Whether you have an idea to sell or you simply want your voice to be heard, putting your words on an eBook (digital book) and selling virtual copies online is an effective and low-cost way to self-publish. Read the steps outlined in this guide to successfully finish and publish your first eBook.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Writing Your eBook
Step 1. Find an idea
EBooks do not differ from other types of books except in their medium of publication; the first important step in writing one will therefore be finding and developing an idea. The easiest way to do this is to think of a phrase or concept that summarizes the information you would like to put into the book. Once this is done, you can develop the idea to create the final product.
- Authors who want to make a novel will have to spend more time on this step and the development of the plot. Read this article for more in-depth information on the subject.
- The eBook format has the advantage of being free, so even writers who want to publish a really short book can do so.
Step 2. Develop your idea
Start with the basic idea you wrote down and think about different aspects. It may be helpful to design a network of concepts to help you in the drafting process. For example, let's say you want to write a book on how to sell real estate for beginners. You could write things like "licenses and taxes", "sales techniques" and "costs and earnings". Connect the characteristics related to each individual element together and so on until you have enough detail to see the structure of the words in your head.
The approach varies according to the type of eBook you want to write. Biographies and self-help books require vertical writing, while problem-solving books require a network of ideas
Step 3. Organize the details
Once you have developed the main structure of your idea, you should be able to have already taken note of enough information related to the basic concept. Rearrange and arrange them vertically until everything is well structured and aligned with the way you want the information to flow in your book. Think in terms of what you think the reader should know first and put the basics at the beginning. Once this is done, they can follow the more advanced concepts without the reader losing attention.
Each point on your list of concepts will be expanded into a chapter. Chapters can be grouped into sections. For example, if your book is about home repairs, you can subdivide the chapter groups by room or type of problem
Step 4. Write the book
Don't worry about the title, the table of contents or any other elements of this type just yet. You may find it easier to start "middle" by writing a chapter of your choice first; you could start from the beginning and gradually progress until you finish it. Remember that you don't necessarily have to use just one method. Use whatever techniques you think are appropriate to complete the book.
Writing an eBook, even a short one, takes time. It is necessary to be persevering. For example, write for two hours a day or until you have reached a certain amount of words. Don't get up from your desk until you've reached your milestone. Just writing something will make your mind work, even if you feel stuck, and the words will start flowing again
Step 5. Review and correct
Once finished, rest for a week and then reread it critically. First, consider the order of the chapters and sections. Do they make sense? Often, it happens that you have to move a chapter to a more suitable part. After this step, read each chapter in the current order and make the necessary corrections.
- Like writing, correction also takes time. Review a certain number of words or chapters per day.
- You will often find that words, like chapters, just need to be rearranged. Keep related ideas together to make sense of the text.
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It is often said that erasing is the soul of editing. If you feel that a chapter is going too far around one point and is detrimental to general fluency, eliminate the extra details.
If this information is absolutely vital, put it in a note or try to incorporate it into the text so that the flow of the text remains fluid
Step 6. Add details
Correct the body of the text, add a title, a summary, an introduction and a bibliography. Titles typically reveal themselves as the book is written. If in doubt, a simple title will suffice; example: "How to Sell Properties".
- If you choose a particularly simple title, create two alternatives if it has already been used. Add adjectives or your name; example: "The wikiHow Guide to How to Sell Real Estate".
- If you got the information from another text, cite it carefully in the bibliography. Did your friends help you? Give them a page to thank them.
Step 7. Add a cover, a necessary marketing tool for eBooks as well
Potential customers will notice it, even if it is virtual. You can commission it to a professional graphic designer or make it yourself if you think you can make something that looks professional and interesting that will inspire a reader to buy the book. If you want to use copyrighted images, get the rights.
Sections and pieces of copyrighted images are also off-limits. Whenever in doubt, ask for explicit permission from the original author
Step 8. Give a copy of the ebook to friends
Once you have finished your beautiful book you should give a copy to your friends, family and neighbors. Be sure to ask them:
- What was the book like?
- What did you like in particular?
- What didn't you like?
- How can I improve it?
