Do You Want To Create an Ebook?

It took me four years to create an ebook. Most of that time was spent dithering. I was afraid of the technology and like many writers, I gave in to far too many of my reasons for procrastination. Before I had finished ebook number 1, I had already begun to create ebook number 2 and ebook number 3.

If you are want to create an ebook, let me give you some information that would probably have helped me to move forward more quickly.

Natural Self-Publishing

Selling an ebook is almost self-publishing by definition. Very few ebooks on the market have been through an acquisitions process. The writer is in control from concept to sale.

One thing that makes an ebook so attractive as a self-publishing venue is the extremely low overhead. If you have a shoestring budget, create an ebook.

How To Create An Ebook





Choose An Ebook Topic

The best ebook sales are for informational texts. How-tos are particularly popular. If you know something others want to know, there is a market for your ebook.

Fiction is NOT generally successful in terms of ebook sales. The exception would be fiction for early readers. Teachers and parents will pay for short well-written and illustrated beginning books in any genre. Beginning readers need many more titles than other readers, and there is a large market for these books. They must, however, be excellent.

Write Your Ebook

Writing an ebook is much like writing a hard copy book. There are, however, special considerations for material that will be read on a screen. Most people print out most ebooks. But one of the beauties of an ebook is the option of having interactive text.

Remember that in the end, an ebook is about the words. Be sure the words are doing the job you intend them to do. Don't skimp on editing. You can pay an editor or you can self-edit. Some people do both. They self-edit first to lighten the load for the paid editor. If you self-edit first, paid editing should cost you significantly less.

Create A pdf

The idea of creating a pdf document held me back more than any other consideration. And you do want to create a pdf file. Your readers may own PCs or Macs. Either platform can read a pdf file.

The pdf file is similar to a graphic in that the formatting will be consistent across platforms.

You can use a free pdf writer, or you can do what I did, and buy a version that allows you to do whatever you want with your book.

Create a Cover

A good-looking cover will help ebook sales as much as a good-looking cover will help hard copy sales. Getting a great cover is worth the cost. You can pay someone to create a great ebook cover, or you can buy software to create an ebook cover yourself. That's what I did. The cost of the software was less than I would have paid for one cover, and I can make many covers with it.

Market Your Ebook.

Once you have created an ebook, you need to market it. Some people successfully sell ebooks simply through affiliates, but the best marketers have their own content-based Web sites that draw traffic on the topic of their ebooks, creating interest and building trust.

Distribute Your Ebook

For a small fee you can have someone else deal with the payments, the returns and refunds, and the hosting of the downloading function. Some ebook distributors will also look after an affiliate program for you, paying the commissions to those who promote your book.

Create an Ebook

After taking all the information above into account, if you want to create an ebook, my best advice is...

...just go for it!

I wish I had created my ebook a few years ago when the idea first occurred to me.

Whether or not you create an ebook, consider other self-publishing venues.

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