How to Make Money from E-books? Complete Guide + Alternatives in 2025!

The sale of e-books remains tempting – an easy product, no storage, profit even with one sale a day. But 2025 brings new rules to the game. Classic platforms like Amazon KDP are no longer the only option, and sometimes even a ball and chain. If you want to earn real money from e-books, you need more than a PDF file and a title in Canva. You need a strategy, tools, and a place that won’t take half of your profit. In this post, you’ll find specific models, real numbers, and ready scenarios that work now – not two years ago.

Why don’t most e-books sell? 4 things that will block you if you don’t manage them

Even a great e-book can fail to sell if you don’t manage a few key things. Sounds brutal, but today does not forgive mediocrity. Virtual bookstore shelves are loaded with content – and people have limited attention and a million alternatives. If you want to earn, and not just create a “nice PDF,” you must avoid the most common traps.

What kills e-book sales at the start?

• Low conversion – without social proof, reach, and a promotional strategy, the e-book may just sit and wait forever.
• Too much competition – the most popular niches are already covered. Another “How to wake up at 5 AM” guide won’t do the job.
• High platform commissions – they take a large part of the profit, making promoting the e-book unprofitable.
• Lack of customer data – you don’t know who’s buying, so you can’t continue the communication, make additional sales, or develop a newsletter.

These are real problems that even hinder good creators. Today, without your own community or partner strategy, you’re standing still.

How to earn from e-books through Amazon and Gumroad? The classics that still work (but have their catches)

Amazon KDP, Gumroad, and Sellfy are still popular starting points, but don’t fool yourself – they aren’t a golden ticket to earnings. They have their advantages, but also tough limitations. If you plan to release an e-book and count on a domino effect – because “if I upload it, it will sell itself” – unfortunately, 2025 doesn’t work like that anymore. Algorithms are ruthless, the competition is ever-growing, and margins are often lower than in dropshipping. What do you get in return?

Pluses of classic platforms:

• Amazon’s vast reach (KDP operates globally, the e-book can hit American or German bestseller lists),
• Built-in marketing tools, though limited and mostly paid,
• Low entry barriers – you can upload the e-book in a few hours, without coding or integration.

Drawbacks rarely mentioned:

• commissions reaching up to 65% – that’s how much Amazon can take when selling outside of the “optimal price” range,
• zero customer contact – you don’t know who bought it, can’t build relationships, and can’t make upsells, 
• difficulty in standing out without an advertising budget, especially in crowded categories.

If you care about simplicity and don’t have any traffic yet – these platforms might be cool to start. But if you create something with heart, want to build a community and earn real money, this path will quickly start to chafe. 

How to sell e-books? Discover RefSpace

If you want to earn from e-books in 2025, RefSpace offers you something that no other classic platform does: full control, real earnings, and a quick start without formalities. This is not another marketplace where you disappear in the crowd. This is a system where you decide what to promote, at what price, and to whom – and everything relies on what you already have: your traffic, your community, your communication style. You don’t have to create your own store, juggle invoices, or wait weeks for payouts.

RefSpace is simple.

• You find e-books (and other digital products) that fit your theme.
• You generate your unique referral link and post it wherever you want – TikTok, bio, story, video description.
• You earn a commission for every recommendation that ends with a purchase – even on the same day.
• You can also upload your own e-book to the system and allow others to earn from its sales.

RefSpace doesn’t cut you off from customers – you have access to data, you can analyze the effectiveness of activities, and scale campaigns that work. It’s also the only system in Poland that allows sales without a company, with full automation, and at the same time does not take 30-60% commission like Amazon or Gumroad.

RefSpace vs classic affiliate – who earns more and why? A comparison for creators with their own traffic

RefSpace allows you to earn more, faster and with more control than classic affiliate programs – especially if you already have any amount of your own traffic. In classic affiliate models, you promote someone else’s product, you have no say over the commission, you don’t see customer data, and you often wait weeks for payment. RefSpace works the opposite: you decide, what to promote, how much you earn and how often you withdraw funds. You have access to a panel with specific statistics, a complete history of referrals, and a real insight into the effectiveness of your actions.

Why does RefSpace outperform traditional affiliate programs?

• Commissions often start at 30% and up, instead of the typical 5–15%.
• You can make payouts even every few days, with no thresholds like “100 USD minimum”.
• You’re not promoting large marketplaces, but specific creators’ products – often niche and better converting.
• You have access to data: you can see how many people clicked, who bought, and where they came from.
  You can quickly test other products – without formalities, approvals, and waiting.

RefSpace simply gives you the tools that truly utilize your reach and community’s attention. You’re not wasting traffic, not working for peanuts, and not dependent on external platform algorithms.

Writing e-books is just the beginning – how to increase earnings through automation and partners?

An e-book itself doesn’t earn – it’s the strategy behind it that earns. Those who think like marketers, not authors, gain the most now. You might have a great file, a beautiful cover, and zero sales. Or an average topic but a well-thought-out funnel, automated newsletter, and partners who promote for you. The latter model works best today because it is scalable.

What can you do to squeeze more out of an e-book?

• Set up a welcome newsletter with a discount code or bonus – it’s the first step to building loyalty.
• Use drip campaigns that automatically remind about the product or expand on the e-book’s topic.
• Offer a commission to people who recommend your e-book – even if they have a small community, engagement counts.
• Test different promotional content – short Shorts, Instagram carousel, blog post.
• Check statistics and react – if something works, replicate it. If not – change the campaign.

All this might sound like a to-do list for a marketing agency, but don’t worry – many of these things you set up once, and they simply work. This is most evident in creators who work consistently.

FAQ

Is it still worth publishing e-books on Amazon KDP in 2025?

It’s worth it if you care about global reach and don’t yet have your own community. Amazon KDP offers tremendous distribution opportunities but takes a large portion of the profit (up to 65%) and doesn’t allow direct contact with customers. It’s a good choice to start, but if you want more control, better commissions, and access to data, it’s better to use your model or RefSpace.

How much can you earn from selling e-books through RefSpace?

It depends on the topic, community, and promotion strategy, but earnings often start from the first days. Commissions can reach 30–50%, and if it’s your e-book, you get the full profit minus sales commission (lower than Amazon or Gumroad). Creators with a small but engaged community can generate hundreds of zlotys weekly, without advertising expenses.

Do I need a business license to sell e-books through RefSpace?

No. That’s one of the greatest advantages of this system. RefSpace legally operates for individuals who do not run a business. You have full automation of sales, and all formalities (including tax) are handled by the platform.

Can I promote someone else’s e-books if I don’t have my product?

Yes – that’s one of RefSpace’s key strengths. You can act as a referrer (affiliate), choose products from the database, and promote them in your style: via blog, video, newsletter, IG Stories. You earn a commission from every sale through your link.

What commission should I set if I want others to promote my e-book?

In practice, rates from 20 to 35% work best. For more engaging campaigns – e.g., involving influencers – it’s worth testing higher values because they realistically affect motivation and reach. RefSpace allows for dynamic commission management – you can change it depending on the channel, campaign, or sales stage.

What do I need to prepare to add an e-book to RefSpace?

You only need:

– the e-book file (PDF),

– a cover or promotional graphic,

– product description (ideally specific and problem-solving),

– set price and commission rate.

The platform takes care of the rest. You don’t need your own website, domain, or payment system.

Is RefSpace suitable for beginners?

Yes – even if you have never sold anything online before. The system is simple, secure, and maximally simplified. It’s a great option to test your e-book idea, earn your first money, and see if this direction is for you.