So You Want to Publish an Ebook

Even if your best friend owns a top publishing company, giving you an immediate "in" into the publishing world, this does not guarantee publishing success.

First, you have to write a quality book that has a clear target audience. Pick a subject that you are passionate about because this project could take a couple of years. Your book should answer a common problem or need, give information on a subject that is not commonly available or presents something in a new way that your target audience would appreciate.

Let's begin with the process that should commence before you write your first word. Begin by reading A LOT. Read both books you passionately love and books you can't seem to make it past page five. You need to analyze the books you have read and figure out what the author did in the book you loved that made you love it, and what was wrong with the book you couldn't finish.

Was the writing clear and concise? Did the author drone on and on presenting the same tired stuff with nothing new to offer? Did the author use humor to keep you interested or just presented the dry facts? Write down these points so they are crystal clear to you. Read other people's books for inspiration and to discover what you should avoid as a writer.

The next step is to plan out your book. Narrow down your subject, and then divide it into chapters. Each chapter should address a specific aspect or point of what your book is going to say. In each chapter, break the specific aspect down into several parts. This will help your readers take in your information a bit at a time instead of overwhelming them with every bit of information clogging up the pages until they feel like they're about to go blind. It's not quite spoon-feeding the information to your readers, but it's close.

The next two steps are obvious. Write your book and then revise it, and then revise it again, and perhaps again. Of course, writing can be extremely hard work, and writing a book can seem like an impossible task. There are many books out there that give you guidelines to help you become familiar - and even love - the process of writing and revision. Find a number of books about writing. Better yet, find a number of books about writing the specific type of book you aspire to write. These can serve as roadmaps on your writing journey.

Once you've written your ebook and revised it at least twice, show it to someone else whose opinion you respect. After I have written and revised my work I fail to see the errors in my work because I read what I meant to say and now what I have actually written. If you're lucky enough to know a good editor, see if you have something to barter for him or her to go through your manuscript. You could also join a writing group and let the other members critique your work.

Keep you ego out of the critique process. Nothing will kill you desire to write faster than having someone shred your manuscript to pieces if your ego cannot take any criticism. If you start thinking, this knucklehead just does not understand what I am trying to accomplish, then you have an ego problem. Was the person doing the critique of your work a knucklehead before you gave them the manuscript or did they turn into knuckleheads after the critique? IF they were knuckleheads before the critique then why did you give the manuscript to them in the first place?

Then take all these ideas from other people, and revise your manuscript one last time. And then stop! Put down that pen! Get your hands off the keyboard! One of the most important steps to actually producing a book is to know when to stop writing and tinkering with it.

You've finally written your ebook! Pop open the bubbly! Give yourself a night out on the town! Send me a check! You can send it to; Oops, I digress. Well if you have to send me a check, go to my website and email me for the address.

Okay, now that this necessary celebration is out of your system, what do you do next? How to turn your ebook into Profits?

Ebooks are a revolutionary way to publish your book without incurring the costs of print production. All you need is a relevant and targeted subject and some inexpensive software, and you can transform your manuscript into a book. The problem, in terms of actually seeing any profits from your ebook, is that the market is overwhelmed with ebooks, and many of them are not worth the time it takes to download them. Just because the ability exists to easily produce an ebook, doesn't make it good writing.

Make sure your book does not simply rehash old material. You will injure your credibility as an author by claiming to offer valuable new insights and disappointing your audience with material they've read a zillion times before. So spend enough time writing and revising your book to make sure it's of the highest quality and presents the most current information possible. A good book will eventually sell itself; false claims about your book will make it extremely difficult to sell any books you may write in the future.

Assuming you have determined that you do indeed have a quality product that answers some question or need of your target audience with NEW information, how do you know how much to charge for it? Rule number 1: Set a price for your book equal to its value. An under-priced book will only give the impression that your book isn't worth very much. To figure out a fair price, keep track of how much time you put into creating it and how difficult it was to transform the necessary information into understandable and engaging writing. Figure out how much your time and effort is worth, and then price it accordingly. The goal is for you to be adequately compensated for your talent, your time, and your effort.

Once you've figured out a price that is high enough to convey the value of the book, but not so high as to be out of the reach of your target audience, then it's time to offer it for sale on your website. To attract sales, you will need to develop a promotional campaign, particularly if you are an unknown author.

There are multitudes of books about self-promotion that will guide you in your efforts. Choose a plan that is both creative and professional. Learn how to write a catchy yet informative press release, and send copies of your ebook to sites that specialize in ebook reviews.

Learn how to write powerful sales copy, or hire someone to write it for you. This is critical. You absolutely need excellent sales copy to sell your book. Make sure the copy includes all the reasons your target audience needs your book, and the benefits they will derive from buying it.

Use graphics in your promotional materials. Beautiful graphics have the power to instantly convey the quality and value of your ebook. Graphics can also convey the amount of valuable information the book contains, and your careful attention to detail. Professional graphics sell professional books.

Consider excerpting chapters for articles. You can offer these tidbits for free on your website as a sort of demo of your book. Include an order form for your ebook at the end of the excerpted articles.

Finally, when you set-up your download link, make sure to simplify the process. It's a good idea to offer a few bonuses that make your book even more enticing to purchase, but make sure the bonuses are valuable and high quality. Too many bonuses that are basically a load of useless stuff will compromise the impression your audience has of your ebook. The goal is to convey to your audience that they are getting a quality product at a fair price.

Now it's time to start your next project. Happy Writing, and don't forget to send that check!