Thinking of writing your first eBook this year? These days, many people think that writing an eBook is much easier than a traditional book. Not so…
An eBook can be shorter than a traditional book, but not necessarily so. Even if it is shorter, it has to be tighter. Streamlining content to be as tight as possible is a real art.But before you get to this stage, however, there are two important things to figure out if you have an idea for an eBook and want to do what it takes to create it.
First, get very clear why you want to write it. Do you want to write your first novella? Create a book that will help people in some way? Will it assist the growth of a professional endeavor? Knowing your overarching goal is key to not only writing your eBook but its game plan for success.
Second, knowing as much as you can about your target audience is crucial. For example, if you want to write fiction, know the exact genre (s) of your eBook. If it is a self-help book, what are the specific characteristics of those the book is designed to help? If it’s to help your professional endeavor as a marketing tool, it means knowing all you can about your potential customers.
Next is where most people fail. Plain and simple, they may start the eBook, but don’t finish it. Why? Because often with other priorities in life, it becomes challenging to carve out the time to work on it. If you take this tip to heart, this won’t happen to you:
Treat writing time like any other important appointment or meeting. If you have a very important appointment do you do everything you can to make that appointment? Yes you do. Treating writing time as just as valuable as other very important time is critical to completing your eBook.
No matter what kind of writing experience you have, once you have a draft of your eBook, the fourth essential is get professional editing assistance. Not a relative or friend who wants to help out, but someone with real experience editing books. These days there are many excellent editors out there…like me! There’s also a host of others you will find at sites like Elance.com.
And fifth, when it comes to book covers, there is the famous saying, “Cover is King.”You’re your eBook presents visually can make or break its success. Like obtaining professional editing services, the importance of professional cover art assistance can’t under-estimated. Like professional editors, today a Google search or going direct to sites like Elance.com will introduce you to a host of professional cover artists. Or go to covers you like, and find the cover artist who did it (they will be cited in the book jacket).
EBooks are just like traditional books. For both, clarity of purpose and die hard commitment to the final product are required for success. If writing one is on your 2014 bucket list, now is the time to get started!