1. Publishing Your
First eBook
An eBook for aspiring authors and self­publishers...

2. Introduction
Since the inception of E­junkie.info, the entire team has been relentlessly
working towards inspiring and motivating those who like us are awed by the
endless opportunities that the Internet has to offer. This is a blog for those
strive to make a mark for themselves by exploring numerous platforms that the
Internet has to offer. Our articles are aimed towards bringing information,
ideas, tips, examples, updates and changes that can help our readers can take a
calculative and well­informed approach towards achieving their goal.
"Publishing Your First eBook" is one such attempt by E­junkie.info where we've
brought together 10 authors to help you publish your very first eBook. It's
needless to say that publishing an eBook is no child's play, but if you know the
right tools and platforms (apart from the ability to write), then publishing an
eBook is quite easy; this eBook aims to show you how.
We understand that writing and publishing an eBook consists of various
tormenting stages, therefore to make things less overwhelming we've divided
the eBook into 4 sections:
­Inspiration
­Tools
­Platform
­Promotion
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3. We sincerely hope that this eBook inspires you to finally get started on your
eBook without worrying about formatting, publishing and promoting it in later
stages. Because once you are done reading this, you will have enough confidence
to make sure that you grab attention of as many readers as you can and become
a successful self­published author.
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4. Table of Contents
Inspiration
1. Five Writing Exercises To Get You Inspired – Fast 7­11
2. Inspiring Authors For Aspiring Self­ Publishers 12­18
3. Book Writing Tips That Work 19­21
4. Finding Inspiration For Your eBook 22­26
5. Not Your Mother's Itsy Bitsy Spider: Identify eBook
Obstacles
27­33
Tools
6. Important Tools To Help Publish Your eBook 35­38
7. On Launching an eBook — Painlessly 39­43
8. A Guide On Designing eBook Covers and Easily
Converting Your eBook Into PDF
44­49
9. How to Write an eBook: Answers to Frequently Asked
Questions about Self­Publishing
50­59
10. Shortcuts for Proofreading Your eBook in Record Time 60­63
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5. Platform
11. Optimizing Your eBook For The Web 65­67
12. Yes, You Can Publish A Book 68­73
13. 5 Things New Self­Publishers Should Know That Will
Help Sell More eBooks
74­81
14. 4 Ways To Get Your eBook Into Your Customers’ Hands 82­87
Promotion
15. F ive Ways To Promote Your First eBook 89­94
16. 5 Reasons To Use A Blog To Build An Author Platform
For Your eBook
95­98
17. How to Promote Your eBook Online? 99­103
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6. Inspiration
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7. Five Writing Exercises To Get
You Inspired – Fast
By Ali Luke of Aliventures
Whether you write as a hobby or as part of your business, there’ll be times when
you feel like you have nothing to say. Perhaps you’ve got to come up with a blog
post, but it seems like you’ve written about every possible angle of your niche –
or you want to develop a great product idea, but you’re not sure where to begin.
These five exercises will help:
Exercise #1: Imagine you’re a Beginner
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8. Whatever your niche, most of your audience will be beginners. If you’re an
expert in your field, it can be tough to write posts or eBooks that reach those
people.
So think back. Imagine that you’re a beginner, just starting to explore your
field. What questions do you have? What do you need to know before going
further?
If you’ve got a blog about playing the guitar, for instance, you might come with
topics like:
• How to buy your first guitar
• How to tune your guitar
• The first three chords you should learn
• How to play a very simple piece of music
Exercise #2: Free­Writing
Free­writing is a technique where you write for a set period of time (10 minutes
is common) without stopping. You can do this with pen and paper or on a
computer; you might like to try both methods to see which suits you best.
When you’re free­writing, you should go fast without rushing. Don’t
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9. worry about spelling, grammar or punctuation: your task is to keep your
pen moving on the page (or your fingers on the keyboard) until the time is up.
You can write about anything that comes into your head (this is also known as
“stream of consciousness” writing). This is an exercise to get words flowing, not
something designed to produce a finished piece: you won’t be showing your free­
writing to anyone.
Once you’ve finished a free­writing session, look back through what you’ve
written and highlight any ideas that you want to take further.
Exercise #3: Expand on a Previous Piece
One simple way to come up with new ideas is to draw them from something
you’ve already written. Print out a popular post on your blog, with wide
margins so that you can easily jot down notes. Go through and look for anything
that you could expand into another post. You’ll probably find plenty of ideas
that you can easily develop.
Look out for:
1. Opportunities to write the next step or a more advanced topic.
For instance, if you wrote a post about “how to set up your Gmail account”
then you might go on to write about “tips and tricks for using your Gmail
account effectively”.
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10. 2. Places where you might need to spell out something for
beginners. For instance, if your post casually mentions “buy your domain
name”, then you could write about how exactly to do that, how to choose a
good domain name, and so on.
As well as being a great way to add depth to your blog, this also means you’ll
have plenty of opportunities to interlink your posts.
You can use the same process for any piece of writing: for instance, if you’ve got
a basic free eBook, you could develop each chapter to create a paid­for resource.
Exercise #4: Borrow from another Writer
There’s nothing wrong with borrowing: writers do it all the time. Many of
Shakespeare’s plots were borrowed, for instance (and plenty of people have
borrowed plots from Shakespeare in turn...)
Some of the things you can borrow are:
1. The first line of a piece. This works especially well if you’re writing
fiction. (You can always change or remove the first line later.)
2. The structure of a piece. If you read a great blog post or eBook, break
it down to look at the structure – and see whether you can do something
similar for your own niche.
3. The title of a piece. Try looking on magazine covers for great titles, and
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11. see how you could tweak the title to suit your own purposes by changing a
few words.
4. A great quote. Starting your piece of writing with a quote can be a good
way to set the tone and to add value for your reader. You could choose
something famous, funny, or highly relevant to your own field.
Exercise #5: Use an Object
Look away from the screen for a moment and glance around. What can you see?
If you’re in an office, you probably have lots of items nearby – perhaps pens,
notebooks, a coffee cup, a phone, books...
Any object in your environment can become a tool to inspire you. Pick
one at random and see what links you could draw between it and your
topic. If you write about gadgets, for instance, a coffee cup could inspire you to
blog about what to do if you accidentally drop your smart phone into your drink.
If you write about celebrities, a pen could inspire you to produce a post
comparing different celebrities’ handwriting.
About the Author: Ali Luke is the author of the newly­released Publishing
eBooks For Dummies, which will help you, create, publish, and market your
eBook. Find out all about it (and grab your copy) here.
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12. 04 Inspiring Authors For
Aspiring Self­ Publishers
By E ­junkie.info
As a writer, you are bound to have a favorite author, whom you admire, look up
to, draw inspiration from and most importantly, enjoy reading. But in most
cases, writers tend to miss out on gaining motivation, and even if they don't, it
is mostly short­lived. Best­selling authors may be i nspiring , but they have a
'larger­than­life' aura that can intimidate even the best of literary geniuses.
What one needs is an example that one can relate to, an example of someone
who started out like any other aspiring writer sipping coffee in a secluded
corner of a nearby cafe. The world is well­aware that the eBooks business is in
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13. full throttle, and whether you like it or not, it has given opportunities and a
platform to many writers out there; irrespective of their w riting skills .
But, today we would like to share perfect examples of authors who have made it
big in the writing business ­ all on their own. Not only are they good writers,
but also creative publishers. A potent combination in the digital world. Have a
look at these inspiring authors, who will also motivate you to reach out to your
rightful audience.
Tim Ferriss
His debut book "T he 4­Hour Workweek " was
an instant success, a book that makes you
wanna quit your job and abandon the 'rat
race' to become a self­made entrepreneur by
working fewer hours and becoming the 'new
rich'. According to Wikipedia "He marketed
his book heavily through bloggers with whom
he created personal relationships."
Tim Ferriss, holds a world record in Guinness Book of World Records for tango,
he's a National Chinese Kick­boxing champion and has had his show 'Trial by
Fire' aired on History Channel. He is only 32 years of age and speaks 5
languages.
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14. "I ran a Google Adwords compaign, where your ad appears based on
keywords that people were searching for. I ran a dozen different ads
with a dozen different potential titles as the advertising headline,
with the potential subtitles as the ad text. The click­through page
was nothing, but I wasn't concerned with the conversion or cost per
acquisition. I was only concerned with the click through rate­which
of those dozen headlines was most popular. So for less than $150 in
one week using keywords as a fixed variable, I was able to identify
"The 4­Hour Workweek, Escape 9­to­5, Live Anywhere and Join the
New Rich" as the most successful title so far."
