Who Can Write and Publish an Ebook

Writing an ebook, as with anything else, is simply a matter of having the right information. Of course, talent does have a degree of importance in this particular endeavor however, not as much as many people think. This isn't because the buying (or reading) population of the Internet are 'less discerning' or don't appreciate the attributes and product of a good writer but rather, a very large percentage of ebooks, which are written, purchased an read as a result of the 'instant' availability that the Internet has brought are 'information' based.

People, certainly more so in the real world, have purchased and read many of the books available for pleasure and the 'reading experience'. There are also a large quantity purchased and read out of necessity, i.e. text books for studies, manuals and reference etc, but many of these are now becoming available on the Internet through the larger book sellers and more so, the information contained in them is more readily accessible than it ever has been, virtually with a click of a mouse.

The very fabric of the Internet, it's 'virtual' existence was, and is, fueled by KNOWLEDGE and the need for it. The people responsible for it's inception and the millions who now access it, do so to satisfy their simple need for information. It doesn't matter what it is or what it's about, you can find out about it through the Internet, either by accessing information from numerous sources or by obtaining a GOOD ebook, which contains the information sought. I think, more so because of the relative 'newness' of the Internet and the new opportunities it has presented to all and sundry, copious amounts of information is sought by all those who can now benefit from these new opportunities. Of course, on a website like this, I'm thinking mainly of the home business and subsequent lifestyle opportunities that are now available, but there are many other areas where information is wanted and sought by millions. For instance, hobbies, studies, health and medical and even 'how tos' about the Internet itself and all the related technology and programs related to it.

People are literally gobbling up knowledge. In some ways they have to in order to keep up with the pace of this fast developing and changing medium. Hence, the wonderful market there is for a person who possesses a degree of knowledge about one specific subject or another, who can package this information in a clear, concise and accurate way and make it available instantly to all who want it. People simply want ebooks to get to the 'nuts and bolts' of what they are wanting to learn about. They don't need or want the embellishments of 'prose' and 'descriptive/narrative' writing, which would be expected and appreciated in say, a novel, which is read for enjoyment and entertainment. They want the facts and they want them now! It's that simple.

Consequently, as I alluded to earlier, you don't have to be a 'writer' per se. Of course, spelling and grammar are very important, as I hope they will always be, but there are programs that can assist those who are lacking in these areas. So, in summary, anyone who can read and write, who has information and knowledge about any given subject, enough that people would be willing to read it and make good use of it, can write an ebook. Of course, the type of subject and the level of interest will dictate the number of people who will want your ebook (whether you are selling it or offering it free).

However, the way in which the information is presented is very important and must be done in a organized fashion. The way in which the ebook is presented as a product i.e. the title, the cover, the Webpage or promotional vehicle you use to present it to the population, will also have a big impact on your success (especially if you wish to sell your ebook). As this is a 'Home Based Business website, I will assume that most people reading this are more interested in writing an ebook they plan to market and sell.

Tips on How To Write Your ebook

As I've said, you don't need to be a writer as such, but you do need to have an idea how to construct your ebook and how to present it to your readers.

Firstly, organization is the key to a good ebook. Plan you ebook so that when you are writing, you're not just 'waffling', bouncing from one subject to another, jumping from one point to another without there being sensible form and substance. Divide your ebook into chapters or sections, with each covering a specific area of your subject matter. If necessary, further break your chapters and sections into 'sub-sections'. This will make the information more easy to understand and also to navigate. Too many ebook authors simply cram an ebook with a whole load of 'facts' and leave it to the reader to sort out which applies to what and so on...

Readers need to have their 'instant Internet' information in a 'step by step' form. Remember, I said that the Internet was all about 'instant information and knowledge'? Well, people want their knowledge in a 'just add water' fashion. No waffling or beating around the bush, just 'ready to ingest' knowledge, which is easily understood and easily put into practice.

Equally, readers want their questions answered, so there is no need to spend too much time on the 'question' or 'problem' itself, rather, spend your time giving 'in depth' answers to the question. You should already have a good idea what a readers questions are, especially if you are writing a tutorial, guide or 'how to' manual. You wouldn't be writing the ebook if you didn't have any idea what people want to know about. In short, give good, in depth and complete answers to questions and leave the elaborate 'prose' to the novel writers.

Equally as important as the ebook itself, are the people to whom you envisage selling it to. Your 'target market' or audience needs to be carefully selected and your ebook should be written with this particular person and/or their situation, needs etc, in mind.

