Why Write an eBook

It's not true that everything that has been said has

already been written. Since that unfortunate axiom

came into use, the whole universe has changed.

Technology has changed, ideas have changed, and the

mindsets of entire nations have changed.



The fact is that this is the perfect time to write an

ebook. What the publishing industry needs are people

who can tap into the world as it is today - innovative

thinkers who can make the leap into the new millennium

and figure out how to solve old problems in a new way.

Ebooks are a new and powerful tool for original

thinkers with fresh ideas to disseminate information

to the millions of people who are struggling to figure

out how to do a plethora of different things.



Let's say you already have a brilliant idea, and the

knowledge to back it up that will enable you to write

an exceptional ebook. You may be sitting at your

computer staring at a blank screen wondering, "Why?

Why should I go through all the trouble of writing my

ebook when it's so impossible to get anything

published these days?



Well, let me assure you that publishing an ebook is

entirely different than publishing a book in print.

Let's look at the specifics of how the print and cyber

publishing industry differ, and the many reasons why

you should take the plunge and get your fingers

tapping across those keyboards!



Submitting a print book to conventional publishing

houses or to agents is similar to wearing a hair shirt

24/7. No matter how good your book actually is, or how

many critique services and mentor writers have told

you that "you've got what it takes," your submitted

manuscript keeps coming back to you as if it is a

boomerang instead of a valuable mine of information.



Perhaps, in desperation, you've checked out

self-publishing and found out just how expensive a

venture it can be. Most "vanity presses" require

minimal print runs of at least 500 copies, and even

that amount will cost you thousands of dollars. Some

presses' minimal run starts at 1,000 to 2,000 copies.

And that's just for the printing and binding. Add in

distribution, shipping, and promotional costs and -

well, you do the math. Even if you wanted to go this

route, you may not have that kind of money to risk.



Let's say you already have an Internet business with a

quality website and a quality product. An ebook is one

of the most powerful ways to promote your business

while educating people with the knowledge you already

possess as a business owner of a specific product or

service.



For example, let's say that you've spent the last

twenty-five years growing and training bonsai trees,

and now you're ready to share your knowledge and

experience. An ebook is the perfect way to reach the

largest audience of bonsai enthusiasts.



Ebooks will not only promote your business - they will

help you make a name for yourself and your company,

and establish you as an expert in your field. You may

even find that you have enough to say to warrant a

series of ebooks. Specific businesses are complicated

and often require the different aspects to be divided

in order for the reader to get the full story.



Perhaps your goals are more finely tuned in terms of

the ebook scene. You may want to build a whole

business around writing and publishing ebooks.

Essentially, you want to start an e-business. You are

thinking of setting up a website to promote and market

your ebooks. Maybe you're even thinking of producing

an ezine.



One of the most prevalent reasons people read ebooks

is to find information about how to turn their

Internet businesses into a profit-making machine. And

these people are looking to the writers of ebooks to

provide them with new ideas and strategies because

writers of ebooks are usually people who understand

the new cyberspace world we now live in. Ebook writers

are experts in Internet marketing campaigns and the

strategies of promoting and distributing ebooks. The

cyberspace community needs its ebooks to be successful

so that more and more ebooks will be written.



You may want to create affiliate programs that will

also market your ebook. Affiliates can be people or

businesses worldwide that will all be working to sell

your ebooks. Think about this? Do you see a formula

for success here?



Figure out what your subject matter is, and then

narrow it down. Your goal is to aim for specificity.

Research what's out there already, and try to find a

void that your ebook might fill.



What about an ebook about a wedding cake business? Or

an ebook about caring for elderly pets? How about the

fine points of collecting ancient pottery?



You don't have to have three masters degrees to write

about your subject. People need advice that is easy to

read and easily understood. Parents need advice for

dealing with their teenagers. College students need to

learn good study skills - quickly. The possibilities

are endless.



After you've writtten your ebook



Getting your ebook out is going to be your focus once

you've finished writing it, just as it is with print

books. People will hesitate to buy any book from an

author they've never heard of. Wouldn't you?



The answer is simple: give it away! You will see

profits in the form of promoting your own business and

getting your name out. You will find affiliates who

will ask you to place their links within your ebook,

and these affiliates will in turn go out and make your

name known. Almost every single famous ebook author

has started out this way.



Another powerful tool to attract people to your ebook

is to make it interactive. Invent something for them

to do within the book rather than just producing pages

that contain static text. Let your readers fill out

questionnaires, forms, even crossword puzzles geared

to testing their knowledge on a particular subject.

