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How to Earn Well as a Freelance Writer: Writing 'Free’ ebooks for Your Clients


When I first set out to make a living by writing back in 2009, I had all sorts of vague ideas about how to do this. None of them paid enough to buy groceries, especially because I started of working through a low-paying content mill called Elance (now Upwork). By trial and error, I discovered that I could make real money by writing ‘free’ ebooks for clients.

You think this is pie in the sky? I’ve written over a hundred ebooks for which my clients have paid me thousands. My clients then turn around and give these ebooks away for FREE!
What’s with that?

It is common for website owners to offer loyal clients free ebooks as a means to say thank you for buying from them. Others offer a free ebook as a ‘bait’ to get more subscribers to their mailing lists or to entice potential clients to buy their products or services.

When website owners do not have the time, skill or inclination to write their own free ebooks, they happily outsource it to freelance writers or ghostwriters like myself.








How to write Free ebooks?


 If you can write articles and blogs well, writing a short ebook should be easy. It is just like writing lots of articles and weaving them together to create a fine pattern that connects with your target audience.

Usually my clients provide me the topics to write these free ebooks and I do the writing part. Some topics require exhaustive research, others not so much. It just depends on how much I already know about the given subject. When facts and stats are required to support your writing, it can be a tad bit more time consuming to research them.

 Here are some of my tips to write free ebooks for your clients:


  • Free ebooks should be short, about 10-20 pages on average. That’s because they are not about the length. They are about the value they offer to entice potential customers to get them and become real customers. 

  • Keep them easy and simple to read for everyone. 

  • Make sure your ebooks provide unique valuable information. It should not be information that is readily available to them for free on the Internet.  

  • Plan first. Many novice writers think they will succeed by starting to write and letting their writing go wherever it goes. That’s not right. Have a clear idea about what you are going to say. Put it down on paper and follow your outline closely to keep your writing connected.
  • If you’ve got precious nuggets that don’t fit your outline, save them for future books. Don’t meander from your outline.
  • Devise a schedule and write everyday.  

  • Once done, read everything several times so it all makes sense. 

  • Remember, your readers need to feel that you are genuinely interested in their well-being.



Getting Clients for Free eBooks
I’ve written free ebooks on good nutrition, fitness, child safety and more. To date, I have written for clients providing personal fitness plans, travel and holiday packages or e-commerce websites selling health supplements, handmade wooden furniture, organic beauty products and so many more. The scope is endless. It is all about finding the right industry and the right client.

So how exactly do you do that?
Many website owners who want an author or ghostwriter for an ebook advertise on freelancing sites like Fiverr and Upwork. I got my start making proposals to clients who advertised on these sites. But I soon realized that by the time the website takes its percentage, these aren’t lucrative jobs. However, they did help me get known and they built my portfolio.
Pro Tip: Ghostwriting these free ebooks pays far more than writing them. You just lose the credit to write them. It is a compromise, if you are willing to make one.
As of now (2018), I get most of my clients now through returning customers, referrals from satisfied clients, and through my Facebook page- Ghostwriters' World.
Pssst....I've another little secret to get more clients for these bait pieces that I'll share with you...


As an established copywriter, I am often writing content for newly developed e-commerce websites or updating that of pre-existing websites. While I am doing that I often suggest the owners to offer a freebie such a an ebook to attract more clients. What happens next? They like the idea and ask me if I am available to write one for them!




How Much do Free eBooks Actually Pay?

Carol Tice, whose name needs no introduction, recently conducted a bootcamp on writing free ebooks (bait pieces) and she claims this industry is massive and pays over $5000 per book. Don't just take my word for it, read it for yourself here:

https://freelancewritersden.com/writing-ebooks

While I never took this course, I know she isn't bragging here. This industry is massive and pays really well. Try it for yourself and let me know how it worked for you in the comments below.






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