How to Sell on Scribd

One of the best ways to promote your small business is to publish articles and books on topics related to
your company. This gives you credibility with potential customers and publicizes your business. You can
publish articles and e-books on Scribd, an online service that handles all the distribution for you.
1.

Complete your manuscript. You can write and edit the document in Word or Excel software. Make sure
you have eliminated all typographical errors (typos) and misspellings. In particular, watch for words
that are spelled right but are actually the wrong word. Examples include “right” vs. “write,” “sent” vs.
“scent” and “some times” vs. “sometimes.” Errors in your text can harm your credibility as an author.
2.

Upload your document to Scribd through their website. When you upload, you must choose whether you
want your manuscript to be designated for “no downloads,” which means viewers can only read it
onscreen, “downloadable PDF,” which means people can download it as a PDF and transfer it to other
devices, or “downloadable PDF + original format,” which allows viewers to receive your Word or Excel
file in addition to the PDF.
3.

Set your price. Scribd does not offer pricing guidelines, but most manuscripts sell for $5 to $10. You can
charge as little as $1. Scribd takes a 20 percent consignment fee, based on the selling price of your work,
so make sure you set the price high enough to pay the consignment fee and leave enough of a profit for
yourself.
4.

Choose the pages you want to allow viewers to preview. You can allow Scibd to do this for you at its
discretion, or you can choose the numbers of pages you want to show for free. This is your best-selling
tool, so choose a section that entices readers to want to read more.
5.

Change your price and preview settings. You can log into your account and raise or lower the price of
your work. You also can alter the pages you want to allow viewers to preview. If you prefer, you can
choose a percentage of pages you will use for previews.
 6.

Select your payment options. You can choose to be paid by check or through PayPal.
Tip

 Browse Scribd offerings to see what others are charging for works that are similar to yours.
References (2)
 Information Week: Scribd Opens Online Store for Documents, E-Books
 New York Times: Site Lets Writers Sell Digital Copies
About the Author

Kevin Johnston writes for Ameriprise Financial, the Rutgers University MBA Program and Evan
Carmichael. He has written about business, marketing, finance, sales and investing for publications such
as "The New York Daily News," "Business Age" and "Nation's Business." He is an instructional designer
with credits for companies such as ADP, Standard and Poor's and Bank of America.

Photo Credits