Online Books Business

3 Online Books Business Success Stories [2024]

Pat Walls

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Updated: October 8th, 2024

Want to turn your passion for books into a business? Consider starting an online books business. This venture involves creating a platform where customers can browse, purchase, and download eBooks or order physical copies directly to their doorsteps.

An online books business allows you to tap into both the digital and physical book markets, offering a diverse range of genres and formats. You'll need a user-friendly website or app, partnerships with publishers or self-publishing authors, and logistics for physical deliveries. Marketing your platform through social media and book forums can generate buzz and drive traffic to your site.

The beauty of this business lies in its scalability—you can start small and expand your offerings over time. If you love books and are willing to manage an eCommerce platform, this could be an exciting and rewarding opportunity.

In this list, you'll find real-world online books business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a online books business that makes money.

1. EOFire LLC ($1.8M/year)

In 2012, John Lee Dumas, a former tank commander and real estate agent, started listening to podcasts during his long commutes. Realizing the lack of consistent, inspiring content, he decided to start his own daily podcast, Entrepreneurs On Fire. Despite having no online presence or broadcasting experience, he took the leap, hired a mentor, and launched the podcast. It quickly gained traction and led to the creation of other successful products and services, generating over $100,000 in net revenue every month.

How much money it makes: $1.8M/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 5

The Story Of John Lee Dumas: From Tank Commander In Iraq To Starting A $100K/Month Entrepreneurship Podcast

John Lee Dumas launched Entrepreneurs On Fire, a daily podcast interviewing successful entrepreneurs, and went on to create multiple successful products and services including Podcasters' Paradise, which has consistently generated over $100,000 in net revenue every month for 89 months in a row.

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2. Foreword Reviews ($1.08M/year)

Victoria Sutherland, founder of Foreword Reviews, came up with the idea for her business while working for a small press magazine. She noticed that independent publishers were not getting much coverage and saw an opportunity to provide long-form reviews for these smaller presses. With her background in advertising and a passion for books, she started Foreword Reviews to fill the gap in the market and support indie presses.

How much money it makes: $1.08M/year
How much did it cost to start: $15K
How many people on the team: 7

The Story Behind A $90K/Month Independent Publishers And Books Reviews Publication

Foreword Reviews is a media company that started out as a magazine with a print run of 7,500 copies, serving as a brochure for publishing services including foreign rights exchange and digital content, and twenty years and some intense pivots later, it has become one of the most profitable in the book business.

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3. AllAuthor ($180K/year)

Naveen Joshi and his brother Mady noticed that self-published authors were struggling to market their books due to lack of time and technical knowledge. They created AllAuthor as a book promotion platform with a subscription model that provides self-help tools and features to simplify book marketing. They started with a $15,000 loan, and through close collaboration with authors and constant feedback loops, they built a loyal customer base and achieved a retention rate of 80-85%.

How much money it makes: $180K/year
How much did it cost to start: $20K
How many people on the team: 8

How We Created A $15K/Month Book Discovery Platform

AllAuthor is a book promotion platform that helps self-published authors to market their books, offering a cost-effective subscription model with free and paid membership options, generating $20,000 in revenue with a retention rate of 80-85% amongst its 13,500 authors from developed countries.

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