Writing an ebook is plenty fun, but it can still be a time-consuming process. Most of us don’t have unlimited time in our day, and it can be hard to fit in the writing process between other tasks. Luckily, there is a way to shortcut the process and write an ebook in a day or less. We’re going to walk you through the steps so you can hit the ground running once your ebook is done.
Cut To The Chase
The first step to writing an ebook is deciding that you even want to write one. What’s the point of wasting your time writing an ebook if you don’t intend on selling it? There are plenty of free or cheap tools out there that can help you write an ebook no matter what your experience level, so don’t sweat the small stuff. Once you’ve got that out of the way, then it’s time to get down to business. Let’s get going.
Brainstorm Ideas
Before you start writing, it’s important to brainstorm ideas for your ebook. You don’t need to have an entire plotline in mind, but you should have at least a theme or topics you’ll use as a basis for your book. Books are usually based on some sort of theme or topic, and you can use that to your advantage. For example, let’s say you decide that your ebook will be themed around web design. You might want to write about SEO, content strategy, or performance benchmarking. All of those topics are related to web design in some way, so they could form the basis of your book. When you’ve got at least a theme or two, then it’s time to start narrowing your focus.
Make A List Of The Most Important Points
Once you’ve got your theme or topics, make a list of the most important points you want to make in your book. This is your outline, or your “kitchen sink” version of your book. Make sure you’ve got all the necessary points covered, but don’t worry about being too thorough. You’ll come back later and flesh out the details. For now, make a list of the most important things you want to cover. This step won’t take very long, and it’ll help you figure out what you need to focus on.
Write A Few Drafts
Once you’ve got your list of important points, it’s time to write a few drafts. There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to writing drafts, but you should try to put something down on paper as soon as you can. You can always come back and edit, but getting it on paper (or a whiteboard) first allows you to see the bigger picture and work out any kinks as you go. There is no rush to finish these drafts, so take your time and make sure you get everything down on paper first. Once you’ve got your draft done, it’s time for the next step.
Choose A Premium Theme
One of the first things you should do after writing a few drafts is choose a theme for your book. There are plenty of free or premium themes out there, depending on your budget, so don’t worry about not having enough money to pay for a premium theme. The choice is completely up to you. You can use WordPress to create a blog and subsequently write your ebook, or you can use a tool like BookBaby to create and publish your ebook directly from your notebook.
Decide On The Style You’ll Use
Choosing a theme for your book is one thing, but you should also decide on the style you’ll use for your book. Do you want to use a more formal tone or a colloquial tone? There are plenty of free templates and tools online that can help you find the tone that feels right for your book, so don’t worry about not being able to find the one you want. Once you’ve got your tone, format, and theme, then it’s time for the next step.
Flesh Out Your Outline
Now that you’ve got a theme and a style, it’s time to flesh out your outline. Come back to the parts you’ve already written and make sure you’ve got all the necessary points covered. Once you’ve got your outline done, then it’s time to move on to the next step.
Publish Your Book
If you’ve followed the steps thus far, then it’s time to publish your book and make it available for the world to read. To do this, log into your WordPress dashboard and navigate to the “Publish” button on the dashboard. Select “my books” from the drop-down menu, and you’ll be brought to a page that lists all your books. From here, you can click on the “Publish” button for the book you want to make available to the world. Don’t worry about doing this step as soon as you’ve published your book, as you’ll come back later and fix any issues that might have arisen during the publication process. For now, you can click the “Publish” button to begin the process.
That’s It
At this point, you can stop and look back at what you’ve accomplished. You’ve written an ebook without having to sit down and write a novel. You’ve got a theme and a style for your book, and you’ve published it on your WordPress blog. All you’ve got to do now is promote your book and sit back and enjoy the benefits of a written work.