L e a rn more about Tim F erriss and h i s f a scinating b ook.
John Locke
John Locke is the first self­published writer
who has sold more than 1 million eBooks
through Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing
Platform and is the eighth author to become
a member of Amazon's “Kindle Million
Club.”
Locke has authored 7 international best­ sellers (crime fiction), out of which
three of his books made it to top 3 in Amazon/Kindle Best Seller's List; all of
his seven books have made it to this list. Other than his sensational writing,
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15. what makes Locke an outstanding author is that he follows a strict $0.99
pricing model. According to his website, “Every 7 seconds, 24 hours a day, a
John Locke novel is downloaded somewhere in the world!”.
He has recently published a non­fiction book called, “How I Sold 1 Million
eBooks in 5 Months” where he shares his experience of becoming a successful
eBook author without any agents or literary publishers in the picture.
"These days the buying public looks at a $9.99 eBook and pauses. It's
not an automatic sale. And the reason it's not is because the buyer
knows when an eBook is priced ten times higher than it has to be.
And so the buyer pauses. And it is in this pause – this golden, sweet­
scented pause – that we independent authors gain the advantage,
because we offer incredible value.”
Read our exclusive interview with John Locke.
Joanna Penn
Joanna Penn is an author of three non­
fictional books: 'How to Enjoy Your Job',
'From Idea to Book' and 'From Book to
Market' and has recently published an
action­adventure thriller 'Pentecost'. She
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16. also runs a highly resourceful and informational blog: 'The C reative Penn '
where she writes content for those who wish to write or are interested in
publishing, she also writes articles on how one can leverage the Internet for
marketing and promoting their books.
"I'm passionate about sharing everything I learn along the way in
order to help you save time, money and heartache.
I always wanted to write fiction but I thought I had to be a Booker
prize winning literary fiction author and that was just too daunting
so I didn’t even try. Then after venturing into digital publishing,
blogging and networking with other authors, I gained the confidence
to try writing fiction again. I looked at my bookcase and realized I
read action­adventure thrillers and I love archaeological, religious
and psychological themes. So then I decided to write a book I’d love
to read and Pentecost was born! It’s the first in a series so now the
floodgates are open."
There is so much that one can learn from her, her journey to becoming an
author and transcending herself from a business consultant is truly inspiring.
She herself draws inspiration from the first author in the list: Tim Ferris.
Read our exclusive interview with Joanna Penn.
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17. Amanda Hocking
Amanda was hardly 7 years of age, when
she started her love affair with books, by
the age of 12 she realized that she is meant
to do just one thing with her life: write. By
the end of her high school, she'd already
written about 50 short stories, and
numerous novels. Her first novel was
"Dreams I Can't Remember", and she
finished writing it when she was 17. Now let's fast forward few years, by 2010,
Amanda had written about 17 novels...all unpublished.
Like every aspiring author, she submitted her novels to numerous publishers,
but only got rejection letters in return. She received so many rejections, that it
became a part of her life. Finally (and thankfully), she decided to sell her books
on Amazon. On 15th April 2010 she made her first book available for Kindle
readers on Amazon.
To her, and everyone's surprise, by January 2011, she'd sold over 185,000
eBooks, with majority of sales coming from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. One
could say that it was her pricing policy that gave her that initial push in the
self­publishing world. She charged only $0.99 for her first book, a price that
most readers won't even give a second thought before buying.
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18. "Everything I'd heard about self­publishing is that it was impossible
to make a living, reach readers, or produce a quality product. But
last year, I heard about how some other authors like Joe Konrath
and Karen McQuestion are doing well with eBooks. So I thought
that I had nothing to lose. I'd written about 12 books when I decided
to self­publish, and I thought it would be better than them sitting on
my computer. Worst case scenario, nobody would read them, and
that's what was happening anyway."
Read Hocking's inspiring story in detai l .
These are some of the most inspiring self­published authors who every
aspiring writer must gain motivation from, for it is such examples who
restore our faith in dreams becoming a reality. They are no super
humans, they are like you and me, the only difference is that instead of
waiting for an opportunity to knock on their doors, they went ahead
knocking opportunities' door.
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19. Book Writing Tips That Work
By Jeff Goins of G o ins Writer
Here are some tips that have worked for me, allowing me to keep my head in the
game. Maybe they’ll help you with your eBook, too:
• Set a daily word count goal.
• Write when you feel energized and inspired.
• When you need to rest, rest. Just don’t use that as an excuse to be lazy.
• Also write when you don’t feel like it. Some days, you just need to show
up and put the time in.
• Don’t beat yourself up when you don’t hit the daily word count goal, or
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20. miss a day. Give yourself grace. Tomorrow’s another day.
• Celebrate small victories. Pat yourself on the back for 300 words.
Today, it’s enough.
• Set aside time to write. Protect that time at all costs. For me, early
morning is best.
• Don’t beat yourself up when you sleep in or miss your daily time. Just
keep writing.
• Get a feedback group to give you honest critique. Don’t be defensive;
hold your work with an open hand.
• Pray. Ask God for help. Or, if you don’t believe in God, pray. Trust me:
you need it.
• Allow yourself a few quirky indulgences. For me, its French Press
coffee and ambient music to get into the mood to write.
• Write in chunks. Focus on one section at a time. Don’t let the whole
book overwhelm you. Today, just worry about your little section.
• Go out of order, if you need to. If you are most excited about the middle of
the book, start there. Follow your passion. You can always go back and
write Chapter 1 later.
• Don’t check email. I’m serious. Close it right now. Do not even leave it
open. E mail is a productivity­killer .
• Don’t check FaceBook. Again, I’m not kidding. Close that window.
• Don’t check Twitter. Hey, what’s wrong with you? You’re starting to
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21. sound like me. Just get to work already.
• Always have a way to take notes (I use E vernote on my phone). Bring
your laptop or noteBook with you wherever you go. Steal five or ten
minutes wherever you can — in the car, waiting for the bus, on your lunch
break, whatever. Every little bit counts.
• Read books that inspire you. Read a piece of fiction or a memoir or
whatever you find inspiring. And of course, I always recommend T he War
of A rt .
That’s it. Remember, this is a marathon. Pace yourself. See you at the finish
line.
About the author: Jeff Goins is a writer who lives in Nashville, TN (USA)
with his wife, son, and dog. You can find him online at goinswriter.com or follow
him on Twitter @ jeffgoins . You can also check out his best­selling eBook, You Are
a Writer (So Start Acting Like One), at y ouareawriter.com
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22. Finding Inspiration For
Your eBook
By Zivana Anderson of M indset Destination
You have ideas burning inside of you. They come at random times – when you’re
walking the dog or in the shower. They keep you up at night and your partner
nudges you to stop mumbling in your sleep.
Yes! You have the desire to write and share with others. You’ve heard about the
advantages and benefits of writing an eBook.
So where to start and what to do first?
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23. Answer the “why” of writing your eBook
Before you start channelling your ideas down a road – sit back and think of the
big picture first. Imagine that someone has downloaded your eBook, switched
off the phone and read it from cover to cover. Your reader has just turned (or
clicked!) the last page.
Now – what do you want them to feel?
Inspired? Excited? That they are holding an action plan they can implement?
What do you want your eBook to achieve? At this point – it’s not about “get more
readers” or “make a passive income”. It could range from breaking a topic down
into smaller steps to setting up a precursor for a series of eBooks on a particular
topic.
If the answers aren’t coming easily to you, then use these questions as prompts:
• Look around you and note what irritates, frustrates other people?
• What do you have a deep knowledge or excitement about?
• What do people regularly ask your advice for?
• What are the topics that when you explain it to others, they say “gosh you
make
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24. • it look so easy” and you think “ummm – doesn’t everyone know how to do
it?”
Get clear on your objective:
Now that you have some ideas, let’s channel them. Whilst you are probably
sitting with multiple ideas, it is best to start with one.
To do this – be clear about the objective that you want to achieve.
Will the eBook help:
• Create a hook to capture traffic visiting your blog?
• Show your authority in a particular area?
• Become a paid product and generate passive income?
• Be used as part of a series to educate your readers?
