Expanding Your Book Into Digital Income – Part 1

Bybooksbypatrice_t1wvus

As we all know, the digital world is just as important as the print world. People love digital items, ranging from teachers to parents to everyone in between. Digital items can be downloaded, saved, and used over and over without needing stacks of paper or a filing cabinet to keep everything in. When I first started teaching elementary (I got those hours later on in life, added to my secondary education degree), a much younger teacher (who has become a really good friend) asked me what I needed a filing cabinet for. I explained that it was for various things, but mostly for master copies of worksheets. She laughed and proceeded to tell me that everything she has is in a file on her computer, and when she wants something, she just goes to that file to make copies. I really felt old! It did stand to reason, and even though I am not teaching full-time now, I have really grown in that area. I keep most of my documents in files on my computer, but there are just some things that I still like to keep a physical copy of. ( I know! Not all of the “old school” habits have left me!) Like other documents, these digital items can be downloaded and stored in a file, on a computer or laptop, making it more convenient. A couple of Blogs ago, I discussed merchandise that you can sell at different book events. In this Blog, and in the next couple of weeks’ Blogs, I will expand on that, discussing not only ways to make digital income, but also things that you can sell to make digital income while also selling your book.

Let’s first talk about the advantages of being an author selling digital products, in addition to selling your book. Selling digital products as an author opens the door to income that extends far beyond the printed page. Unlike physical merchandise, digital products require no inventory, no storage space, and no shipping costs. Once created, they can be sold repeatedly with little to no additional expense. This allows you to increase your profit margins while reducing financial risk. A printable activity sheet, teacher guide, audiobook file, or downloadable workbook can be purchased instantly by readers anywhere in the world.

Digital products also allow you to serve your audience more deeply. Parents, teachers, and homeschool families often look for companion materials that reinforce the lessons or themes in your book. By offering printables, discussion guides, lesson plans, coloring sheets, or themed party kits, you strengthen your connection with your readers and provide added value. These tools make your book more than just a story. It becomes an experience.

Another advantage is scalability. A digital product can sell while you sleep. Whether it’s hosted on your website or an online marketplace, your work becomes available 24/7 without you being physically present at events. This creates an additional stream of income that supports your overall author brand.

Finally, digital products position you as more than a writer. They establish you as a resource. When you provide tools that help others teach, celebrate, or engage with your content, you elevate your authority and expand your reach. In today’s publishing landscape, authors who think beyond the book often build stronger brands, deeper reader loyalty, and more sustainable long-term success.

The first thing you need to do is decide where and how you are going to sell your digital products. There are many ways you can do this, and if you research the digital realm, you can go down the infamous rabbit hole very quickly! There are so many YouTube videos, articles, and blogs on this subject that it can become very overwhelming. So, I am going to lay it all out for you. I not only want to give you some important information, but also some different avenues to take from what I have gathered in my research. As I said, deciding where you are going to sell your digital products and how you are going to sell them is half the battle. If you have a website and you are selling your book, in your store, within your website, it might make sense to sell your digital products there. There are also a couple of other places you could utilize as well, if you are doing your own marketing and/or selling your book yourself and not using a POD company.

In my research, I came across a company that talks about selling your digital products on Pinterest (I will dive into this more later). Another avenue would be to sell on Etsy or another type of platform. You just have to decide what works best for you. If you choose a different platform other than your own website, you can add links to your website, which will take your customers to the platform(s) you are using. I know what you are asking, though. If I have a website, why would I even entertain the idea of using another platform? The answer is simple. Visibility. You want to be in several places so you can become visible and known. This will get your website noticed, and more importantly, you as an author.

The next thing you need to decide is what digital products you are going to sell. To me, this is the fun part because the list is endless! I am in the process of writing a “how-to” book for adults. Just from this book alone, I not only have the book itself as a digital book, but within that book, there are several timelines, forms, etc., that I can extrapolate from the book and make those items into digital products to sell as well. Below is a list of just some digital products that you can make and sell.