Have your readers hit a link that will allow them to

recommend your book to their friends and associates.

Or include an actual order form so at the end of their

reading journey, they can eagerly buy your product.



When people interact with books, they become a part of

the world of that book. The fact is just as true for

books in print as it is for ebooks.



That's why ebooks are so essential. Not only do they

provide a forum for people to learn and make sense of

their own thoughts, but they can also serve to promote

your business at the same time.

Read more »

Posted in: eBook,Write

How to Write an Ebook

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How to Write an Ebook

===================================================



The hardest part of writing is the first sentence.

When you look at the whole project, it seems like an

impossible task. That's why you have to break it down

into manageable tasks. Think of climbing a mountain.

You are standing at the foot of it and looking up at

its summit vanishing into the clouds. How can you

possibly scale such an immense and dangerous mountain?



There is only one way to climb a mountain ? step by

step.



Now think of writing your ebook in the same light. You

must create it step by step, and one day, you will

take that last step and find yourself standing on the

summit with your head in the clouds.



The first thing you have to do, as if you actually

were a mountain climber, is to get organized. Instead

of climbing gear, however, you must organize your

thoughts. There are some steps you should take before

you begin. Once you've gone through the following

list, you will be ready to actually begin writing your

ebook.



Beginning Steps to Writing an ebook



First, figure out your ebook's working title. Jot down

a few different titles, and eventually, you'll find

that one that will grow on you. Titles help you to

focus your writing on your topic; they guide you in

anticipating and answering your reader's queries. Many

non-fiction books also have subtitles. Aim for clarity

in your titles, but cleverness always helps to sell

books ? as long as it's not too cute. For example,

Remedies for Insomnia: twenty different ways to count

sheep. Or: Get off that couch: fifteen exercise plans

to whip you into shape.



Next, write out a thesis statement. Your thesis is a

sentence or two stating exactly what problem you are

addressing and how your book will solve that problem.

All chapters spring forth from your thesis statement.

Once you've got your thesis statement fine-tuned,

you've built your foundation. From that foundation,

your book will grow, chapter by chapter.



Your thesis will keep you focused while you write your

ebook. Remember: all chapters must support your thesis

statement. If they don't, they don't belong in your

book. For example, your thesis statement could read:

We've all experienced insomnia at times in our lives,

but there are twenty proven techniques and methods to

give you back a good night's sleep.



Once you have your thesis, before you start to write,

make sure there is a good reason to write your book.

Ask yourself some questions:



* Does your book present useful information and is

that information currently relevant?



* Will you book positively affect the lives of your

readers?



* Is your book dynamic and will it keep the reader's

attention?



* Does you book answer questions that are meaningful

and significant?



If you can answer yes to these questions, you can feel

confident about the potential of your ebook.



Another important step is to figure out who your

target audience is. It is this group of people you

will be writing to, and this group will dictate many

elements of your book, such as style, tone, diction,

and even length. Figure out the age range of your

readers, their general gender, what they are most

interested in, and even the socio-economic group they

primarily come from. Are they people who read fashion

magazines or book reviews? Do they write letters in

longhand or spend hours every day online. The more you

can pin down your target audience, the easier it will

be to write your book for them.



Next, make a list of the reasons you are writing your

ebook. Do you want to promote your business? Do you

want to bring quality traffic to your website? Do you

want to enhance your reputation?



Then write down your goals in terms of publishing. Do

you want to sell it as a product on your website, or

do you want to offer it as a free gift for filling out

a survey or for ordering a product? Do you want to use

the chapters to create an e-course, or use your ebook

to attract affiliates around the world? The more you

know upfront, the easier the actual writing will be.



Decide on the format of your chapters. In non-fiction,

keep the format from chapter to chapter fairly

consistent. Perhaps you plan to use an introduction to

your chapter topic, and then divide it into four

subhead topics. Or you may plan to divide it into five

parts, each one beginning with a relevant anecdote.



How to make your ebook "user friendly"



You must figure out how to keep your writing engaging.

Often anecdotes, testimonials, little stories, photos,

graphs, advice, and tips will keep the reader turning

the pages. Sidebars are useful for quick, accessible

information, and they break up the density of the

page.



