Guides
Which ebook format should you write?
The question is not “what should my book be about” but “what should my book do”. Each format does one job well. Pick the job, and the format, the length and the structure follow.
| Format | Job | Length | Where it sells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead magnet | Grow an email list | 3,000 to 6,000 words | Your site, free |
| How-to guide | Sell on Amazon, prove expertise | 10,000 to 20,000 words | Amazon, Gumroad |
| Workbook | Give clients or students a tool | 8,000 to 15,000 words | Etsy, your course, Amazon |
| Course companion | Raise course completion | 8,000 to 15,000 words | Inside your course, Amazon as funnel |
| Novel (novella) | Test a story, reader magnet for a series | 15,000 to 30,000 words | Amazon, free for subscribers |
Lead magnet
Short, one problem, one quick win per chapter, and a last chapter that bridges to your offer. Judged by opt-in rate. If you have an audience to grow, start here.
How-to guide
The default Amazon book: zero to a result, step by step, in the order the reader will do it, with a chapter on common mistakes. Priced $2.99 to $9.99. If you want a book with your name on a store, this is it.
Workbook
Lessons paired with exercises, prompts and checklists the reader fills in. Sold as a PDF on Etsy or bundled with coaching and courses. The format readers pay a premium for, because they use it.
Course companion
One chapter per module: objectives, content, recap, self-check. It is the written half of a course, and students who have it finish. Also works as a public book that funnels into the course.
Novel
A dramatic arc in 10 to 20 chapters, scenes with dialogue, a hook at the end of each. Use it to test a premise or as a series prequel for subscribers. Expect to rewrite it in your voice before it carries your name.
How to decide in five minutes
- Who reads it, and where do they find it? An email form, an Amazon search, a course platform, an Etsy search.
- What do you want from it: emails, sales, completion, a test?
- How much do you already have: a syllabus points to a companion; a method points to a guide; a story points to a novella.
The answer to the first question usually decides the format on its own.
From one format to the next
Start with the guide if you have no audience: Amazon supplies readers. Turn its chapters into a lead magnet (three chapters, one quick win each) to build the list. Turn its exercises into a workbook for Etsy. When the topic proves itself, build the course and generate the companion from the same plan. One expertise, four products, one plan reused four times.
Frequently asked questions
Can one topic be several formats?
Yes, and it should: the guide on Amazon, the workbook on Etsy, the lead magnet on your site, all from the same expertise.
Which format is easiest to sell first?
The how-to guide on a narrow topic, because Amazon brings the readers.
What if my book does not fit any format?
Most do, once you name the job. A memoir is a novel-shaped non-fiction; a report is a guide with data.