You will also need to have a good idea of who your 'target market' is so you can promote your ebook in the right way, using the right methods in the right places. You need to know where your target market is going to visit and either present your ebook to them there, or alternatively, get them to visit you. At your website is the ideal place to which to attract them, but some people prefer not to use a website to promote their ebook. They just look upon it as another expense (and maybe another thing to learn about and fathom). More on this in "Promoting and marketing your ebook"

Publishing Your ebook

Publishing your ebook simply means putting it into a form whereby it can be presented to a reader. A better description might be 'packaging'. In the first instance, your ebook, which you've probably written using a word processing program like MS Word or something similar, needs to be transferred to an 'ebook Publishing Program'. There are a number of them available, each with varying levels of sophistication and quality. Most are simply an 'Offline Browser', which as the name implies, opens a window on the PC screen and the ebook is presented as a set of pages with links, much like a web browser.

There is a more sophisticated, and a personal preference for my ebooks, called '3D Page Turning' ebook technology. You may or may not have seen it before, but for those who haven't, it is basically a self contained and reliant (some ebook programs rely on a person's existing browser programs) program, which presents to the reader a an image of a book. When a mouse is clicked (or other activation) the page image presents as a turning page, revealing the next page in the book. They can also contain hyperlinks to both items in the ebook and directly to the Internet. I prefer this type of program for the more realistic reading experience it conveys. I believe they also present as a more professional product.

There is also the popular PDF format, made so by the Adobe people, which is more than just an 'offline browser' and is self reliant, but still it doesn't present as a realistic representation of a 'virtual book'. Being self reliant, it also requires a special 'Reader', which needs to be downloaded from Adobe. It is free.

You will also need to have a cover for your ebook. Again there are programs available which can construct a 'virtual' book cover.  They are all much the same, in so far as, they all present a three dimensional angular view of a book cover and spine (the thin edge of the book). The design can usually be chosen from a selection of templates, which come with the program, over which your desired text (title, sub-title and author's name etc) can be edited. Different sized images of the ebook cover can be made and used by yourself and indeed anyone to promote the ebook online. You will find some ebook cover programs and both 'browser' and '3D Page Turning' publishing programs available on our "Products to help you write, publish and market your ebook" page.

Promoting and marketing your ebook

Promotion of an eBook, as with any product or service is a matter of preference and choice, although there are certain guidelines which need to be adhered to. The first of which is that which I already mentioned, targeting the correct market. There is simply no purpose in promoting your ebook to a bunch of people who won't be interested in the subject matter.

You will (or should) already have selected your target audience when planning your book and writing, done so for that particular group, whether it's for people first starting out on their home business journey, intermediate to advanced website designers or retired 'tea cozy' knitters. You will also have researched where this particular 'niche' of people generally reside online, the groups and websites they visit, the sites they're likely to be referred to for other subjects they may well be interested in etc. It's also not a bad idea, if you can, to keep an eye out for where your competition (ebooks of the same nature, for instance) are advertising and generally making their presence felt.

You can also search the Internet for the types of newsletters and periodicals etc that your audience would be likely to receive. Basically, it's an exercise in finding as many ways to reach your chosen audience as you can.

For the ebook author, there is a fortunate, ready made market-place for your ebook called Clickbank. For a reasonable fee of $49-95 (for each product) you can register as a 'Publisher' and include your ebook in their catalogue.

The ebook must be a 'downloadable' product have a price of between $3 and $1,000. There are other conditions, which you will read in their 'Terms and Conditions' but basically, you must have a website, which supplies 'sales' page from which you promote and sell the ebook (and to which affiliates can direct prospective customers) and a 'landing' page (a web page that people will be sent to after paying for your ebook, so they can download it). It is in your own interest to get a domain and website if you don't have one anyway, simply for the extra exposure you can give your ebook through search engines etc (that's another story there!). You also need a website to supply banners and images etc to the 100,000 or so affiliates who sell Clickbank products for commission.

You will nominate a commission percentage (between 1% and 70%), which you will pay to affiliates (people who refer a buyer to your product by advertising it for you on their website or through email Safelists etc). Clickbank take care of everything financial. They collect payment for the ebook (via all popular credit cards and online checks), distribute commissions to affiliates who sell for you and send your profits directly to you (or your Bank account in the US). Their fee for amounts to 7.5% of the sale price plus $1 fee. Very reasonable given that you, the publisher does nothing but collect checks every two weeks. I collect Clickbank checks and they are ALWAYS on time and take only 5 - 7 days to reach me in Australia. They also deduct VAT taxes for the appropriate EU countries and Income tax for US residents.

I really don't know of anyone who has written a serious ebook for sale and not used Clickbank for the transactions. You can, of course, promote your ebook towards your own web page (other than the Clickbank Sale Page) and collect the full sales price through direct credit card transactions or by using the online Payment Facilitators, while still using Clickbank but the 'Buy' links on your 'Clickbank Sales Page' must, of course, lead to them.

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