Write with a casual, conversational tone rather than a

formal tone such as textbook diction. Reader's respond

to the feeling that you are having a conversation with

them. Break up the length and structure of your

sentences so you don?t hypnotize your readers into

sleep. Sentences that are all the same length and

structure tend to be a good aid for insomnia!



Good writing takes practice. It takes lots and lots of

practice. Make a schedule to write at least a page a

day. Read books and magazines about the process of

writing, and jot down tips that jump out at you. The

art of writing is a lifetime process; the more you

write (and read), the better your writing will become.

The better your writing becomes, the bigger your sales

figures.



In an ebook that is read on the screen, be aware that

you must give your reader's eye a break. You can do

this by utilizing white space. In art classes, white

space is usually referred to as "negative space."

Reader's eyes need to rest in the cool white oasises

you create on your page. If your page is too dense,

your reader will quit out of it as soon as their eyes

begin to tear.



Make use of lists, both bulleted and numbered. This

makes your information easy to absorb, and gives the

reader a mental break from dissecting your paragraphs

one after the other.



Finally, decide on an easy-to-read design. Find a font

that's easy on the eyes, and stick to that font

family. Using dozens of fonts will only tire your

readers out before they've gotten past your

introduction. Use at least one and a half line

spacing, and text large enough to be read easily on

the screen, but small enough so that the whole page

can be seen on a computer screen. You will have to

experiment with this to find the right combination.



Of course, don't forget to run a spell and grammar

check. You are judged by something as minor as correct

punctuation, so don?t mess up a great book by tossing

out semicolons randomly, or stringing sentences

together with commas. (By the way, that's called a

"comma splice.")



Last of all, create an index and a bibliography.

That's it! You've written a book! Now all you have to

do is publish your ebook online, and wait for download

request from your website visitors.

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Posted in: eBook,Write

How to Price Your eBook

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How to Price Your eBook

===================================================



You've written and compiled an ebook. Now you have to

decide how much to charge for it. Finding the right

price is essential to the success of your product. If

you charge too little, people will think it's of

little value, and they won't purchase it, or even it

they do buy your book, you will have to sell thousands

of copies to get to the point where you can begin to

see a profit. If you price it too high when compared

with your competition, you will find yourself steadily

lowering the price, which will cause you all kinds of

new problems in the future. For example, if you sell

your ebook at first for $39.99, and later reduce it to

$24.95, don't you think the people who bought it for

$39.99 are going to be PISSED?



Choosing the right price for your ebook is one of the

most critical parts of the marketing process. The

first rule of pricing ebooks is to never underprice.

Determine the highest price your audience can afford,

and then if you find your book isn?t selling, you can

always reduce the price. Before you take that step,

make sure you are promoting your book like crazy on

the Internet and on websites. The price should be

aimed at bringing in profits, but you should never

forget that price is one of the factors that people

use in judging the value of your ebook ? before they

buy it. So always start with the highest price, and

then launch a mega-marketing campaign.



Pricing an ebook is particularly difficult because

ebooks are a fairly new commodity. Since they are

digital, the value of an ebook is as confusing as the

understanding of what digital actually is to the

average layperson. This means that we must look at

ebooks in a different light in order to determine

their actual worth in this brave, new cyber world.



Let's look at the difference between a book in print

and an ebook. A printed book is an object you can hold

in your hand, store on your bookshelf, even hand down

to the next generation. It is priced on factors such

as paper stock, design and production costs, and

marketing.



But the fact that unites ebooks and print books is

that they are composed of ideas. It is the ideas in

these books that have the ability to change, or

possibly transform, people's lives.



What do you think an idea is worth when evaluated

against the cost of paper and ink?



It is the IDEAS that are valuable! That is how you

determine the cost of your ebook.



What should I charge for my ideas?



There are all different formulas and methods for

determining the correct price for your ebook. Let's

begin with honing in on your ultimate goals.



Decide if your goal is to get wide distribution and

maximum exposure. This goal is aimed at drawing

customers to your business or service, or to

establishing the credibility of your reputation. If

this is your main goal, you should aim to keep your

price on the low side. Some authors have even priced

their ebooks at a profit loss to draw a high number of

new customers. The key is to find a price that

maximizes your profits and the number of books you

sell.



This is an excellent pricing strategy if you are

looking to acquire long-term customers. Long-term

customers are extremely likely to buy from you again

and again ? as long as the first ebook they buy is of

exceptional quality and beneficial to the customer.



However, if your book contains valuable ? and more

importantly NEW information, references, or techniques

? then you should aim to price it on the high end.



