Most people think that writing an eBook is a lot of hard work. They underestimate the power of automation, thinking that they need to write thousands of words just to make the process semi-legible. In reality, you can write an eBook in 3 days, completely from scratch, and with just a few tools.
So, here’s how you do it.
The First Day
The first day is surprisingly easy. You just need to take a deep breath and follow the steps. It really is that simple.
The first step is to choose your platform. You have a number of options here including Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Google Books, and Microsoft Books. Take your time to think about which one you feel most comfortable with. While you’re deciding, you can also write up a short blurb about the book you’ve chosen. Don’t worry too much about the content, as you will be rewriting it multiple times. For the purpose of this guide, we will use Amazon Kindle, as it is the most popular and, again, the easiest to use. (Just note that we have not been paid to recommend any particular tool or platform. We use Amazon Kindle because we find it the most user-friendly and versatile.)
The second step is to pick a good ISBN. An ISBN is a unique identification number that serves as a barcode and is designed to be used with books. It is essentially a digital version of a UPC code that was originally designed to identify grocery store products. If you have a UPC code, you can use it with ISBNs. Otherwise, you will need to go ahead and get a fresh batch.
The third step is to create a cover for your eBook. A cover is essentially what the outside world will see when they look at your eBook. It is often a simple graphic that holds the attention of potential readers. You can find a template for a cover on the internet or, if you’re feeling extra creative, create a unique cover design yourself. We will use Canva for this purpose as it is the simplest of all the tools we tested, and, again, the most popular choice among our readers. (Some might say they are biased because Canva is the maker of this awesome website!)
The Second Day
The second day is a little more complicated. You will want to follow the same steps, however, you will need to do some research in order to pull off the perfect creation. First, let’s examine the anatomy of an e-book.
The typical e-book is made up of three parts: cover, body, and acknowledgements. The cover is what the outside world will see when they open the eBook. It is often a graphic that holds the attention of the reader. The body is the part of the e-book that contains all of the writing. Finally, the acknowledgements is a section at the end that provides thanks to the people and companies that assisted the author.
Now, let’s examine each part in detail.
The Cover
The cover is an essential part of the book. Without it, the book is essentially just words on a page. Even a beautifully designed page. Your cover needs to stand out because, well, you’ll be presenting the book to the world through the cover. You want to choose a cover that is both memorable and eye-catching. One that will make your readers want to keep on reading. You can use a tool like Canva to help you create an eye-catching cover that will make people want to read your work. Why Canva? Well, they are the makers of this awesome website. So, they must be doing something right!
Your cover doesn’t need to be perfect. In fact, you can use a tool like Canva to help you create something that is more than adequate for the purpose. Remember, this is only the cover. The body of your book will be much more substantial. So, you’re not risking too much by choosing something that looks good at first glance.
The Body
The body is, again, another important part of the book. It is the part that contains all of the writing, editing, and material that makes up the bulk of the book. (You won’t actually be doing any of the writing, editing, or material. So, it’s important that you choose a tool that is both reliable and easy to use.) It needs to be easy to digest and, at the same time, memorable. You can use a tool like Canva to edit your body content, as you will be rewriting it numerous times. Once you’ve got your body edited, it’s time to put your thoughts into words. You can use a tool like Scrivener to help you write your book. It is the best cross-platform app for doing just that.
We liked Scrivener for a number of reasons. First, it is completely free. You can download it directly from their website, and there are no annoying ads. Also, it is cross-platform. So, no matter what device you use, you can still use it to write your book. (Try writing on your phone and then transferring everything to your laptop. It’s a pain to use a different app for each device.) Finally, it has a co-authoring feature that allows you to work with someone else while you’re writing. This can be incredibly helpful, as it can make the whole process much simpler. Especially if you’re trying to work with someone, remotely.
The Acknowledgements
At the end of every book, no matter the genre, there is typically a section where the author thanks everyone who helped them along the way. Everyone from the bartender who served them drinks, to the person who designed their website, to the courier who delivered the manuscript, to the editor who helped them polish it. All of these people deserve a bit of recognition, even if it is only a line or two. Typically, this section is buried at the end of the book. Many authors skip it completely, as it is not part of the narrative flow. (Plus, it is often quite lengthy. And you might not want to ruin the climax of your story!)
Regardless, it is a good idea to include an acknowledgements section in your book. It can be a very humbling section, as you will be thanking everyone who helped you along the way. And it can also be a very boastful section, as you will be acknowledging all of the hard work that went into your book.
If you’re feeling creative, you can create an indie game based on one of your book’s themes. You’ll need some experience in game development though, as the game industry can be tricky. Especially if you want to develop a mobile game.
If you’re looking to publish your book, but don’t want to go the traditional route, you can use crowdfunding to get your book to the masses quickly and cheaply. There are numerous platforms, such as Kickstarter and GoFundMe, where you can do exactly that. (You might also want to check out Fundly, as it is a free tool that can help you find the best platform for your needs.)
It might seem like a lot of work to write an eBook in 3 days. But, as long as you use the correct tools, it is actually quite an easy process. You will need to sit down and write your book in one sitting, however, you can take a long break whenever you need to. And, again, you can use tools to help you. So, while you might think that writing an eBook is a lot of hard work, you’ll soon discover that it really is that simple.