Cliksource

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. There is only one way to climb a mountain - step by step.

Now think of writing your ebook. You must create it step by step, and one day, you will take that last step and find yourself standing on the summit.

The first thing you have to dobis to get organized. Instead of climbing gear, however, you must organize your thoughts. There are some steps you should take before you begin.

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. Aim for clarity in your titles, but cleverness always helps to sell. For example, Remedies for Insomnia: twenty different ways to count sheep. Or: Get off that couch: fifteen exercise plans to whip you into shape.

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. The more you can pin down your target audience, the easier it will be to write your book for them.

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.

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.

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 send your readers to sleep.

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 using white space.

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.

Of course, don’t forget to run a spell and grammar check.

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.

Craig Summer is the compiler of
The Ebook Process
- How to Write Publish and Market an Ebook
which can be found at
www.e-bookcountry.com/ebookprocess