After you figure out your goal, you must figure out

what your audience's need is for your ebook. For

example, does your book solve a particular problem? If

it does, and solves it in a way that hasn't been

written about in one hundred other ebooks, you will be

able to achieve high sales at a high price. If your

book solves a problem or answers questions in a new

and unique way, you should price your book as high as

you can go. You will achieve larger profits this way,

but bring in fewer customers. Just make sure the

question or problem that your book solves is one that

is important and relevant to the majority of your

market audience. If your ideas are not common

knowledge, or you are presenting a brand new

technique, you will be able to sell books at a high

price. Just be prepared for your competition to

undercut you on price as soon as they hear about your

book.



Keep in mind that the above pricing strategy is

temporary. Eventually, you will cease to sell books at

this high price. So figure out in advance how long you

plan to offer your ebook at this high price, and when

that time is up, change your pricing strategy.



If you want to see large profits over customer draw,

aim for an audience that is looking for easy solutions

to their problems at a low price. If your book is

aimed at solving one particular problem rather than

general advice, then you can charge more. Start at the

highest price the market will bear to bring in the

largest profits, and plan to discount the book a

number of times throughout the year.



Marketing Strategies



The key that unlocks the sales potential of your ebook

is to find a single sentence that becomes your selling

handle. This sentence states what question or problem

your book answers and the benefits your ebook can

provide. Then be sure to use that sentence in every

piece of sales and promotional material, and every

time anyone asks you about your ebook.



Besides promoting your books assiduously online, there

are several other strategies that can help you sell

more books.



One is to give something away for free with your book,

such as a valuable bonus item. Or bundle several

ebooks under one price, which lowers the price for

each ebook if they were sold separately.



An effective technique for figuring out a price is to

send out a survey to your current customers. If these

customers have already bought an ebook from you, ask

for their opinion in terms of price. Do this by

creating a sales page for the new book, but don't

include a price on that page. Instead, add a number of

links to survey questions that ask pointed questions

to aid you in assigning a price to your ebook.



Another strategy is to test out prices by creating a

number of duplicate sales pages with different prices

on each page. Make sure your sales copy is exactly the

same on every page, and includes your selling-handle

sentence. Then figure out for each page the conversion

ratio between visitors to your site and sales of your

book. This will tell you what your optimum price is.



Ultimately, if you've written a book that solves a

problem or presents a new technique, your book will

bring in both traffic and profits. So be sure to write

that selling-handle sentence that sums up what problem

your book solves and what the benefits of your book

will be to the customers who purchase it. And then

watch your market come to you!

Read more »

Posted in: eBook,Price

Choosing an eBook Compiler

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Choosing an eBook Compiler

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What is an eBook compiler?



You've written and revised your ebook, hired an artist

who has produced outstanding graphics, and now you're

ready to actually put together your ebook. What you

need to make an ebook is software called an ebook

Compiler.



There are many different compilers to chose from, but

first, you need to know exactly what an ebook Compiler

does. Here is the simple explanation:



An ebook compiler is a software program that converts

either text pages or HTML text into a single

executable file or an ebook.



If you or someone you hired has created a file with

graphics in HTML, you will need an HTML ebook

Compiler. This type of compiler requires a working

knowledge of the HTML tag language. You can also use

software to do this for you, such as Microsoft

FrontPage or Macromedia Dreamweaver.



How do you choose an eBook Compiler?



There are a large number of ebook Compilers available

on the market, all with glowing sales copy and tekkie

language. It can get very confusing and overwhelming

very fast without some simple guidelines to help you

figure out which compiler is right for you.



Choosing an ebook Compiler depends on a number of

factors:



1. How did you create your pages? Did you use HTML or

PDF format? There are many more compilers available

for HTML, but you can find some very good compilers

that will covert your PDF files into an ebook.



2. Consider how easy the program is to use and the

thoroughness of the software's instruction manual. It

is absolutely necessary that the compiler you buy have

an instructional manual, documentation, or online

"wizards." If it doesn't, your chances of figuring out

how to correctly use the program are compromised, and

the time required doing so is going to be significant.

Many manufacturers of compilers offer a free trial

version so you can play around with it and see if it

suits your needs. Download the trial version and

ascertain that it actually does what it claims to do.



3. Security features. If you plan to sell your ebook,

check out the security features of the compiler

software carefully. Security features should include:

prevention of the reader from modifying text, access

only to the pages you assign or by entering a

password, different ways of generating passwords such

as secure passwords, user-friendly, and open

passwords.



