How to sell ebooks on Instagram in 2025: a step-by-step guide

The best way to sell ebooks on Instagram in 2025 is by using Whop. Learn how to market your ebook through Reels, Stories, and influencers — then drive followers to your whop to buy instantly.

The best way to sell ebooks on Instagram in 2025 is by pairing strong visual marketing with a platform that actually handles the sales — like Whop, where you can sell ebooks, track performance, and grow a business without paying monthly fees.

The global ebook market is projected to exceed $15 billion by 2027, with more than 1 billion readers worldwide. And Instagram has 2.35 billion monthly users — most between 18 and 34, exactly the demographic most likely to buy ebooks about business, fitness, creativity, and self-growth.

This makes Instagram the perfect place to promote your ebooks to readers who already follow your niche. You can use Stories, Reels, and influencer collaborations to attract attention — then send buyers directly to your Whop storefront, where they can instantly purchase and download your ebook.

In this guide, we'll walk through exactly how to sell ebooks on Instagram — step by step — plus show you how to set up Whop so your sales can run 24/7.

How to sell ebooks on Instagram: step-by-step

Here’s how to go from idea to income — all through Instagram.

1. Open an Instagram Business account

Even if you already have a personal Instagram account, it’s a good idea to create a business account. This gives you a range tools specifically designed to help businesses and brands grow. 

For example, a business account gives you access to Instagram Ads. You will also get improved reporting metrics via Instagram Insights. 

If you want to expand your offering and sell physical products, you will be able to take advantage of Instagram Shop.

You can open a new account as a business user or switch your personal account. It’s a pretty easy process:

• Download the Instagram app
• If you don’t have an account, follow the steps to create one
• Click on your profile
• Click on “options”
• Choose “settings and privacy”
• Click on “account type and tools”
• Choose “switch to a professional account”

You can then select a category which describes your business, and you have the option of linking your Instagram account to your Facebook page.

2. Create your profile

The next step is to create and optimize a clear author or brand profile which sets out what you and your ebooks are about. 

Include relevant keywords and a link to where users can buy your book. This is often a landing page dedicated to your latest publication.

Here are a couple of examples of Instagram author profiles:

• Bestselling fiction author James Patterson’s profile simply states who he is and what he’s done – when you’ve sold as many books as he has, you really don’t need much else.

• Meanwhile, writer Juno Dawson adds a little more personality and uses her profile to flag a forthcoming release:

Don’t forget to add a photo. Make sure it fits your author or brand profile, whether you’re positioning yourself as an expert in your niche or showcasing your personality.

3. Develop your content

Think about the best ways in which you can visually showcase your ebook. You want to create eye-catching images which will appeal to users. 

There are lots of content options for authors on Instagram, including:

• Book covers
• Excerpts / quotes in an attractive typeface
• Images from the book
• Personal photos
• Details of promotions or discounts

For example, here’s some recent posts from author Kelly Rimmer:

As you can see, she offers a mix of her book covers and personal content – including the obligatory photo of her cat.

Top Tip: Don’t cheap out on your cover

The saying “never judge a book by its cover” might be true when it comes to people. But for ebooks, a great cover makes a strong first impression that can secure sales.

Many new authors figure they can save a few bucks by doing it themselves. But unless you’re a designer, this is one thing that you should think about outsourcing to a pro.

4. Add captions

Instagram gives you the option to add a caption to your post. You can use this space to create interest and encourage engagement with you and your ebook.  

Also, add relevant hashtags to your captions. But don’t overdo it. Stick to hashtags relevant to your topic or those that expose your posts to a book-loving audience, such as #bookrec and #bookishlife.

Keep the tone of your captions suited to your brand and target audience. 

You can include calls to actions, encourage people to click on a link, send a DM for more information, or even just answer a question. 

For example, in this post, Penguin Books encourages people to save the post and come back to it later:

5. Engage with your audience

Make sure you respond to any comment left on your posts. 

You should also look for ways to connect with your audience, whether that’s taking part in a Q&A session, hosting a live chat, or running a contest that gives people a chance to win something of value.

One of the big advantages of social media is that it brings you and your audience together. Make the most of that opportunity by turning a casual reader into a lifelong fan who will be chomping at the bit to consume your content.

6. Connect with reviewers and influencers

Instagram is popular among influencers, who you can leverage to spread the word about your eBooks. 

For authors, the best place to start is Bookstagram. This is an online community within Instagram filled with all things book-related. 

So, be sure to add #bookstagram to your posts, like these folks at Bookshop.org:

You can also follow and connect with popular bloggers in your niche with a large following who review books. 

7. Introduce offers and incentives

Help to generate interest and sales by offering discounts, giveaways and other promotions. A limited-time element adds urgency while ensuring you don’t give your content away cheaply forever.

If you have published multiple ebooks, bundling is a popular tactic. This gives people a set of ebooks at a cheaper price than buying them individually.

As a visual platform, Instagram is great for shouting about your offers using eye-catching graphics.

8. Make use of Instagram Stories & Reels

Instagram Stories are collections of photos and videos which are only viewable for 24 hours. They are really popular, with 42% of US users of Instagram engaging with Stories.

Meanwhile, Instagram Reels are short videos of 15 to 90 seconds (similar to TikTok). These also get awesome traction, with 2.35 billion people interacting with these videos each month. 

The most-viewed Reel ever is Hardik Pandya's video for a BGMI promotion – with a massive 1.1 billion views. (Maybe not surprising, since the Indian cricketer has 34.4 million Instagram followers.)

These tools can create additional interest and engagement in your ebook. 

For authors, they are great for sharing promotions, teasing a new release, or for interactive campaigns (such as quizzes and polls).

9. Run Instagram Ads

Finally, consider splashing out on paid-for Instagram Ads to spread the word about the features and benefits of your ebook. 

Instagram’s targeting tools let you tailor campaigns according to your aims, budget, and target audience. You can create original ads or use your organic posts.

The ads will appear across feeds, Stories, Reels, and Instagram’s Explore page. The ads include a link to a product, website, or direct messages, so you can send people to a landing page to buy your ebook.

Instagram Ads are run through the Meta Ads Manager, so you need to link your Instagram account to your Facebook page. Ads work on a pay-per-click or cost-per-impression basis.

Alternatively, you can buy a “Boost” for an existing Instagram post on your business account. This turns an organic post into an ad.

The feature does not require you to link to a Facebook account. You can do this directly through Instagram.

Sell ebooks (and more) with Whop

Getting started as an online authorpreneur can feel overwhelming. There are endless platforms promising success, but few that actually make it simple.

That’s why Whop exists. Our goal is to make selling anything online effortless – including ebooks — so you can focus on writing, building your audience, and getting paid.

Once you’ve created your own whop, you can do more than sell ebooks. You can build a brand, grow a community, and expand into memberships, courses, or any other offer you create.

Find your niche, publish your ebook, and start earning with Whop — the platform built for creators who want to turn their ideas into income.