Do some research:
There are many definitions of marketing out there. I think this one expresses it
in its simplest form – “marketing is about identifying and meeting the needs of
your target market...”
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25. Too often, people start something because “it feels right” or they think it’s a
good idea. The basis of the idea is no doubt sound but where it can fall down is
on the execution. How one packages the eBook, identifies the USP, key
messages and outcomes – these are all fine­tuned by the needs of the market.
Research and test your idea using a mix of on­and­offline resources.
• Discuss the concept of your eBook and the outcomes you want readers to
attain with your friends. If you can’t verbalise it to them – go back to the
drawing board.
• If you have an existing blog, bounce it off a selected group of your readers
Run a survey through your Facebook or Linkedin pages
• Use Google Trends to check out what people are searching for related to
your topic
• Google keywords and Adwords will give insight to some keywords that can
be built around the theme of your book
Define a time period to complete the eBook
One of the most difficult things about writing eBooks is that it is never quite
perfect. It is very tempting to write, rewrite and rewrite another 100 times
before you hit “publish”. At this point – remember the law of diminishing
returns. Simply put – when you’ve done 90% of the work – the next 10% is not
what will make it the best seller.
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26. As you write your eBook – go back to your original “why” to check that your tone
and message are bringing that emotion through as you intended.
Use one of the many stock photo or image banks to have imagery guide you as
you write. By using a combination of words and images – you will find that your
message and tone align and integrate into one another. This gives the reader a
sense of you and your brand – which is important when they return to your blog
and look to develop a relationship with you.
About the Author: Zivana Anderson mentors women on how to invest time and
energy meaningfully. Her own tussles with the “not good enough” Gorilla has
given her a deep understanding of how it can send you down long dark roads
that you didn’t intend to walk. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
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27. Not Your Mother's Itsy Bitsy
Spider: Identify eBook
Obstacles
By Stefanie Flaxman of R evision Fairy
I typed away at my keyboard, engrossed in my work.
“I like m etaphors and c ontradictions , bla, bla, bla …”
When I stopped to take a breath, I glanced up at the ceiling and my eyes zoomed
in on a dark mass in stark contrast to the white paint.
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28. I grabbed my glasses and wrapped them around my face to confirm my finding.
Yep. A spider.
High ceilings are beautiful until an eight­legged creature is hanging out above
your bed. What to do?
Due to the out­of­reach location, the best solution was my favorite action:
nothing. Let nature take its course.
Within minutes the arachnid was crawling its way toward a window on the
opposite end of my apartment, along the line where my wall meets my ceiling. A
start, but he had a long way to go. After another minute, he stopped—just
stopped—on his path to outside.
At this point, I began to analyze what he could have been thinking about: his
motivations, the obstacles ahead of him.
When we embark on any new journey, there are going to be events and
h eartbreaks that make us question our beliefs and decisions. Nothing is smooth
sailing, but should that be a reason not to start in the first place?
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29. If we identify obstacles that could potentially throw us for a loop before we
actively pursue a c hange in our lives , we are better equipped to handle the
unforeseen turbulence that also appears on our voyage to a new place.
Here are three ways to conquer common obstacles that occur when you write
your first eBook.
Obstacle 1: I’m All Alone
When Itsy Bitsy made his first stop, he realized the magnitude of the task that
he just embarked upon—and it scared him.
He had a safe life inside and froze when he began to think that he was crazy for
wanting a life outside. How could he take on such a task by himself?
Solution 1: No Support is Support
As you w rite and edit your life , you acknowledge that the pencil is in your hand.
When you want to write out something new, or edit out a certain type of
behavior, it is no one’s responsibility to tell you, “it’s okay to be different now.
It’s okay to grow.”
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30. You’re the only one with the power to say, “Why was I doing things like that?
That’s not working. I think I’ll try something new and see what happens.”
You may unrealistically think, “If I only had­__, then it would be easier to
achieve what I want.” Unfortunately, no person or circumstance is ever going to
make it easier for you. Structures based on other people’s approval or support
will inevitably crumble.
Take comfort in your pure intentions. You don’t have anything to prove. There’s
no one around who you need to impress. You decided that you wanted to start a
writing project, and you’re moving toward that goal.
Obstacle 2: It’s Too Far
The next day, Itsy Bitsy shook off his fear of being alone. He realized that he
didn’t need anyone to cheer him on; capable and confident, he went back to
work.
About halfway to his goal of fresh air and new scenery, he paused again. While
he started the morning strong, by the afternoon he was once again tired and
doubtful.
The beneficial result at the end of his travels seemed too far off. Will it ever
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31. appear?
Solution 2: Patience & Pacing
You need to recognize the completion of mini­goals along the way. Hug small
victories.
Although it may take time to finish what you start, when you consistently work
toward something, your transformation begins to take shape even if you don’t
notice it.
It’s perfectly fine that Itsy Bitsy stopped to rest. He didn’t need to crawl straight
out the window on his first try. The distance that he had to cover was longer
than anything that he ever experienced before.
It’s smarter to pace yourself than to get so overwhelmed and worn out that you
have to stop for good. Celebrate where you are when you’re there. Enjoy your
surroundings because there’s always more ahead for you whether you’re ready
for it or not.
Obstacle 3: What Does Outside Look Like?
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32. Hours later, I spotted Itsy Bitsy only a few feet away from the window. A new
life outside seemed realistic because his experience had given him expertise,
and he no longer viewed his journey as unmanageable.
He was now motionless because he second­guessed his desires. Does he even
want to carry on his existence outside anymore?
Solution 3: You Get What You Need
Your journey to get outdoors has prepared you for what may show up.
Once you’ve put habits into place that are aligned with the person who you
want to be, there is no turning back. You know how to r oll with the punches and
deal with what arises.
Your internal choices can build a peaceful life regardless of external
c ircumstances.
Did Itsy Bitsy Make It?
The next time I looked for him, he was nowhere to be found.
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33. He had the courage to be vulnerable when presented with t he unknown . You
can, too.
About the Author: Stefanie Flaxman is the creator of @RevisionFairy and
author of the new painkiller, “How to Overcome Heartbreak Without Projectile
Vomiting: A Guide for Cynical Hopeless Romantics.”
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34. Tools
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35. Important Tools To Help
Publish Your eBook
By Melissa Miller of A ssociate Degree Online
It’s finally happened: eBook sales have topped those of physical books. The
March revenue r eport from the Association of American Publishers confirms the
trend that we’ve all been expecting. According to the report, eBooks outsold
traditional books that month by over $50 million. Given that information, I
think it’s safe to say that eBooks are more popular than ever before.
While that news might give anxiety to certain traditionalists who bemoan the
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36. decline of the classic paperback, people in the eBook and self­publishing
industry should take a moment to rejoice. You don’t need a degree in rocket
science to guess that eBook are the way of the future. People are buying eBooks
in greater numbers every day, and that many plenty of potential customers for
authors trying to get their work out in the market.
Given this great news, I’d like to offer tips to up and coming eBook authors who
want some help in the self­publishing industry. The world of ePublishing is a
competitive market, but with the right tools you can make your own mark on it.
Createspace
Createspace is a self­publishing resource for authors interested in ePublishing.
The company is owned by Amazon, so you know that they know how to sell an
eBook or two. Createspace’s proximity to Amazon makes them an ideal service
for authors who want to introduce their eBooks to a wide audience from the
very start. The company helps aspiring authors prep their work for the web in
addition to providing fantastic marketing services designed to increase the
visibility of an eBook. Createspace also gives authors the chance to sell their
eBooks directly from the Kindle bookstore, a huge advantage considering the
widespread popularity of the eReader.
Createspace also has an royalty calculator available for authors who want to
estimate the royalties that the company will exact from sales. The company
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37. generally takes fairly low royalties compared to other publishing houses, but you
can always double check with the calculator to get the best price.
Lulu and Bookbaby
Lulu and Bookbaby are two similar eBook publishing services that cater to
writers who are entirely new to the eBook publishing process. I put both of
these services under the same heading because they both cater to more
independent and niche writers. Lulu publishes everything from YA horror
novels to computer instruction manuals to “top 10” marketing lists. Bookbaby
has a similarly diverse collection of published titles, from cookbooks to college
study guides to detective novels, and the diverse content speaks to their
strengths as a publishing house. There is no work too small or too niche that
either of these services won’t turn down, and that’s why I love them.