4. Supported scripting. Find out what scripts the

software supports. Scripting allows you to create

special effects, customize menus, and create and

modify other user interactivity. Choose a compiler

that permits you to include graphics, search windows,

hyperlinks, forms, surveys, etc.



5. Pricing. This is a factor that is not always easy

to gauge. The highest priced compilers are not

automatically your best choice. Choose your compiler

based on the necessary requirements for your Ebook.

That means you need to know exactly how you plan to

use your Ebook and what functions you require.



Let's look at some of these factors in more detail.

First of all, make sure you have the correct browser

to run the compiler. The majority of HTML compilers

use Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape. Check out

the version that the compiler supports. Compilers that

require a browser will not run on a computer that does

not have the required browser installed. However,

there are ebook HTML compilers that don't require you

to have any browser installed on your computer. These

compilers run on any Windows system.



If you choose a compiler that requires a browser,

check to ascertain that the browser is installed

correctly and that it is properly configured to the

specifications of the compiler. Check to see if

certain functions are turned off or on, and make any

adjustments according to the compiler instructions.



Security is an essential element of any compiler,

regardless of whether you plan to sell or give away

your ebook. One of the main reasons for using a

compiler is to prevent the reader from modifying the

contents. A secure compiler allows access only to the

pages you want the user to access unless they enter a

correct password.



To find out how secure an ebook HTML compiler is, open

an ebook on it. While it is open, check the temporary

directory of your computer. This can usually be

accessed by typing in C:\Windows\temp. If you see a

bunch of files when your ebook is open or running, it

means that your computer is decompressing the secure

data from your ebook before showing the ebook to the

viewer. This method is not secure! It means that

anyone with the knowledge of how to access these

temporary files can steal the secure data and then

they can fiddle with your ebook to their evil heart's

desire. Remember, one of the main purposes of buying

and using an HTML compiler is to protect your

property.



Next, let's discuss passwords. When trying to choose

an ebook Compiler, check out the type of passwords

that the compiler supports. Almost all compilers offer

some kind of password protection that insures that the

user can only access the contents they have purchased

from you. However, the best compilers offer varied

ways to generate different types of passwords. Choose

a compiler that gives you the options of secure,

user-friendly, and open password generation.



Another important factor when it comes to passwords is

how the compiler generates them. A compiler that has

internal password protection generation built into the

software is more secure than compilers that link to

live Internet password control systems.



Find out if the compiler generates passwords online.

If it has this option, it allows you to choose any

payment processing system you want or to do the

payment processing yourself.



Next, look into the size of ebook the compiler

supports. The best compilers can create ebooks up to 2

GB in size without decompressing the HTML pages or

images to your hard disk. Usually, ebooks that are 2

GB in size can easily support 6 GB of compressed data.

The catch here is that only text files will generally

be compressible.



You do not want a compiler that decompresses this

amount of data when the user attempts to open your

ebook. This would mean that anyone who purchases your

ebook will have to wait for all the data to decompress

before they can access your ebook right after

downloading it. So look for compilers that only

decompress temporarily files that are NOT HTML to the

local hardisk. Non-HTML files include Flash, Word, and

Acrobat files. This type of compiler is more secure

and certainly faster.



Make sure the compiler you choose is compatible with

your system software. Check out what version of

Windows it requires, and make sure you have that

version before buying your compiler.



Support issues are extremely important. Choose a

compiler that includes an installation program. This

program allows your user to choose a number of

different places on their computer to install the

ebook, to place a shortcut on their desktop, and to

add the ebook, if they choose, to the Start Programs

menu.



You also want excellent and accessible vendor support.

Make sure you can access quick technical support! At

three o'clock in the morning, this factor will be VERY

important. Also, check to see the terms of free

technical support offered. Unlimited technical support

is obviously the best option.



Check to see if the company that puts out the compiler

software offers a service level agreement. This

agreement is to assure you of their quality response

to your questions or problems.



A good thing to consider is how long the compiler has

been on the market. Usually, the version number will

give you an idea. The longer the program is on the

market, the higher the version number, the more bugs

have been worked out.



When choosing an ebook compiler, do not be swayed by

incredible promises and dazzling sales copy. Do your

homework first, and then consider all the above issues

and factors before choosing an ebook compiler.

Read more »

Posted in: Choosing,Compiler,eBook