Formats

Lead magnet ebook: short, useful, ready to give away

By the create-ebook team · Updated 2026-09-15

A lead magnet has one job: give a stranger a quick win and a reason to hand over an email address. It should be read the same day, not saved for later. This format writes exactly that: a short ebook on one problem, dense with things to do, with a cover that looks good as a thumbnail on the opt-in page.

What you getDetail
Length3 to 6 chapters, 3,000 to 6,000 words, about 15 to 30 pages
Chapter structureOpening, 2 to 6 sections, closing, then one “Quick win” the reader can do today
Last chapterA natural bridge to your next step (newsletter, call, course), written so you can adapt it
Quality checkEvery chapter checked for filler, repetition and length, reviewed, rewritten below the bar
FilesPDF (typeset, contents, page numbers), EPUB, DOCX, cover image
LanguagesEnglish, French, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese
PriceFree to write and read; 29 € to download. No subscription.

Who makes lead magnets here

  • Coaches and consultants: “The 5 questions to ask before you hire a coach”, given away on the site, followed by a call.
  • Course creators: the first lesson as a free ebook, with the course as the next step.
  • Freelancers and agencies: a checklist-style guide for the client they want, emailed after the opt-in.
  • Newsletter writers: a bonus for subscribing, refreshed every quarter.

What the pipeline does with your sentence

  1. Writes a brief: the reader, the promise, a title and 3 to 6 chapter titles. You edit anything before a word is written.
  2. Writes the chapters in order, each aware of the previous ones, each ending with a concrete action for today.
  3. Checks each chapter against the format’s rules and an editorial rubric; the ones below the bar are rewritten.
  4. Composes a cover from the title and subtitle, then exports PDF, EPUB and DOCX.

Ten minutes for a first draft. Then you add the story or the example only you know, which is the part readers remember.

An example plan

Sentence in: “How small bakeries can double their pre-orders for Christmas.” Plan out:

  1. Why December is won in October
  2. The one product to pre-sell, and how to pick it
  3. A pre-order page in an afternoon
  4. Three messages that fill the order book
  5. What to do on 26 December (the bridge to your offer)

Where it goes after download

On your opt-in page as a PDF, in the welcome email, on a Gumroad or Payhip page at 0 € to collect addresses, or on Amazon at the lowest price for discovery. A lead magnet is rarely sold; it is the first chapter of the relationship.

Frequently asked questions

Can I add my own offer to the last chapter?

Yes. The last chapter closes with a generic next step; edit it with your link, your programme or your calendar. Manual edits are unlimited.

Does it write the opt-in page too?

No. It writes the book. The description and the bullet points from the brief make a good start for the page.

How long is a lead magnet?

Here, 3,000 to 6,000 words, about 15 to 30 pages in the PDF. Long enough to be worth an email, short enough to be finished.

Can I make several for different audiences?

That is what the pack of 3 (59 €) and the pack of 10 (149 €) are for: one lead magnet per audience or per campaign.