wondered which way is best to publish your eBook and reach as many readers as possible? Gone are the days when authors would require several levels of approval before getting a book published, and then another hectic task of marketing to actually sell the book and author brand.
Today, you can sit at home, write your book, and then publish it on Google Play. As you know, Google is the world's most popular search engine, handling over five billion online searches a day. Therefore, it makes the most sense you want to sell your book on their platform because not only will you publish for free; Google Search indexing will also boost your brand, which opens the doors to more sales.
Now, let's dig a bit deeper to understand how to sell eBooks on Google Play, the benefits of doing so and then also explore other alternative eBook platforms.
What is Google Play?
Before we continue, you must understand where exactly you will publish your book to sell.
Google provides two ways for people to access books, Google Play and Google Books. These two platforms are useful to both author and reader, but we will focus more on Google Play as it is where you want to publish your manuscript.
In simple terms, Google Books is a search tool where a reader will browse books and other forms of entertainment. Once they find what they are looking for, they will purchase from Google Play. As an author, you want to operate on Google Play to upload your manuscripts, sell books, and manage your sales.
How to Publish and Sell eBooks on Google Play
Google Play is an excellent platform for you to self-publish your books. With a powerful parent company like Google LLC, your books will stand a better chance of reaching more readers, and as an author, you gain to get better promotion as a brand. That said, here are the steps you follow to publish your books on Google Play.
- Create your account on the Google Play Books Partner center. Make sure to follow the prompts to record your payment details. Link your bank, and enter your tax information. Linking your bank is crucial, for it is where you will receive money when your book is bought. Google also requires your tax details for them to deduct your appropriate taxes.
- Next, add the book to the catalog, and indicate you want to sell it on Google Play. Answer the unique identifier prompt, and fill in required details, e.g., International Standard Book Number (ISBN) or European Article Number(EAN). If you don't have an ISBN identifier, indicate so by ticking the box that says 'This book doesn't have an ISBN or other identifier'. Google Play will assign a unique number for your book.
- Next, fill in your book information. These are details like Title, Description, and Length, among others. Fill in as many details as possible.
- Select your book's genre. Pick the genre that best describes your book, e.g., action and adventure, fantasy, memoir, cookbook, etc.
- Next, fill in details in the Contributors step. Add your name as the author, and also add names of any contributing authors.
- In this step, set preferences such as how long your book preview will be, indicate in which format readers can access the book, and how it can be downloaded or printed.
- Now, upload your book's content as well as cover files. Choose your preferred book format, e.g., pdf and epub. Upload your book covers in your preferred formats, e.g., png and jpg.
- Set the price. Enter currency and value, as well as in which countries the price applies. In case you intend to offer your book for free, indicate a numeric amount of Zero, and enable conversion so that readers from all over the world can buy the book in their currency.
- You are all set to publish. Before you do, though, review all your entries and ensure they are correct. When you are confident, hit publish, and your book is ready.
Once you have followed these prompts, all that remains is a period for Google Play to publish your book officially and for readers to find it, and you will soon begin making sales. You will be able to monitor your sales and analytics from the Partner Center webpage.
Benefits of Publishing an eBook on Google Play
You have many reasons to use Google Play to upload, manage, and sell your eBooks.
- Global reach. Publishing on Google Play allows Google Search to promote your reach to over two billion Android users in over 70 countries worldwide.
- Google Play lets you create an Author Page for free. Herein, you can showcase your biography, photo, and all your books.
- You do not need an ISBN to publish on Google Play. In any instance you don't have this number, the platform generates a unique number for the book title.
- You can earn royalties of up to 70%. About the royalties, Google Play reserves the right to offer readers discounts on your book. However, even when they sell the book at a discounted price, you receive 70% royalties based on the book price you listed.
- You can partner with Google Books to promote your books to readers and potential buyers.
Other eBook Platforms
For your eBook to reach the most readers and potential buyers, you need to publish it on platforms that reach a vast audience. Google Play is just one of these platforms; you have many others you can consider.
Choosing an eBook platform requires you to understand how they work: how to set up an account, how you will earn royalties, how to publish, etc. Read on to learn a few other platforms you can use to publish your eBook and make more sales online.
- Amazon KDP.
You must have heard of Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and how it is the go-to publishing platform. It is free to join, and you will receive up to 70% royalties for your book. Publishing on the platform is easy and can take you five minutes, after which your book will be on sale in 24-48 hours.
Amazon KDP will, however, convert your books to kindle (MOBI) books that can only be sold on Amazon. - Smashwords.
It is a fast and free eBook publishing platform. The best thing about Smashwords is when you publish your book with them, it can reach reputable book retailers and literary networks such as Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and Apple Books, etc.
This exposure means you receive two different royalties, from the retailer and Smashwords. If your book is sold through a retailer, you receive 60% royalties, whereas if you sell through Smashwords, you can receive up to 80% royalties. They also offer a unique identifier for your book in instances where your book lacks one. - Kobo Writing Life.
How does it work? Please create an account, publish your book, promote it to potential buyers, and start making money. Kobo Writing Life is available in 190 countries. Once you post your manuscript, they will convert it into ePub format. You can earn up to 70% in royalties for your book sales. - Draft2Digital.
Draft2Digital is an eBook aggregator site with a more modern design than Smashwords. You only need to upload your manuscript on the platform, and they will automatically format it to a professional eBook. It is free to join and create an account, and you can earn up to 60% in royalties.
Conclusion
Self-publishing is now easier due to the availability of crucial platforms such as Google Play. Once you create an account and publish your book, all that is left is for you to promote the book, and readers will buy.
A few things to remember now that you know how to sell on Google Play, you have to ensure your manuscript is ready for publishing before uploading on the platform. Remember to set a fair price that rewards your work and remains affordable to your target audience. The price you set determines how much you earn from the 70% royalties Google Play offers.
Click here to start your self-publishing journey with Google Play.
