Most of us are already aware of the fact that Amazon.com is the biggest online marketplace for books, and we have probably all played a role in its growth. This site is so massive that it can afford to sell almost any product that a customer could want or need, including electronics, furniture, gifts, and even books (for those that love to read).
Considering all of this, it is quite the achievement that an eBook can sell for almost the same price as a hardcopy of the same book. In fact, many scholars, such as Professor Lynda WASHINGTON from the University of Florida, argue that the digital format is superior because it is more convenient and allows for more people to read and learn from it. In other words, eBooks are perfect for individuals, communities, and even nations to keep in touch with relevant information and research material.
Although the format has existed since the 1960s, the world of digital literature and eBook publishing is a relatively young industry. In 2018, there were over 300 million eBook reader devices worldwide, and if recent trends are any indication, that figure is projected to reach 1.8 billion by next year.
If you’re looking to get into this exciting and lucrative market, then you have come to the right place! In this article, we will guide you on how to write an eBook and sell it on Amazon. Keep reading for more information.
The Differences Between Traditional and Digital Books
Let’s start by differentiating between traditional and digital books. As the name suggests, a traditional book is printed on paper and bound into a physical object. That is generally considered to be the end of the line for books, as they don’t really ‘evolve’ anymore. While the physical format may change from edition to edition, a printed book will always remain a printed book.
On the other hand, a digital book is defined as one that is stored electronically and can be accessed from almost any device (such as a laptop, tablet, or smartphone) that is connected to the internet. This could mean that a digital book can be updated directly by its author without going through a publisher, and it can be sold multiple times with additional copies retaining their uniqueness. Inevitably, the digital book is ‘digitally’ perfect, and that is what makes all the difference.
Things To Keep In Mind When Writing An eBook
As mentioned above, eBooks are a common and extremely popular type of literature among readers. Because of this, it is critical that you take the time to ensure that your work is of a high quality. To that end, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind when writing an eBook:
Focus On Researching New Materials
One of the most exciting things about eBooks is that they give you the opportunity to explore a vast array of topics that you might not normally get the chance to write about. As a result, you should make sure that you are consistently researching and watching videos to stay abreast of modern knowledge and information.
When writing a book, oftentimes you’ll have to conduct extensive research to ensure that the information is accurate and up to date. However, in the case of an eBook, you have the opportunity to add incredible value by adding sources, such as hyperlinks, footnotes, and endnotes. These add a great deal of value by allowing the reader to follow the information wherever they please. As a result, you should make sure to add as many of these elements as possible to give the book the most complete and up to date feel possible.
Make Sure That Everyone Cares About The Topic You Are Writing About
With any type of literature, it is essential that the reader feels that they can benefit from your work. In the case of an eBook, that means making sure that your target audience cares about the topic you are writing about. To that end, you should do your best to educate the reader about the issues you are addressing as this will make them more receptive to the content that you are providing.
For example, if you are writing about climate change and energy, you should make sure that your audience understands what is motivating you to write and what importance you place on the topic. Similarly, if you are writing about nutrition for athletes, you should try to include information that will make them better equipped to train with the proper nutrition. In both cases, the reader will feel that they can benefit from your content, and you’ll have provided them with some value beyond just what they wanted to learn about the topic.
Choose A Niche
Another thing that you need to keep in mind when writing an eBook is to choose a niche. In other words, you need to decide what category your book will fall under and ensure that you write only about that topic. If your book is actually about a type of clothing, you should never ever write about fashion. Even if you are a professional fashion writer, you should not try to publish a book on fashion styling as this is a completely different matter.
In the same way, if you are writing about politics, you should not write about social issues as this is a completely different topic. Similarly, if you are writing about business, you should not write about marketing or branding as this is also outside of your expertise. Instead, you should look for experts in your niche to conduct interviews, and you should interview them yourself.
This is especially important if you want your book to reach a large audience. In the case of a best-selling eBook, a lot of the value is derived from the fact that it is written by an expert in the field.
Avoid Short-Lived Trends
One of the biggest problems that frequently plague new authors is that they’ll rush into publishing a book on a popular trend without doing their homework first. As a result, they’ll often put themselves in a bit of a pickle because there is no continuity in their content. If you want to write a book that will stay in print for a long time, then you need to take the time to do your research before you start penning your manuscript. Trends come and go, and without proper research, you may end up writing about something that is currently fashionable but will not be in season in a few months.
Develop An Audience Through Regular Updates
As mentioned above, one of the key elements of any successful book is value for the reader. If you want to write a book and get it published, then you need to make sure that the content is useful and that they get their money’s worth. To that end, you should always be developing your audience through regular updates. This can be in the form of articles, infographics, or even videos.
Updating your content on a routine basis will make sure that your audience doesn’t lose interest in your book, and it will increase the chances that they will actually read it. Since most eBooks are digital, this means that you can change them on a whim and add new content at any time. To keep your audience engaged, you should aim to have content that is both unique and engaging, and this is much easier said than done. Fortunately, you have a solution: create an eBook that is actually written by scholars, scientists, and industry experts and gain credibility in your niche.
To put it simply, traditional books may evolve with time, but they do not get any easier to read or complete. On the contrary, eBooks improve with each new edition because of all of the additional content that you can add. As a result, you’ll find that over time, the quality of an eBook will improve, and that is what makes all of the difference.