Step 9. Take note of the various feedbacks and improve your ebook before publishing it
Take into account all the answers and try to deal with every single problem that needs attention. Don't be afraid to revolutionize somewhere and redo the book from top to bottom. The result will almost certainly be an improvement on what you created yourself. If it wasn't, you could always go back to the previous product.
Part 2 of 2: Publish Your eBook
Step 1. Gather relevant information
The clearer you fill them out, the easier it is to publish and promote. In a separate document, write the title of the book and the title of each section and chapter, the word count, and an estimate of the number of pages. Next, make a list of descriptive keywords related to the book and write a general thesis statement if needed.
Some texts, such as scientific ones, need to be founded on a thesis
Step 2. Think about your audience
Consider who might be interested in your book after reading the title or description. To young or mature people? Who owns a house or who does it rent to? What is their annual income? Do they prefer to save or spend? You don't necessarily have to hire an expert - it's something you can also do on your own.
Step 3. Choose a publishing platform
There are several ways to publish an eBook, which can vary in terms of protection against piracy, royalties and audiences. Consider each option to choose the one that will make you money.
Step 4. Publish it with the KDP platform, Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing
It allows you to format and publish your eBook for free in the Kindle Marketplace. This way, you earn 70% of the price of each copy sold, provided you set a price between $ 2.99 and $ 9.99. The main drawback is that KDP only targets readers who own a Kindle, limiting your audience.
Step 5. Consider other eBook publishers
The services of Lulu, Booktango and Smashwords are also useful for this purpose. In principle, the basic service of these sites is free (and you should never pay to publish your eBook, since it costs nothing to do so), but they also offer paid premium packages, which generally include support. in regards to marketing and editing. Avoid spending money if you didn't intend to. However, these services give you the opportunity to reach far more readers than the KDP and sometimes offer higher royalties. Lulu, for example, allows you to earn 90% of the price of each copy sold.
Step 6. Beware of hidden costs
On every publishing platform, including KDP, certain formats must be used. There are services that take care of the formatting of the book for you, but always for a fee. It is much cheaper to do it yourself, but you will have to learn the rules of the service you plan to publish with and then download the necessary programs to properly convert the file. If you opt for a paid service, avoid those who ask you more than a few hundred euros.
Never work with a publisher who doesn't allow you to set your price. Forcing one can have harmful effects. As a general rule, eBooks make more profits when sold at $ 0.99-5.99 per copy
Step 7. Publish it by yourself with special software
These programs come in different costs and features, but they all allow you to create a finished eBook with no restrictions on where or how to sell it. However, you should know that the anti-piracy measures of these software are less effective than those of the other publishing services.
- Caliber is a new, fast, powerful and easy to use program. Convert HTML files to EPUB format (the industry standard) easily and without cost, although you can always make a donation to the creators. Most writing programs can save the manuscript in HTML format.
- Adobe Acrobat Pro is a popular standard program for creating PDF files, which can be read on almost any computer or electronic device. Acrobat allows you to protect the PDF file with a password the moment you save it. It is powerful and flexible software, but it is not free.
- OpenOffice is the free version of Microsoft Works. Its writing program can save files in PDF format just like Adobe Acrobat. The writing tools aren't very advanced, especially when it comes to adding the cover, but the software can secure the PDF file and encrypt it like Acrobat.
- There are many other programs, free and paid. If the options presented so far are not suitable for you, do an online search and find the one that best suits your needs.
Step 8. Promote the eBook
You can use a paid service to increase your visibility. Go for this investment if you believe the book can take off. Either way, asking for professional help to get your eBook out there won't hurt you.
- Use social networks to advertise yourself. Post the book on Twitter, Facebook and company and add the link to buy it. You can also use LinkedIn for this purpose.
- Think about how to maximize exposure. Don't just talk about your work: be smart. Post the link on StumbleUpon, take a picture of your computer screen and post it on Instagram, record a short video on YouTube. Use all the platforms at your disposal.
- Make yourself available. Readers love accessible authors. Offer to answer questions by organizing an online meeting or send free copies to bloggers who review eBooks; offer yourself for an interview.
Advice
- Make backup copies of your work. Print a couple of copies, and if you can, make sure you have at least two of the finished file. This way, you will prevent potential disasters, such as accidentally breaking your PC.
- Know the costs of editing and promotion services before paying. If the rates are unclear, avoid them.
