If you are thinking of creating an ebook, you might be wondering what ebook formats are available to you.
There are really three basic options for formatting an ebook.
- The first is a PDF document that you sell via your website or other digital download service.
- The second is a mobi format that you sell via Amazon.com. This format can be read via a Kindle or any device with a Kindle reader.
- The third is a epub file that sells via most other online retailers.
You don’t have to choose just one format or distribution method. I’ve sold the same exact book via PDF, mobi, and epub. Most professionals who will create a mobi file for you will also create an epub file.
Let’s take a quick look at the pros and cons of choosing a PDF ebook format against choosing mobi/ePub.
Advantages of a PDF ebook format
- Relatively easy to create. You can easily turn a nicely-formatted Microsoft Word document into a PDF.
- Allows you to sell through your own website and keep all of the profits and customer information.
- Allows you the greatest flexibility for a price point. It’s not uncommon to see PDF ebooks priced at $47 or even $97, especially when they are accompanied by extras like templates and checklists. (Packaging your ebooks with extras like this is a great way to sell more ebooks.)
Disadvantages of a PDF ebook format
- Typically cannot be sold through other online retailers.
- Not automatically downloaded to the user’s device, meaning you will want to plan to support a customer service process that helps users download and access their files.
Advantages of the mobi/epub ebook format
- Allows you to access potential customers through online retailers, like Amazon, so your book becomes a profitable lead generation tool.
- Provides the best possible user experience, especially when it comes to Kindle users downloading ebooks via Amazon – truly one-click ordering.
- Having your book listed on Amazon and other online retailers tends to establish more credibility for you as an author.
Disadvantages of the mobi/epub format
- Lacking flexibility in terms of price point. Amazon heavily incentives you to price your Kindle book between $2.99 and $9.99. And people simply do not expect to pay more than $20 for an ebook, and often much, much less. This makes it less than ideal for super-niched markets like the birth photography toolkit we showcased by featured momstyler Jennifer Mason.
- You do not receive access to customer information. Once someone buys, it’s up to them to visit your website or sign-up for your communications.
- Is more technically difficult to create. While there are automated tools to create mobi and epub files from a Word document, any reputable book requires at least a little bit of manual work from someone knowledgeable about the format. (This is not me. Mobi and ePub conversions are something I’ve always outsourced.)
How to choose the right ebook formats
What the decision really comes down to is how you desire to price your ebook and whether or not it will be advantageous to you to access potential new customers via outside online retailers. When I’ve chosen to write an ebook, it’s typically with the goal of authority, visibility, and reach, with profit being a secondary motive. So I’ve chosen to leverage online retailers as much as possible.
If you want to, instead, maximize your profit per purchase, you’ll want to sell a higher priced ebook or digital toolkit from your own website.
And if you are just getting started with your writing and planning process, you don’t have to decide now. No matter what format you decide to ultimately deliver your ebook in, you’ll be starting with a Microsoft Word (or other word processing) document and getting it converted into it’s final form.
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