Companion (Digital) Products for a Children’s Book

  • Printable activity sheets
  • Coloring pages
  • Word searches & crossword puzzles
  • Word scrambles
  • Story sequencing cards
  • Character trading cards
  • Printable bookmarks
  • Reading comprehension worksheets
  • Discussion question guides
  • Printable party kits (birthday themes from your story world)
  • Printable invitations (character-themed)
  • Scavenger hunt printables
  • Craft templates

🍎 Educational Resources (Perfect for Teachers & Homeschoolers)

  • Lesson plans aligned to standards
  • Teacher guides
  • Literacy centers
  • Vocabulary cards
  • Writing prompts based on characters
  • STEM extension activities
  • Social-emotional learning worksheets
  • Mini-unit study packets
  • Classroom décor (themed posters, door signs)

✍🏽 Author-Focused Products (For Your How-To Book Audience)

  • Writing worksheets
  • Story planning templates
  • Plot structure guides
  • Character development workbooks
  • Self-editing checklists
  • Publishing checklists
  • Book launch planners
  • ISBN & copyright guide sheets
  • Marketing calendar templates
  • School visit planning guides
  • Merchandise pricing calculators

🎉 Event & Engagement Products

  • Book signing event kits
  • School visit activity packets
  • Read-aloud companion guides
  • Printable backdrop signage
  • Vendor booth signage templates
  • Pre-order campaign kits

🎧 Digital Media Extensions

  • Audiobook downloads
  • Printable + audio read-along bundles
  • Storytime video access
  • Printable affirmation cards
  • Digital stickers
  • Downloadable screensavers

💼 Business & Brand Builders

  • Author branding workbook
  • Social media caption packs
  • Email newsletter templates
  • Media kit templates
  • Press release templates
  • Sponsorship proposal templates

To get started, I would pick a few easy things to create. All kinds of websites offer free templates or ways to create worksheets to download. Some of these websites simply have you plug in words, etc., and it creates the worksheet for you to download. If you love creating, Canva is another place that makes it easy to create worksheets, forms, cards, bookmarks, etc. It is important to note that if you use Canva or any other design website, even though there are many templates that you can use, make sure you change it enough to be your own design. You cannot use elements within Canva, for instance, without adding to them and making them your own. The best way to make sure you comply when creating in Canva is to read their Content Licensing Agreement policies on the Canva website. And, if you do not have time to spend creating several worksheets or forms, another popular avenue that is becoming huge is – yep – you guessed it, AI. Although I am not a big proponent of AI, especially when it comes to writing children’s books or illustrations (this is still very much frowned upon within the author community), it has proven very useful when creating worksheets, etc. Like anything else, using AI in moderation, and of course for certain things, can not only save you time, but will let you be able to get your digital products online to sell quicker than if you have to spend hours designing them yourself first. With that said, the times I have used AI to make worksheets, etc., I have tweaked it a little bit so that it becomes my own. 

It is also a good idea to offer something free if someone buys, perhaps a workbook bundle or something similar. When I started my website, I put several free worksheets and items on my Resource page so that anyone who had my book could download and use those items to go along with the book. Soon, I will have not only the free items on there, but also my digital products for sale (or a link that will take you to them if I choose to put them on a different platform. The jury’s out on that one yet! I haven’t quite decided how I am going to do it yet.)

When making your digital products, it is important to make sure you are keeping consistent with your theme and that they correspond with your characters, colors, and fonts. This ties everything together and makes it all cohesive. When using characters on a worksheet, flash cards, or other items, you do not need to make it complicated. It could mean that you just use the names of your characters, for example, in a word search or a crossword puzzle. Or, it could mean that you have a picture of one of your characters on your worksheet, or if you are making vocabulary flashcards, you could use a character on the back of each card, and that would suffice. You could also make the worksheets, forms, or your other products in the colors that correspond with your website.

I hope this has given you at least a place to begin when creating your digital products. In next week’s Blog, I will have Part 2 of Expanding Your Book Into Digital Income. You won’t want to miss it! As always, thank you for reading my Blogs and being part of The Triple Oaks Forest community. Please also spread the word and let people know about my book and website. And, if you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you! Just go to the Contact page to input your information.

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