Nayan Dhumal
Selling a small ebook or printable is one of the easiest ways to earn from a blog, even with modest traffic. You create a useful PDF, put it on a platform such as Gumroad and link to it from the posts where readers need it. This guide covers what to make, how to create it, where to sell it and how to promote it.
Affiliate links and ads pay you a small share of someone else’s sale. A digital product is different. When a reader buys your checklist, planner or short guide, most of the money comes to you.
It also suits small blogs. You do not need thousands of visitors. You need a few readers with a specific problem and a product that solves it well.
Key takeaways
- Start with a small product that solves one problem your readers already have.
- Printables, checklists, templates and short guides are the easiest to make.
- You can design a PDF in Canva or a word processor.
- Gumroad charges no monthly fee. Its fees are taken from each sale.
- Promote the product inside the posts where readers need it.
- Collect emails so you can tell interested readers about new products.
What kind of product to make
The best first product is small, specific and connected to your most popular posts.
| Product type | Example | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Checklist | A pre-publish checklist for blog posts | Low |
| Printable planner | A weekly meal planner or study planner | Low |
| Template | A blog content calendar spreadsheet | Low to medium |
| Workbook | A worksheet that walks through picking a blog niche | Medium |
| Short ebook | A 30-page guide to a specific beginner problem | Medium to high |
Start with something you can finish in a weekend. You can always build a bigger product once you know what your readers buy.
How to find a product idea readers will pay for
- Look at your most visited posts. What problem brought readers there?
- Read the comments and messages you get. Which questions keep coming up?
- Find the step where readers get stuck, such as planning, organising or tracking.
- Turn that step into a tool they can use straight away, such as a checklist or template.
A product that saves time or removes confusion is much easier to sell than one that only repeats your free posts.
How to create your printable or ebook
You do not need expensive software.
- Canva: good for printables, planners and short visual guides. Choose a custom page size or an A4 or Letter document, design the pages, then download as a PDF.
- Google Docs or Word: good for text-heavy ebooks. Write the content, add headings and images, then export as a PDF.
- Google Sheets or Excel: good for templates and trackers. Share a copy link or include the file.
Keep the design clean and easy to print. Use readable fonts, leave space for writing on printables and test print a page before you sell it.
Pro tip
Before you design anything, write the content in a plain document. Get the steps, checklists and examples right first. Design is the last step, not the first.
Where to sell it
You can sell on your own site with an ecommerce plugin, but a hosted platform is simpler for a first product. It handles payments, file delivery and receipts.
Gumroad is a popular choice for small creators. According to its pricing page, there is no monthly fee. On direct sales it charges 10% plus $0.50 per transaction, and on sales that come through its Discover marketplace it charges 30%. Check the current pricing page before you set your price, because fees can change.
Other platforms and plugins exist, each with different fees and features. Compare a few before you decide, especially if you want to sell in a specific currency.
How to set your price
- Look at what similar products sell for.
- Price on the value to the reader, such as time saved, not on how many pages it has.
- Remember the platform fee when you work out what you keep.
- Start with a simple price. You can run discounts later.
How to promote it on your blog
Your blog is the shop window. The product should appear exactly where it helps.
- Add a short, relevant mention inside related posts, at the point where the reader needs it.
- Add a box or button at the end of those posts.
- Create a simple product page on your blog that explains what is inside and who it is for.
- Show a preview, such as two or three sample pages.
- Link the product page from your menu or a resources page.
If you are still building traffic, read my guide on getting your first 100 blog visitors.
Build an email list alongside it
Many readers will not buy on their first visit. Offer a small free resource, such as a one-page checklist, in exchange for their email. Later, when you launch a paid product, you can tell the people who were already interested.
Things to check before launching
- Test the purchase. Buy your own product, or use the platform’s test option, to check the download works.
- Proofread. Typos in a paid product hurt trust.
- Rights to images and fonts. Make sure you are allowed to use them in a product you sell.
- Taxes. Digital sales may have tax rules where you live and where buyers live. I am not a tax adviser, so check with one if you are unsure.
How this fits with other income
A digital product works well next to affiliate links and ads. For an overview of the options for a smaller site, see how to monetise a blog with under 1,000 visitors.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell ebooks with a small blog?
Yes. A small product that solves a specific problem can sell to a modest audience, especially when it is linked from the posts readers already visit.
How much does Gumroad charge?
Gumroad’s pricing page lists 10% plus $0.50 per transaction on direct sales and 30% on Discover marketplace sales, with no monthly fee. Check the page for current rates.
What is the easiest digital product to start with?
A checklist, printable planner or template. They are quick to make and easy for readers to use straight away.
Do I need a designer to make printables?
No. Canva and a word processor are enough for most first products. Focus on useful content and clean, simple pages.
Should I give my product away for free first?
A free version of a small resource can help you build an email list and test interest. Your paid product should go deeper than the free one.