EBooks are the best way to earn money at a low cost if you’re a good writer. It doesn’t matter if you’re an expert or just want a side hustle, selling virtual books can be a great option. But if you’re worried about how to write and publish an eBook, we’re here to help you out.
Here are nine simple steps that will help you write your first eBook. Let’s get started.
- Think of an idea
- Do Some Brainstorming
- Organize and Specify the Details
- Start Writing
- Evaluate and Rewrite the Draft
- Add Details
- Add a Cover
- Share your eBook
- Ask for feedback, Edit, and Publish
1. Think of an idea
The first and most important step is to think of an idea for your eBook. An eBook’s central idea should be interesting, not just for your audience but for you, as well.
Many writers are often confused about which ideas work. The truth is, it depends on how you approach it.
You can use a common subject, for fiction and non-fiction, but your eBook will only be as good as the unique spin you put on it.
If you’re writing a love story, research which love stories haven’t been told. If you’re writing a book about setting up a business, find out the areas previous eBooks have not covered.
To narrow down an idea, summarize what you want to write about in a single sentence, then proceed. It’s an eBook so don’t worry if your idea is too general or too simple.
2. Do Some Brainstorming
No idea is big or small, you have to make it big by thinking of different and unique angles. Find a question you want to answer and then look at the different elements of what you want to explore.
For instance, if you’re writing about how to make pizza at home, then brainstorm in a word cloud and write down keywords or concepts in pizza-making. It’s likely that the word cloud will have words like cheese or temperature.
Once you have enough words, think of other things related to those words, and then link them with your idea until you have a clear structure of your idea in your mind, like what is the best temperature and technique for pizza-making
3. Organize and Specify the Details
Once you have unpacked your idea, you’ll see that you have a lot of unorganized details. This is the time to arrange them in the way you want your reader to read them.
Start listing your book’s main points vertically in a main outline. This list will be the order of your eBook chapters.
It’s better if you divide your outline into subparts to delineate the steps of a process. Ebooks work better when they are about actions needed to go through processes and activities, like “How to make friends”.
When ordering and structuring your process, write the fundamentals first and then move on to more complicated steps or concepts.
Struggling To Write A eBook
4. Start writing
Here’s how begin an eBook: you start writing. Don’t stress out yourself about the title, cover page, content table, or other sections at this stage. Start writing the body of the content and start from any point you want.
Starting from the middle of a particular chapter is a good choice if you know the subject matter or plot already. However, starting from the beginning will define a clearer path for you if you don’t have a clear outline.
There are many ways to write, so write in the way that works for you and for your particular book. The key to writing and finishing an eBook is consistency so set up a daily word count, and make sure you hit your daily goal.
5. Evaluate and Rewrite the Draft
After finishing your eBook, it’s time to get some rest. You need some distance from your work so return to it after a week, and analyze the structure of your eBook.
You will notice that there some chapters might need rearrangement to improve the flow. After rearranging them, read the book in order, do editing as needed, then evaluate and repeat.
A great editing tip is to improve the flow and structure of your paragraphs, too. If you feel like you should, rephrase your words and restructure your writing so they flow better.
Delete what seems odd, or edit the problematic sections to align them it with other chapters. After all, flow is what will make your eBook readable.
6. Add More Details
Now, when your eBook’s body content is ready, you can add a title, front matter details, an introduction or preface, a glossary, end notes, and even references (if any). If you are unable to think of a powerful title, just keep it simple. For example, “How to lose weight in 30 days” sounds good.
Make sure you have some options for the title. Make a list of possible titles because chances are some of the titles are already published. Pick a unique, unused title to avoid copyright issues.
Pro-tip: Adding your name in the title, like in John Elton’s Five Steps to learn Programming, will create a usable, unique eBook title.
Struggling To Write A eBook?
7. Add a Cover
A book’s cover plays an important role in making a bestseller. The same is true for an eBook.
As far as eBooks are concerned, you don’t have to worry about the quality of the cover, but it’s still important to pick an appealing cover.
You’re advised to design the cover professionally. I It’s better to hire a professional for this part.
While adding images to your cover, make sure they are not subject to copyrights. If they are, it is recommended that you take permission from the owner for commercial use of their image.
8. Share your eBook
It’s time to share your new eBook with anyone in your network. They can be your friends, neighbors, colleagues, or relatives. If you can share your book with any contact in the publishing industry, do it.
Sharing your eBook will help you get vital feedback about possible mistakes or weak points.
You can ask for more detailed, structured feedback with a questionnaire, and ask them four key questions.
- Can you rate the book from 1-10?
- In your opinion, what was the best part?
- Is there anything you didn’t like?
- How can I make the book more appealing to my readers?
Ask for feedback, Edit, and Publish
Evaluate all the feedback, and see what went right and wrong. Don’t get upset or demotivated, it’s feedback that makes you better. Also, don’t be afraid to do a complete rewrite, if needed.
If feedback-based writing is not working for you, just go with your previous draft and write the book you like.
However, always remember that what you wrote was an individual’s work, but what you will rewrite is an improved product based on people’s feedback. A better book, that people like, will help you get more sales.
Once you get your final draft together, edit it, and format it. Next, publish it on a self-publishing site like Amazon and you’ll be a published author.