E Book Publishing Business

4 E Book Publishing Business Success Stories [2024]

Pat Walls

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Updated: October 9th, 2024

Do you have a flair for storytelling and an eye for editing? Dive into the realm of digital literature with an e-book publishing business. In this exciting venture, you will work with authors to bring their stories to life on digital platforms. You assist in the publishing process, from proofreading and formatting to designing the book cover and promoting the final product.

This business thrives on creativity, so there are endless opportunities to cater to various genres and authorial styles. It's a rewarding venture that not only capitalizes on the growing popularity of e-books but also helps authors reach their audience. Plus, it's a business idea that can be run from anywhere and at any time.

Sound thrilling? Start your e-book publishing business today and change the literary world, one book at a time.

In this list, you'll find real-world e-book publishing business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a e-book publishing business that makes money.

1. Flipsnack ($9.6M/year)

Janina Moza, Chief Marketing Officer of Flipsnack, joined the team a year after its launch and has been part of the project for almost 10 years. Flipsnack is an online tool that allows anyone to create digital flipbooks, and it has seen impressive growth, with business revenue increasing by over 50% year over year. The idea for Flipsnack came from analyzing the needs of the target audience and recognizing the opportunity for an easy-to-use flipbook maker.

How much money it makes: $9.6M/year
How many people on the team: 70

How We Started A Digital Flipbook Making Tool That Makes $9.6M/Year

Flipsnack is an online tool that allows anyone to create digital flipbooks and has increased its business revenue by over 50% year over year, with YoY growth rates between 50% - 84%, shifting from a B2C approach and focusing more on B2B.

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Read by 14,218 founders

2. Paper Raven Books ($1.2M/year)

Founder of Paper Raven Books, a publishing company, started out as a freelance editor and writing coach. After working with clients and receiving requests for publishing services, she documented the process of self-publishing her own book and began offering it as a service to clients, eventually growing the company to gross $1.1 million in revenue with over 150 clients and an 18-member remote team.

How much money it makes: $1.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 18

I Make $1M/Year Helping Writers Publish And Market Their Books

This case study follows the journey of a service-based business, Paper Raven Books, from bootstrapping with minimal expenses to scaling with a team of 18 members, $20,000 per month in advertising spend, and revenues of $1.1 million per year by package pricing, paid advertising to webinars, and offering smaller introductory packages with practical insights and guidance.

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Read by 4,108 founders

3. Made Urban ($60K/year)

Erin Mooney came up with the idea for MadeUrban when she realized the overwhelming competition on Etsy. After several unsuccessful attempts to build a rival online marketplace, she shifted her focus to the blog section of her website, which gained significant traction and led her to create her first ebook. She now earns between $5000 - $8000 per month and has sold close to 5,000 copies of her ebooks.

How much money it makes: $60K/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
How many people on the team: 0

I Turned A Failing Startup Idea Into A Successful E-Book Business

A small business owner and blogger shares how she turned her failing handmade marketplace into a successful e-book business that generates between $5,000 - $8,000 per month, by focusing on a blog that resonated with her audience and providing unique value in her e-books.

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Read by 5,207 founders

4. Merrative ($24K/year)

Harshala Chavan, the founder of Merrative, came up with the idea for her business after noticing a lack of dedicated spaces for people to discuss literature. After attending a book club meetup, where she had a great discussion with others who had read the same book, she wondered if she could bring this experience online at scale. She validated her concept through participating in BPlans and growing her Instagram page, which eventually led to the launch of Merrative as a community-led marketplace for publishing talent.

How much money it makes: $24K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
How many people on the team: 0

How I Bootstrapped A $2K/Month Online Community To Discuss Literature

Merrative, a community-driven marketplace for publishing talent, generates an average of $1,500 per month in marketplace transactions from their 5,000+ strong community of readers, writers, journalists, and scholars.

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Read by 3,980 founders