Both Lulu and Bookbaby will help you publish your eBook in a variety of
formats so people can download them to almost any digital reader. Moreover,
both services offer extensive marketing and cover design features that help give
your eBook that extra special edge over the competition.
Learn from the experts
Above all, I think it’s important that eBook authors learn the ins and outs of the
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38. industry from their peers. eBook publishing is a relatively new industry, but
there are already plenty of experts out there willing to share their knowledge
with eager writers. Join writing communities and strike up a conversation with
an industry expert. You won’t regret it!
About the Author: Melissa Miller is a freelance writer and blogger hailing
from the great state of Texas. Melissa Miller specializes in writing about the
education field. If you're considering pursuing an associate degree online,
Melissa's many posts on the subject can help light the way. Email her at
melissamiller831@gmail.com with any feedback.
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39. On Launching an eBook —
Painlessly
By Alexis Grant of Alexis Grant
Writing and selling your own eBook can be a great way to s upplement your
i ncome and grow your network, but creating a quality product for your audience
isn’t always as easy as it sounds.
How should you go about starting the writing process? What’s the best way to
promote your eBook launch? And how do you get paid once your eBook starts
selling?
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40. Here are some of my top tips for creating and l aunching an eBook , so you can
take the confusion out of the process and start writing!
Write and hire an editor. The first step when creating your eBook is to
simply sit down and write it. Decide on the problem you’ll help your audience
solve, then write in a voice similar to how you blog, conversationally, not stiff.
The length of the completed document depends on your topic, audience and
writing style; write until you’ve covered all the important information, then
trim the excess.
H iring an editor will help you tighten up the content — and if you want to be
perceived as a professional, don’t skip this step. Eat the costs, because you’re
going to make good money off this eBook anyhow, right?
Choose a format. You want your PDF eBook to look appealing on both an e­
reader and a computer screen. So don’t think in terms of old­school book
formats. Favour easy to read, large font and plenty of visually­friendly white
space.
Notice the details in eBooks by other writers — the appearance of their header
and footer, the location of page numbers, etc. — and incorporate those effective
presentations into your own work.
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41. Decide on a price and platform. Because this is a relatively new medium,
there’s no magic formula for figuring out how to price your work. While prices
vary, informational eguides often cost more than traditional books. It’s not
unusual to see them priced at $19, $29, $49 or more. Research your niche, ask
for feedback and settle on what feels right.
From there, decide whether you’ll sell your eBook straight from your website or
use a distributor like Amazon. If you sell from your own site, you keep all the
profits, which sound pretty great, right? The challenge is that you’ll need a
decent­sized platform to do this successfully.
If you u se Amazon , you’ll cast a wider net, but they’ll take a cut of your sales.
That means the decision comes down to a few factors: the size of your audience,
how much you’re selling your eBook for and how you feel about sharing the
proceeds.
Consider PayPal and e­junkie if you sell your eBook yourself. If you opt
to sell your book straight from your own site rather than use a distributor,
consider using P ayPal and e­junkie to make the e­commerce process automatic.
(And I’m not just saying that because I’m writing for e­junkie; the e­commerce
site has totally simplified the process for me.) e­junkie costs only $5/month
initially, routes your sales through PayPal and sends your eBook to buyers
automatically. It also offers an affiliate option, which lets other bloggers earn a
commission for selling your products. At least 33 percent commission is
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42. standard, and many authors offer 50 percent.
Promote! Once your eBook is written, formatted and ready to see the world,
it’s time to create a p romotion plan . Approach bloggers with big platforms and
ask for reviews, Q&As or guest posts, keeping in mind that you’ll have to
actually write the guest posts you promise.
Use your network! Keep track of the people you pitch and their responses in a
Google Doc. If you do this properly, you’ll be able to remember everyone who’s
helping spread the word about your book and thank them accordingly.
Offer pre­launch discounts and bonuses. If you have a solid email list, offer
your subscribers a discount to show your appreciation for their support and
make some sales in the process. And give people who purchase your eBook a
little something extra that they’re not expecting, like a discount on another
product from you or an affiliate. It’s always a good idea to sweeten the pot,
right?
Writing and launching an eBook may seem like a daunting process, but it
doesn’t have to be. If you know the rights steps to take throughout the process,
you’ll get your book out into the world in no time – and make some money while
you’re at it.
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43. About the Author: Alexis Grant is the author of H ow to Build a Part­Time
Social Media Business.
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44. A Guide On Designing eBook
Covers and Easily
Converting Your eBook Into
PDF
By Hector Cuevas of I nboundPro
How To Create an Eye Catching eBook Cover
I’ve created a few eBook covers in the past and I’ve gotten pretty good with
Photoshop, so I’ll be creating my ecover myself.
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45. I won’t be able to cover everything that goes into creating the actual image in
Photoshop, because that would take forever, but I’ll share with you everything
you need to know to get it from an idea in your head to a nicely designed cover.
Here are the software programs I use:
• Photoshop 7
• 3D Photoshop Action Scripts
The 3D Photoshop action scripts are life savers. Once you create the image in
Photoshop, you can simply run the script from within Photoshop and get a
nicely design ecover in a matter of minutes.
These are the steps I take when designing an eBook cover.
1. Open Up Photoshop 7
2. Run ‘step 1 of the script I want to run ′
2.5 This step creates the template you can design your cover on. Once
your design is ready you can move on to the next step.
3. Run ‘step 2 of the script I picked ′
4. Copy the entire image and shrink it
These scripts create really BIG images. The last thing you want is a really BIG
picture of you eBook cover slowing down your loading speed when people visit
your site. So be sure to shrink it.
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46. The final product after running step 2 of the script
looks like this. I choose the Spiral Binder Standing
for this example, but there are 40 other layouts
and templates to choose from.
The other option you have is having someone do it
for you. I’m sure you can find a talented designer
on Fiverr to do this for you for 5 bucks. As a
matter fact, there are plenty to choose from. Click here to check them out.
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47. What About Your eBook’s Layout?
The eBook layout consists of a few elements.
• How many columns will you use?
• What’s the color scheme?
• What will be your header?
• What will be your footer?
• What fonts will you use?
All of these questions are important when thinking about eBook layouts, but
they’re not as critical as the writing. Obviously, if you don’t any words on paper,
then there’s nothing to style or make look pretty.
But assuming you have written pages for your eBook, let me share with you
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48. what I’ve done as far as layout. I’ve kept things really simple really.
I’m only using ONE column with a large image on the side of every page. The
color scheme is simple, too.
White background – Black letters – Orange Headings – Red Sub Headings
The header and footer on every page include the name of the eBook, and the
name of the author (A.k.A me)
I’m only using 3 different fonts for the entire eBook. One for the start of every
section, another for the start of every chapter and a third for rest of the words.
How to Easily Convert Your eBook to PDF Format
Once you’ve done all of the writing and
styling, it’s time to convert that beautiful
piece of art into something that your
customers can download and consume –
and PDF is the perfect format.
The converter I use is Nitro PDF Professional 7. I like this software because it
integrates with Microsoft Word 2010. It allows you to click one button and
converts the document in a matter of seconds.
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49. Another reason why Nitro PDF is awesome is because it creates web­ready PDF
files. I’ve tried other PDF converters that create a very large PDF file, and you
don’t want that.
You want a file that is easy to upload and quick to download, so that your
customers don’t have to wait 15 minutes to see what they bought. You can also
find some free alternatives simply by searching on Google, just be sure that
when you convert the document, you don’t end up with a huge file.
About the Author: Hector Cuevas is the author behind InboundPro.net. He
teaches how to grow an audience online using content, search and social
platforms. Follow him on Twitter.
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50. How to Write an eBook:
Answers to Frequently Asked
Questions about Self­
Publishing
By Yuwanda Black of I nkwell Editorial
How/Why I Started Writing and Selling eBooks
I started writing and selling eBooks online in 2004. My foray into self­
publishing was quite by accident. I owned an editorial staffing firm in New York
City at the time and recruited full­time, part­time and freelance talent (eg,
proofreaders, copy editors, writers, graphic designers, etc.). I received a lot of
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51. questions from wannabe freelancers about what employers were looking for.
Once I’d answered the same questions a gazillion times, I decided to write an
eBook.
It wasn’t fancy at all; just a simple pdf file uploaded to my company’s very
rudimentary website at the time. To my delight and surprise, I made sales. Not
a lot mind you; to be honest, very few in the beginning. But, it did tickle my
fancy and gave me ideas for other e­pamphlets (the way I referred to eBooks at
the time) to add to the line.
