With more and more people getting into reading digital books instead of traditional books, it only makes sense that writers are turning to self-publishing, and creating e-books for profit. In fact, e-books have surpassed paperback and hardcover books in sales. If you enjoy writing, and you think you have an idea that people are going to be interested in reading about, maybe it is time for you to consider writing, publishing, and selling your own e-books for profit. It is a lot easier to do than you might think.
The first thing you will need to do is learn how to write an e-book. There is a lot more to it than just putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard in this instance). First, upgrade your tech. Sell laptop and get one with newer and faster features. Before you begin writing, there are seven stages to consider when creating an e-book:
1) Topic – Choose a topic that you are well-versed in, or something that you are really interested in and want to learn more about. Also, look at your target market and figure out what they are interested in. Once you identify the target market, you can gear your interests in their direction.
2) Length – There are no hard and fast rules for the length of any e-book. Some are just five to 10 pages, while others are novel length or longer. It really depends on what you are trying to say, and how long it takes to say it.
3) Title – Once you have a topic, you can come up with a catchy title. Your title should be creative, as it needs to stand out among hundreds of thousands of other titles. The more eye-catching the title is, the more you are going to tempt potential readers.
4) Content – Your content should be unique. After all, people don’t want to read the same old stuff over and over again, just in different words. Research your competition. Use first person narratives and examples, make the writing easy to understand, etc.
5) Format – Your work will need to be saved in a PDF format. It is often better to use Open Office instead of Word, because it is easier to transition the work into a PDF format. Your book should be formatted to a standard 8.5 by 11 page for printing.
6) Editing – Once you have completed the writing, it is a good idea to hire a professional editing service to go over the work. After all, the last thing you want to do is publish a book that is filled with mistakes that could have easily been corrected.
7) Cover Design – Finally, you need to consider the cover. The design should directly reflect the content of the book. It should be eye-catching, but not overly busy. You can choose to design your own cover, or outsource the work to a professional designer.
Once you have created your e-book, it is time to start marketing it and make some money. First, identify the target market, and do your promoting specifically for this market. Price your book accordingly. You don’t want to make it so cheap that you don’t make any money, but also not so expensive that no one is going to buy it. Your landing page should be eye-catching, and it should make people want to learn more about your book.
Don’t forget to take advantage of social media when it comes to marketing and sales of your e-book. Another great way to promote and sell your e-book is through your own blog. Get people interested in what you have to say, and they will be more interested in buying your book.
Jane Hurst, writer from San Francisco. Find her on Twitter!