Along with fiction and nonfiction pleasure reading, eBooks can serve as a powerful educational and marketing tool for all types of businesses. What’s one big challenge for writing eBooks?
The authors have to learn to be writers. To those who aren’t writers, doing an eBook can feel like a daunting task. But it needn’t feel this way, if you start with some practices that professional writers employ. Her
e are three very important ones:
Outline It.
Before you ever start writing, no matter how short you might want the eBook to be, plan its structure and organization. This will serve as your guide, and help you know what to focus your writing on and when.
Write It, Don’t Edit It.
What’s one of the biggest challenges that even professional writers face? Refraining from editing their work as they are writing. Writing and editing are very different skill sets. If you spend more of your time editing, what won’t you be doing? Generating content! This is the first priority.
Another reality: As the writer, you are not the best editor of your stuff. You are too close to it, and have looked at the content too much. The best line editing and copy editing strategy? Hire a pro. It is well worth it.
Planning to hire a professional editor allows you not to worry too much about your writing skills. Your editor will be there to help you make your content the best it can be.
Practice Daily Discipline.
Like any goal, it takes discipline to reach it. All too many people have the inspiration to start an eBook, but never finish. I have found that when my clients treat their writing time like an important business meeting it increases the odds they will actually finish.
And make that “meeting” as regular as possible. Even if it is only an hour a day, sticking to that hour is what counts.
Once you have created your first eBook, you might be inspired to do another, and another. Once you get the hang of it and have professional assistance in completing it, you will find they serve as powerful tools for success in just about any professional endeavor.
Have you written an eBook for your professional purposes? What advice would you give on writing eBooks?
Updated Oct 2015