Write Your eBook Because Everyone Has a Story to Tell
What I want you to get from my story is that eBooks don’t have to be fancy or
some great, complicated or profound literary tome. It can be as simple as
answering questions. That’s basically what mine were in the beginning.
In case you don’t know, how­to information is the best­selling kind of info online.
And, that’s basically what my eBooks were; most of them still are.
What Experience Do You Need to Write an eBook?
You don’t need any type of formal experience to write an eBook. And, that’s
what makes it so much fun. If you have experience in, interest in and/or are
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52. curious about something, you can write an eBook.
What Should You Write About?
I advise newbies to write about what they know. For example, I have experience
in many areas, ie, I’ve been/am a recruiter, a small business owner, a marathon
runner, a real estate agent and a loan officer (mortgage consultant); to name
just a few of my interests/professions. And yeah, I’ve led a very rich, somewhat
schizophrenic life!
Hence, I could write about how to train for your first marathon, what to expect
your first year in business, how to get credit­challenged homeowners ready to
purchase their first home; and what to prepare before you consult a home loan
officer (mortgage consultant).
See how easy it is to come up with topics to write about?
How Long Should Your eBook Be?
There is no one set length when you write an eBook. One thing that will help
determine length though is the genre you write in. For example, I write mostly
in the “how to” genre. Most of my eBooks fall in the 40­60 page range. My page
particulars are: 8.5 x 11, double space between paragraphs (not lines), 12­point
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53. Times Roman type). FYI, if you’re going just on word count, a standard page is
250­300 words.
I point this out for two reasons:
1. I come from a publishing background, so tend to be a stickler for details
like this; and
2. Everyone counts a page differently. One of my pages could literally be 2­3
pages for someone else because they might use bigger type and put double
spaces between each line. See what I mean?
As a rule of thumb, I write until I feel that I’ve given a clear understanding of
the topic at hand. Then I stop. Period.
How to Write eBooks That Sell: How Much Should You Charge?
This is a sticky situation. It depends on several factors, eg, niche, length and
competition, to name the biggies.
Even as an experienced eBook publisher, I still tinker with this. What I can tell
you is this, once you’ve published about half a dozen, you’ll start to notice
certain patterns (especially if you publish within the same niche).
“Sometimes, sales increase when you RAISE the price of your eBook.
Mine did.”
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54. Some titles will sit and sit and sit at certain prices. Then, you change it – either
higher or lower – and sales take off. For example, the S EO writing eBook is one
of Inkwell Editorial’s best sellers. It first sold for $9.95 (in 2008). Then, after
consulting with a friend who said the price should be raised, it was quadrupled
­ to $39.95. Sales took off. It stayed there for over two years before it was
raisedagain, to $44.95. Sales have held steady, and I think it’s because of the
following...
How Much Money Can You Expect to Make If You Write an eBook?
I love it when my inbox looks like the following graphic. In case you don’t know,
these are the emails I receive from E­junkie whenever I make an eBook sale
from one of my sites.
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55. Even though I’ve been selling eBooks online since 2004, I didn’t get serious
about it until 2009. Getting serious meant formulating a marketing plan;
IMPLEMENTING that plan; setting up an affiliate program (I did this in 2008);
etc. And, there’s still more that I need to do to reach my income goals.
The point I’m trying to get across is it can take a while to start making good
money selling eBooks online. Conversely, if you put in the work right away, you
can make a go of it relatively quickly. How much you earn is directly
proportionate to how much time and effort you put into it. Sounds boring and
obvious, but it’s true.
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56. For some additional insight on the “eBook earnings” question, see the post
Writing eBooks and Selling Them Online: What Kind of Profit to Expect &
Other Questions About Self­Publishing Answered. The gist of it is this:
How much you earn depends on a multitude of factors, eg, the niche
in which you write, the competition, your eBook cover, how well the
eBook is written . . . and last but not least, the marketing effort you
put in. Sales build gradually and tend to be directly related to how
much marketing you do.
There are answers to more questions about eBook writing and publishing in
this post also.
eBook Formats: How Do You Publish Your eBook After You Write It
There are many different types of eBook formats , eg, pdf, mobi (used for
Amazon); HTML (so it can be read in your web browser); MS Word (yes, you can
even publish eBooks in this format); etc.
I publish my eBooks in three formats:
1. Pdf form (for all eBooks sold from this site);
2. Word (I publish the freelance writing contract eBook in this format so
that buyers can input their business info into the forms and print them
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57. out); and
3. Mobi: This is the format that I’ve published all of my Amazon (for Kindle)
eBooks in. Note: Amazon recently updated the software they use for
formatting eBooks, stating:
KF8 [Kindle Format 8] replaces the Mobi format and adds over 150
new formatting capabilities including support for HTML5 and
CSS3. In the coming months, we will roll out KF8 to our latest
generation Kindle e­ink devices as well as our free Kindle reading
apps.
I haven’t published in this format yet; the last eBook I published was in
December. As I alluded to, this is a very recent change in Amazon’s eBook
formatting technology.
Ahh, gotta love good ole technology — and the speed at which it evolves!
Where Should You Publish Your eBook After You Write It?
One of the best things about self­publishing is that you retain all of the control;
this includes where you choose to publish.
Places to Publish an eBook
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58. The most obvious place is from your own website/blog. Beyond this, some of the
biggies are:
• Amazon ;
• Barnes and Noble ;
• Lulu ;
• Smashwords ;
• Clickbank ; and
• C reateSpace .
But, there are literally hundreds – if not thousands – of outlets for you to
publish your eBook – from places like these listed here, to the blogs and
websites of others.
Each have their own pros and cons. But again, if you retain control over your
rights, there’s no shortage of places where you can publish an eBook once you’ve
written it.
Where I Sell My eBooks
In addition to this website, my eBooks are sold on Amazon (not all, but many); I
also sell one on Clickbank and one on Lulu. I’ll start uploading all titles to
Barnes and Noble this month. Then, to other outlets.
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59. Why Writing and Selling eBooks Is an Evergreen Way to Make Money
Online
Once eBooks are writtten, each outlet you publish to is like found money
because you don’t have to do any more work. How cool is that!
Should You Write an eBook, Or Not?
The questions about how to write and sell eBooks are becoming more frequent
as more people (especially freelance writers) think about dipping their toes in
the self­publishing waters.
So, whether you’ve literally been dying to w rite an eBook , or are just mildly
curious to see if it’s something you’ll enjoy, my advice is to do it – at least once.
This will tell you a lot about if this form of making money online is for you, or
not. I, for one, am hooked and lucky for me (and you!) there’s never been a
better time to be an eBook writer.
About the Author: Yuwanda Black heads New Media Words, an SEO writing
company. She's been a freelancer since 1993, and has written and self­published
over 50 eBooks. She's taught hundreds of others how to start successful freelance
writing careers. She blogs about freelancing at I nkwellEditorial.com .
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60. 5 Shortcuts for Proofreading
Your eBook in Record Time
By Stefanie Flaxman of R evision Fairy
In the past, I’ve provoked some outraged responses when I’ve written tips about
proofreading your own documents.
Variations of “You simply can’t find your own writing mistakes! You need
someone else to proofread your work for you!” have echoed through blog
comments when I’ve addressed this apparently taboo topic. I understand the
sentiment, but I think that the benefits of working with a f reelance copy editor
or proofreader are obvious.
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61. When a writer can also p roofread like a professional proofreader , she is in a
unique position to create a product that communicates her exact intentions.
Here are five simple ways to examine your writing when it’s time to proofread
the final draft of your eBook.
1. Eliminate the superficial.
When I read a client’s eBook for the first time, I superficially read the text
without making any edits or comments. I need to get the gist of the document
before I p roofread it and make changes .
As the writer, you already know your message; lightly glossing over the text is a
waste of time. Get right down to the business of word analysis.
2. Engrave each word.
Read slower to save time. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but typos,
inconsistencies, and grammar mistakes become clear when you pay attention to
each word and engrave its essence in your brain.
It’s easy to overlook word choice mistakes, such as “your” instead of “you’re,” if
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62. you don’t carefully study the text. Ultimately, you’ll need to perform many
proofreading rounds if you approach your first attempt with too much speed.
3. List proper terms.
Create a separate list that you can easily look at when proofreading your main
document. Whenever you read a proper name, term, or phrase that you use
throughout the text, write it on your list.
