You’re an author. You’ve written a book, now you need to figure out how to sell it. Thankfully, you’ve landed on the right blog, because we’re going to help you with exacting instructions on how to write a profitable e-book in the next 3 months.
The Anatomy of a Profitable Ebook
When you put your name on a book, you’re automatically seen as an expert in your industry. So, naturally, when people want to buy your book, they will look to you for advice on how to write a profitable e-book.
An e-book is not a tangible object. Like with any other digital product, you can’t hold it in your hands, open it on your computer, or take it on the go with you. Instead, people gain access to your content by downloading it to their devices, such as laptops or tablets. It’s similar to how we’ve always used books, only now it’s easier for people to learn.
The Demand For E-books
With the invention of the internet and e-books, the world of publishing changed. Now, instead of searching for books at local libraries and independent bookstores, people can search for what they want online and download the content directly to their devices. This convenience for the consumer led to a boom in e-book sales.
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), worldwide e-book sales will hit 48 billion copies by 2020. That’s double the amount of books sold in 2019 and nearly every segment of the market will feel the impact. Mobile e-book sales will increase by 33% year over year, while PC e-book sales will grow by 23%. In 2019, e-books represented 10% of all book sales.
The growth in e-book sales is largely due to the growing popularity of tablet computers and laptops. While tablets are great for consuming content, their smaller size makes them less suitable for extensive reading. So for most people, e-books are the perfect size for browsing through content on the go.
Even if you already have a book published, you can still generate income from the digital version. This is because most bookstores and online retailers offer a percentage of sales as royalty payments. So, as long as you have a digital version of your book, you can start reaping the benefits of your hard work.
Why Should You Write A Profitable Ebook?
While the demand for e-books is high, the returns on investment can be astounding. According to the IDC, investors make multi-billion dollar bets on the e-books market every year.
With profits ranging from 7% to 15%, you can see how easy it is to get rich off the backs of authors. All you need is a computer, an internet connection, and a reliable way to generate content. Most digital nomads focus on one industry in particular and become an expert in that subject matter. So if you’ve got a knack for explaining stuff, why not make a little extra cash?
If you’re looking to write a profitable e-book, your first step should be to figure out why people would buy your book in the first place. Ideally, you’ll want to write the book for a specific audience, so that you can target the right person with your content.
For example, if you’re writing a cookbook, you might want to target foodies. Or if you’re an investor, you might want to write a book on securing wealth through the stock market.
Whatever the case may be, you need to find the right recipe for turning a profit. Fortunately, cooking and investing are two subjects that many people are passionate about. So if you can become an expert in these areas, you’ll be able to choose your own recipes for success.
The Two-Pronged Approach To Success
To succeed as an author, you don’t need to become an expert in every subject matter related to your industry. Instead, focus on becoming an expert in one particular area that you’re passionate about. Once you can become an expert in that area, you can begin developing content strategies for a second area that you’re passionate about. While this may seem like a lot of hard work, it doesn’t have to be. There are numerous ways to make quick cash through multiple streams of income, so you can afford to take your time polishing your craft.
Get Inspired
The first step to writing a profitable e-book is to get inspired. You don’t need to sit down and think of a concept for a book. Instead, you can begin by looking at successful books that are in your same industry. What elements make these books so special?
For example, maybe you’ve written a book on marketing strategies and want to continue that success by creating a new project. You can begin by taking a look at some of the bestselling marketing books and studying the underlying techniques that helped fuel their success.
Other authors choose to write about personal experiences. If you’ve got a compelling story to tell, you can write an entire book and tap into your existing networks to spread the word.
Outline the Book Structure
The next step in writing a profitable e-book is to outline the book structure. Just because you’ve got a good idea for a book doesn’t mean that you’ll be able to pull it off successfully. You need to study the craft of writing and how best to present your content in order to maximise your chances of success.
Begin by thinking about your existing networks. Who are your existing connections that can help you spread the word about your book? Perhaps you’ve got a friend that you can ask to recommend your book to their circle of friends. Or perhaps you’ve got a colleague at work whose opinion you value. You can ask them to offer their thoughts on your book and whether or not they think it’s worth their time to read it.
As mentioned above, becoming an expert in one area doesn’t mean you’ll be able to write about everything related to your industry. You may decide to focus on financial advice in one area and lifestyle in another. Having a general idea of what each part of your book will be about will help you identify the necessary content.
Create a Table of Contents
Creating a table of contents is a crucial step in writing a book. Just like any other type of print publication, an e-book needs an outlined table of contents in order to function effectively. This is because people usually browse through a book from cover to cover, rather than reading individual chapters.
In the early stages of writing a book, you may not have an idea of what each part will be about, so it may be difficult to determine where to begin and end the content. As a result, you’ll need to create an outline, which will serve as a rough guide for the content that follows.
The table of contents should be easy to follow and concise. Ideally, you’ll want to include only essential information. A well-crafted table of contents will make or break your book. If you’re looking for a way to up your odds of selling your book, include a concise table of contents that will make avid readers eager to dive into your content.
Write The First Draft
Once you’ve got your table of contents completed, you can begin writing the first draft. This is the important part of the process. At this stage, you’ll want to create a narrative that can hold the reader’s attention from the get-go.
If you’ve followed the above steps, you’ll already have a good idea of what your book will be about. You might decide to add some touch-up here and there, but the basic framework will be in place.
Since you’ve already done the hard work of coming up with a concept and creating an outline, you can skip to this stage quickly. Plus, you’ll be able to use your existing networks to reach more people than you could possibly contact yourself. So the sooner you get started, the sooner you’ll begin to see the results of your efforts.
Revise The Draft
After you’ve written your first draft, you should sit down and read it thoroughly. Look for major issues that could use some additional clarification. Also, take a hard look at the content and see how you can make it easier for the reader to digest.
When you revise your draft, you should do so with a critical eye. Look for any spelling errors or minor issues that may hinder the flow of the text. After you’ve made the necessary corrections, you should print out a fresh copy and re-read it from the beginning.