For example, if “Proofread­O­Matic” is the name of your product, add the term
to this document. You could have accidentally written “ProofreadOMatic” or
“Proofreading­o­matic” in subsequent mentions. If you make a list for future
reference as you proofread, you create a style guide to help keep your text
consistent.
4. Categorize your content.
Once you know that a section of your text is flawless, stop proofreading it. Focus
on weaker areas.
You can highlight different portions to signify the level of work that you need to
do. Highlight the text in green if it’s completely proofread, yellow if it still needs
a little work, and red if it still needs a good amount of your attention.
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63. 5. Drive cross­country.
After completing the steps above, I recommend reading the eBook aloud from
the beginning, even if you think it’s error­free. This step is like a cross­country
drive.
If your text is quite long, you still have to take breaks, but you want to be able
to proofread the content for long strides without f inding an error . One last read­
through for cohesiveness and clarity is an often­overlooked e diting solution that
improves your writing.
Bonus Tip
Plan ahead to take a break after you finish writing your final draft (a full day,
at the very least). Proofread to craft your writing. Your most brilliant sentences
can take shape at this stage in the writing process.
About the Author: Stefanie Flaxman is the creator of @ RevisionFairy and
author of the new painkiller, “H ow to Overcome Heartbreak Without Projectile
Vomiting: A Guide for Cynical Hopeless Romantics.”
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64.
Platform
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65. Optimizing Your eBook For
The Web
By Anna Hicks of P aid Twice
The ways of book publishing are changing dramatically, with more and more
authors deciding to publish themselves in the form of an eBook. More and more
people are purchasing iPads, Kindles, Nooks, and other devices on which they
can read digital forms of books, and authors are catching up. Nowadays, there
are actually more digital books sold than hard copies. Since authors can take in
nearly all of their profits if they self­publish instead of a fraction of book profits
if they go the traditional publishing route, the decision to create an eBook can
be a no­brainer.
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66. There is a difference between simply publishing an e­book and publishing it
properly so it makes money. However, so it is important to optimize your eBook
for the web. There are various ways to do this:
Create Multiple Formats
The first is to make your eBook available in as many potential formats as
possible. The easiest format is a PDF. PDF files can be read by anyone on any
type of computer, and that sort of universality makes the file type valuable.
Create an ePub File
The other common file type for an eBook is an e Pub file . To publish your book
on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and the other major e­book sellers, you'll need to
submit an ePub file. Unlike creating a PDF, making an ePub file can be
difficult. You need to make all headings, sub­headings, and formatting styles
very standardized so they can be recognized on Nooks, Kindles, and so on. It
will take a long trial­and­error process to make your eBook into an ePub file.
The easiest way to transfer your e­book into an ePub file is to save it as a
filtered Web page. If you create your e­book originally as a Word document,
simply click "Save As" and then click "Web Page (filtered). You will still need to
tailor images to fit the ePub standards if you have them in your document, but
saving the file in this manner and then uploading it to the various distribution
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67. services should work just fine.
An Eye­Catching Cover
Finally, it is absolutely vital for your eBook to have an attractive cover. They say
you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but people do it all the time. Studies
have shown that an unattractive eBook cover is actually worse than having no
cover at all. So when you go to create your eBook cover, be sure to actually take
the time to make sure that the design is well thought out and professionally
designed.
Whether your book is about the a verage credit card debt per family or adding a
n ew addition to your family , it needs to look professional. If you don't have
experience creating covers, plunk down the money to have one professionally
done. In the end, it will worth the money.
About the Author: Anna Hicks is the admin of p aidtwice.com .
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68. Yes, You Can Publish an
eBook
By Jeff Goins of G o ins Writer
So you've got an idea for an eBook, but you're not sure where to start? Join the
club. Most people I meet say this. That they'd love to maybe write a book
someday.
Turns out the hard part isn't having the idea or inspiration for an eBook; it's
writing it.
There are three things you can do to stand out from the pack of pretenders who
talk about publishing an eBook but never do. They're simple, but intentional
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69. steps you can take to build an audience that will want to hear what you have to
say. And in this day in age, that's all you really need.
If you want to write eBooks, then start here:
1. Build a platform
Publishers and literary agents all have one important question when you
submit a eBook idea or proposal to them: "Do you have a platform?"
What they mean by this is, “Do you have influence?” Can you speak, and people
will listen? Do you have authority on a particular subject and a way to
communicate it? Have people given you permission to share information with
them?
There are various types of platforms:
• Radio show
• Podcast
• Television program
• YouTube channel
• Newspaper or magazine column
• Blog
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70. The trick is to pick a format that matches your voice and then start building it.
It will take time, patience, and permission. A great primer on this subject would
be Seth Godin’s book, Permission Marketing.
One crucial tool for building your platform is respect. You will need to respect
people. Never spam them, always add value. And you will win.
Right now, a popular platform type for emerging authors is a blog. And there's a
few reasons for that: blogging is cheap (if not free), easy to learn, and accessible
by thousands of people.
Thousands of authors are making a good living by simply building an online
audience and then publishing for them. You can do the same.
2. Create a personal brand
Authors have brands. This goes beyond your personality and likes and dislikes.
It has to do with your writing voice and what’s relevant to an audience.
Not every aspect of your personality will be represented in your brand. And
that’s okay. You will need to pick the right tone for the group you’re trying to
reach and focus on sharing what matters most to others.
Just to be clear, a brand is not the subject of your blog or your logo. It’s how you
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71. color your subject; it’s a particular flair that makes you, the writer, unique. In
other words: your voice.
You can write about cooking or entrepreneurship and still have the same voice.
You can talk about auto mechanics or write inspirational fiction and still have
the same underlying tone. That's what your brand is.
The good news is that with a blog, you can try out different ways to represent
yourself until you find what works for you and your readers.
Everything you do needs to connect with this representation of yourself. Your
headshots, blog header, etc. all need to support this brand, this voice.
3. Find your tribe
Publishing isn’t just about writing. It’s about relationships, too. You have to
know the right people to get noticed. And the best way to do that is to find your
tribe of followers and fans who will support you.
A tribe is different from a platform. Whereas a platform is the asset you use to
reach an audience, your tribe consists of the people that help you build it.
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72. There are three types of people who make up a tribe:
• Fans
• Friends
• Advocates
Fans buy your work. The best way to earn them is to be generous. (Try giving
away a free eBook — here’s mine.)
Friends help you grow in your craft. The best way to connect with other writers
who can help you is to network (often by doing favors).
Advocates help you build your reach. The way to get on their radar is to do
quality work and look for opportunities to serve.
You need all three of these types of people in order to make the right
connections to see your platform grow and eventually land yourself an eBook
contract.
This is the age of no excuse. The recent trend of self­publishing and authors
making it happen without waiting for permission is evidence of that. Nowadays,
you don't need an eBook contract to find a thousand fans and become a best
seller.
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73. You just need to do the work.
Ironically, this attitude of not waiting to be picked what will make you
attractive to traditional publishers, as well.
Whatever you do, the thing to not do is wait, to stall. It's time to build your
platform and get your message heard. Fortunately, this has never been easier.
The hard part, which has always been and will always be hard, is starting. I
hope you do just that.
About the author: Jeff Goins is a writer who lives in Nashville, TN (USA)
with his wife, son, and dog. You can find him online at goinswriter.com or follow
him on Twitter @ jeffgoins . You can also check out his best­selling eBook, You Are
a Writer (So Start Acting Like One), at y ouareawriter.com
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74. 5 Things New Self­
Publishers Should Know
That Will Help Sell More
eBooks
By Yuwanda Black of I nkwell Editorial
Selling eBooks Online: My Experience
I’ve been writing and selling eBooks online (self publishing) since 2004. Last
year, I published 50 eBooks on Amazon, and have written probably 60­70 since
2004 (I’ve never actually counted the exact number of eBooks I’ve written; can
you believe!).
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75. FYI, the writer of the above­mentioned email is also an experienced eBook
writer and seller. She’s published numerous eBooks and has been a full­time
freelance writer for more than 7 years. I point this out to highlight that even
experienced self­publishers can have different views about selling eBooks and
eBook marketing tactics.
What it always boils down to is what YOU want out of life; what your personal
goals are.
With that being said, following are five things that came to mind when I read
her email that you may benefit from if you decide to write and self­publish
eBooks.
1. When Marketing eBooks, Your Own Website Is Vital: This eBook
writer’s experience parallels my own when it comes to sales. As in, I sell way
more eBooks from my own website that I do via other outlets, eg, Amazon. How
much more?
My eBook Sales Statistics: As of this writing, my website sales account for
about 90% of my total eBook sales. Now, my Amazon sales creep up every
month, and one day I fully expect my sales there to surpass my website sales.
But, this may be a few years.
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76. For some successful self­publishers like John Locke and JA Konrath, this isn’t
true. But I’d bet that for the vast majority of self­published eBook authors, it is.
Bottom line: Building a website is vital to your eBook marketing success. So,
this should be one of the first things you do when you start selling eBooks
online.
2. Marketing eBooks – Do You Have a Plan? Piggybacking on the last point,
many eBook writers make the mistake of focusing on the product (the eBook),
instead of “the marketing” of the product. You see, the writing is the easy part;
marketing is where the real elbow grease comes in. Proof?
In the post, Reaching 1,000 eBook Sales a Month: What I’ve Learned, self­
publisher Lindsay Buroker wrote:
When I e­published my first eBook last December, I, like many,
harbored secret hopes for overnight success. I think I sold about 25
copies that first month, and half of those were pity buys from
friends and relatives. I know some of you can relate!
After realizing I wouldn’t be a NYT bestseller by the end of my first
month, I gave myself a more modest goal: get to the point where I’m
selling 1,000 eBooks a month by this time next year.
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77. How did she reach her goal? As the post highlights, she obviously put together a
plan and started working it, eg, blogging, investing in pay­per­click ads, doing
free giveaways, etc. She reached her goal way ahead of schedule by the way. Go
Lindsay!
To promote my eBooks, I blog, write and distribute articles (article marketing),
and publish newsletters.
Whatever your eBook marketing plan is, the important thing to remember is to
stay consistent with it. It’s the only way to get – and keep — eBook sales
consistent.
3. Where to Sell eBooks Online: As I wrote in the post, How to Write an
eBook: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Self­Publishing:
The most obvious place is from your own website/blog. Beyond this,
some of the biggies are:
• Amazon;
• Barnes and Noble;
• Lulu;
• Smashwords;
• Clickbank; and
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78. • CreateSpace.
But, there are literally hundreds – if not thousands – of outlets for
you to publish your eBook – from places like these listed here, to the
blogs and websites of others.
While my e­friend wasn’t having great success with Amazon and is thinking of
closing her account, it’s not something I would do, even though my sales there
haven’t exactly been what I want them to be. The main reason I feel this way
is... online eBook selling outlets like Amazon and Barnes & Noble are huge.
And, as successful self­publisher JA Konrath points out, eBook shelf space is
forever, which means that what’s not selling today could be a big seller in 5 or
10 years.
4. To Sell More eBooks, You Need to Write More eBooks: One of the
things I’ve learned as a self­publisher is that you have to produce more to sell
more. I noticed that my eBook sales started to take off after I’d published 10­12.
When I just had two or three titles, my sales didn’t do much. Also, I wasn’t
marketing that much either, so that’s probably a big factor.
But, if/when you decide to make self­publishing a career, you’ll take it more
seriously. This means you’ll do things like developing an eBook marketing plan
and will devote blocks of time to creating new products.
In short, you’ll do everything a “regular business person” does who wants to
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79. make their company a success. Because, when you self­publish, you’re in
business – in business for yourself.
5. Focus on Hot Sellers: Although I don’t worry too much about individual
eBook title sales, one thing I have started to do is focus on “hot sellers.” For
example, I wrote a relationship eBook (a departure from my normal subject
matter) under a pseudonym on a whim. I finished it in a day or two and
uploaded it.
That little un­planned sucker accounts for 25­30% of my Amazon sales each
month! I can’t believe it. I only sell it on Amazon because it’s written under a
pseudonym and I can’t sell it from my site in the pdf version (which kind of
pisses me off at myself to be honest).
This limits the amount of marketing I do for this eBook, but one thing I have
done is set up a separate Twitter account for it and I plan to build a blog for it.
FYI, I’ll write more about what to expect when you write under a pseudonym in
a future post.
What I wanted you to realize is that when you realize you have a good seller on
your hands, produce more on that subject / more in that niche.
I have several more “lifestyle/relationships” eBooks on my list to write because
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80. the sales of this eBook has made me realize that evergreen topics like making
money, debt freedom, love, etc. can mean evergreen sales. And, if you write
enough titles, you don’t even have to sell that many eBooks per month to make
really good money.
How to Earn About $3,000 Per Month Selling eBooks
For example, for an eBook that sells for $3.99, you get about $2.80 of that from
Amazon (70% of the sales price). By selling only 1,000 eBooks per month (just
33 per day), that’s $2,800. If you wrote half a dozen eBooks and sold 5.5 copies
per day of each one, that gets you to this goal right there.
One final point, the beauty of writing several titles in specific niches gets you
double the bang for your eBooks marketing buck because you can cross­promote.
I hope this insight on eBook selling and eBook marketing helps. Remember, the
road to self­publishing success is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s not quick riches,
not by a long shot. If you think that, for goodness sakes DON’T self­publish.
But, writing and selling eBooks online is a great way to make money online
from home – if you have the discipline to write and market, and the patience to
wait for your eBook sales to grow.
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81. About the Author: Yuwanda Black heads New Media Words, an SEO writing
company. She's been a freelancer since 1993, and has written and self­published
over 50 eBooks. She's taught hundreds of others how to start successful freelance
writing careers. She blogs about freelancing at I nkwellEditorial.com .
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82. 4 Ways To Get Your eBook
Into Your Customers' Hands
By Hector Cuevas of I nboundPro
Needless to say, the eBook publishing industry has grown dramatically over the
past few years. This year alone, downloadable eBooks have surpassed hardcover
book sales for the first time in the U.S.
This growth is due to a few things. People are now much more comfortable
buying downloadable eBooks online than ever before. The fear of filling out a
form with your credit card information and buying something you can't actually
hold in your hands is declining.
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83. Secondly, eBook readers are awesome and people love them. Sales of these
tablets and reading devices have soared in the past few years. They're becoming
more affordable and make it super easy to buy and download eBooks.
The third, and I believe most important
reason for this growth, is how easy it is now
to publish and distribute your eBook to
hundreds and thousands of people. Many
publishing platforms have been hard at
work to make this process as simple as
possible.
This is what I'm going to be discussing in
this article. We'll tackle the top 3 most
popular eBook publishing platforms and how you can start selling your eBook
with a one­page website and $5/month service.
1. Smashwords
Website: Smashwords.com
Smashwords is 100% free. You can sign up for a free account, upload your eBook
and start selling. You can earn 60% of list price from major book retailers or
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84. 85% at the bookstore on Smashwords.com.
What's really cool about Smashwords is that they offer a free style guide. This
guide is full of great information about how to create and format a eBook high
quality eBook. The guide is 103 pages and has 29 step by step instructions to
get you started with Smashwords.
Smashwords also offers free ISBNs, eBook conversions to multiple formats, and
consolidated sales reporting. They make eBook publishing easy. These are just
some of the reasons why it's one of the largest distributors self­published
eBooks in the world.
2. Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)
Website: Kindle Direct Publishing
If you're going to be selling your eBook and want to reach thousands, then
getting it in the Amazon Kindle store is a must. Just like Smashwords, Amazon
also offers free tutorials, guides and videos to get your started.
Their video titled "Building Your Book For Kindle" is extremely helpful; it can
help you get unstuck during the book creation process. Amazon does an
amazing job of walking you though every step of the way so completing your
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85. first Kindle book doesn't drive you insane.
Amazon also offers the KDP Select program, which allows Amazon Prime
members to "borrow" your book for free, but you still get paid. Here's how
Amazon describes it:
KDP Select is a new option that features a $6 million annual fund
dedicated to independent authors and publishers. If you choose to
make a book exclusive to the Kindle Store for at least 90 days, the
book is eligible to be included in the Kindle Owners Lending
Library and you can earn a share of the fund based on how
frequently the book is borrowed. In addition, by choosing KDP
Select, you will have [...] the option to offer enrolled books free to
readers for up to 5 days every 90 days.
So whether you want to Do­it­yourself or hire a professional to convert your
book for the Kindle, Amazon provides you with all you need to get started.
3. iBooks Author
Website: Apple iBooks Author
I couldn't talk about eBooks without mentioning Apple. They are not far behind
in the eBook market and they're bringing change and innovation that will
benefit the industry big time.
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86. Apple's iBooks Author is a downloadable software that allows you to create and
publish multi­touch eBooks for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. The downside
is that it's only available for Mac owners. Once your eBook is created, you can
sell it in the iBookstore.
The reason iBooks Author makes it to the top 3 self­published eBook
distributors is simply because of the number of iPods, iPhones and iPads that
have been (and will be) sold. The market is enormous and if selling eBooks is
the goal, then Apple needs to be part of the equation.
4. Publish & Sell on Your Own Website
The last option I'm going to be talking about is publishing and selling your
eBook on your own website or blog. This is what I did and you can do it, too, by
following a few steps.
Before I get into it, please note that the reason eBook distributors like
Smashwords, Kindle, iBooks, Pubit, and BookBaby exist is because they help
authors get their work in the hands of their target market. They help authors
reach people they wouldn't normally reach.
When you decide to publish and sell your eBook on your own site, it's important
to already have a small audience to sell to. Face it, if no one knows your eBook
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87. exists, no one will buy. So, let's get started.
After you write the eBook, the first thing you'll need is a PDF converter. I use
NitroPDF to convert my Microsoft Word Document into PDF format. This PDF
file is what I distribute to my customers once they have placed their order.
E­junkie makes this super simple and easy to do. Once you sign up for an
account, (which only costs $5 per month) you can upload the PDF file and copy
the "buy now" button HTML code they provide. The next step is creating the
sales page that will sell the eBook for you ­ paste the HTML code and you're
done.
Once this process is completed, you can begin telling your audience about your
new eBook and start selling.
I hope you enjoyed this article. Now is the time to decide what service you're
going to use and how you're going to publish your work. It's your turn to go out
and create and sell your own eBook.
About the Author: Hector Cuevas is the author behind InboundPro.net. He
teaches how to grow an audience online using content, search and social
platforms. Follow him on Twitter.
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88. Promotion
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89. Five Ways to Promote Your
First eBook
By Ali Luke of Aliventures
Congratulations! You've finished your first eBook, and you've made it available
for customers to buy. Now you can just sit back and watch the sales roll in,
right?
Well, unless you already have a very large and eager audience, you
might find that sales are a bit disappointing. This makes sense, really: if
no­one knows about your eBook, or if they don't have much information to go on,
they won't be buying it. And even if your eBook is free, you still need to get the
word out there.
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90. Many eBook authors shy away from words like "marketing" and "promotion".
Perhaps you're one of them – you don't want to put yourself forward, or you've
come across some shady marketing practices online, and you're worried about
associating yourself with the yellow highlighter brigade. Or maybe you simply
think you don't have enough time.
The good news is that there are lots of ways to promote your eBook
that are easy and quick, and that definitely don't involve scamming
anyone. Here are five great ones for you to try:
1. Craft a Great Sales Page
Your eBook needs to have a "sales page" on your website or blog – this is one
page that contains all the information about your eBook, and that has a "buy"
button for people to buy it.
A great sales page needs:
• A clear explanation of your eBook. What's it about and who's it for?
• Bullet points that list key benefits of reading your eBook. (Aim for about
five.)
• An image of the eBook cover, to add visual interest and professionalism.
• Testimonials or excerpts from reviews. (See #2.)
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91. • An overview of the contents of the eBook – you might simply want to list
the chapters.
2. Get Testimonials / Reviews of Your eBook
As well as being hugely effective, testimonials and reviews are a great way for
shy authors to promote themselves – someone else is saying nice things about
your eBook.
A testimonial is from someone who read your eBook and found it really useful.
They'll probably email their testimonial straight to you to include on the sales
page. It might mention any initial concerns they had (perhaps the price, or the
length) but it will be very positive overall.
A review is usually more impartial. It might mention bad points as well as
good ones. The person writing the review will probably publish it on their own
blog or website, but you can quote from it on your sales page.
The best way to get testimonials and reviews is simply to ask people. Most
authors will give away some free copies of their eBook to encourage readers to
provide a testimonial or write a review.
3. Create (or Grow) Your Mailing List
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92. Even if you have a blog or a Twitter account with a big following, it's important
to have a mailing list too. This is a great way to reach your potential customers
directly.
I recommend using Aweber or MailChimp to start your list: both are great,
professional services that provide you with lots of useful tools – and that ensure
you don't fall foul of any anti­spam laws.
If you already have a mailing list, look for ways to grow it. You could:
• Offer a short, free eBook exclusively to your mailing list members
• Mention your mailing list at the end of your blog posts, or guest posts (see
#4)
• Provide a special members­only discount code for your eBook (see #5)
4. Write a Guest Post for a Big Blog
Wouldn't it be great to have access to an audience of over 100,000 people? With
guest posting, you can.
Large blogs will often welcome guest posts – pieces of content written for free by
authors like you. In return for your content, you get a "bio" at the end of the
guest post, where you can write about your eBook and include a link to your
sales page.
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93. If you're thinking about guest posting, make sure you look to see if your target
blog has specific guidelines or instructions for guest posters – many will. Make
sure your guest post is your very best work, as this will make it more likely to be
accepted.
5. Offer a Discount to Specific Groups
We all love to get a bargain ... and eBook customers are no exception. By
creating a discount code (or perhaps several codes for different purposes), you
can help nudge people towards buying.
Discounts are great for:
• Early­bird buyers: you might provide a special discount when you launch
your eBook
• Your mailing list: this also makes a good incentive to join the list
• Readers of blogs where you've guest­posted
And, in the future, you can even supply discount codes to customers who bought
your first eBook.
Try at least one of the above tips this week, and you'll soon be making sales.
Best of luck with your eBook!
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94. About the Author: Ali Luke is the author of the newly­released Publishing
eBooks For Dummies, which will help you, create, publish, and market your
eBook. F i nd out all about it ( and grab your copy) here .
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95. 5 Reasons to Use a Blog to
Build an Author Platform
For Your eBook
By Priya Florence Shah of Priya Shah
Promoting an eBook has changed a great deal nowadays. Although it is easy to
self­publish, selling books will be difficult for author who has not built a
platform of readers hungry to read their books.
One of the best tools you can use to start building an author platform is a blog.
Here are five reasons why.
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96. 1. Blogs are not “salesy”
As writers, we are often wary of sounding salesy in promotions for our eBooks.
We veer away from any sort of marketing that makes us feel cheap or hypey. Too
much marketing talk puts us off from the very crucial task of promoting our
eBook to boost sales.
Blogs are a tool for communication, and are not a sales letter. They are like
writing a letter to your readers and allow you to showcase your writing talent
and eBook excerpts as well as your promotions without sounding salesy or
putting off readers.
2. Blogs allow you to use your passion, i.e. writing, to capture an
audience
Blogs are a tool that allows you to use your natural talent for writing to reach
out to your audience and build a relationship with them. Many eBooks have
started out as blogs and vice versa.
Most writers take to blogging like a fish to water. Blogs are the writer’s
essential medium to feature samples of your writing, capture subscribers and
keep in touch with readers and potential eBook buyers.
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97. 3. Blogs are inexpensive and easy to setup
The cost of setting up a blog can range from free (on Blogspot.com or
Wordpress.com) to less than $50, including the price of a domain and paid
hosting. You can use free or paid themes to design your blog or add it to an
existing website.
Many bestselling authors have built up massive followings by blogging on free
sites, like Game of Thrones author, George R.R. Martin.
4. Blogs boost your commitment to your art
For most professional writers, writing is a discipline that must be followed every
day. Committing to write a blog regularly keeps your writing skills sharp, even
on days when you don’t feel like writing.
5. Blogs help you grow a committed readership
Blogging is a way of telling your readers that they will hear from you, come rain
or shine. Knowing that your favourite author is going to update their blog
regularly keeps readers coming back for more.
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98. Blogs are also easily shared with others and the social media component of
blogging can alone ensure that your posts go viral, especially once you have
built a loyal readership of fans who love your writing.
Building a loyal fan following you can take your eBook to bestseller status, no
matter where you publish it.
Author the Author: Priya Florence Shah is former journalist, author, editor,
internet publisher and content marketing consultant. Visit her at priyashah.com.
Contact us if you need help in writing a book that can make you an instant
author and expert in your field.
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