It is a common challenge for writers to come up with interesting plot twists for their stories. Sometimes the idea for a book pops into your head, and you begin jotting down some random thoughts on a piece of paper. But sometimes you need extra inspiration, and the internet is a great source of ideas.
You may have heard of ‘e-books’ which are essentially books that can be read online. The term ‘e-book’ was first coined in the early 1990s and is short for ‘electronic book.’ These days, anyone can publish an e-book with just a few clicks of a button.
If you want to experiment with e-books or just want to learn how to write one, this article will teach you how in 30 minutes flat. We’ll cover everything from choosing a suitable title to structuring your material.
Choose A Suitable Title
It is vital to pick a title that will entice potential readers to click on your book’s link or button in search of more information. But you also want to choose a title that will not be mistaken for a virus by your mother-in-law. So, how do you go about doing that?
It is best to follow the traditional format of writing a book title in English minus the title case. For example, we can use the word ‘MONEY’ as our English title and then we will type the acronym ‘MONEY’ in lower case letters to create a unique, easy-to-spell title. This makes it easier for our mother-in-law (or other relatives, friends and strangers) to browse our book titles when they are looking for something “financial.’
The same goes for choosing the right keywords. For example, if we are writing about dating, we could use the keywords ‘dating tips’ to attract potential readers who want to learn more about love and relationships.
The Anatomy Of An E-Book
The anatomy of an e-book is simple: introduction, chapter 1, chapter 2, etc. The introduction is usually just a small section of your book that introduces the reader to the plot, setting, and characters of your story. It should be short and sweet.
The chapters should be labeled sequentially according to the order that the information appears in the book. A good writer will take into consideration the progression of the story and the needs of the reader, keeping in mind that this is an electronic book which can be rewritten and updated at any time. The reader should be able to follow the action and progress of the story without getting too bogged down in boring details.
The last part of an e-book is the ‘summary’ or ‘conclusion.’ This is a section at the end that provides the reader with important information such as the main characters and setting of the story. It is typically one or two sentences, and it wraps up the plot and details of what was covered in the other parts of your book. When writing your summary, remember that electronic books do not need to be completely grammatically correct. As we mentioned above, you can always update your book at any time.
Structure Your Material
The structure of your material is vital to its flow and ease of reading. There are four elements that help to determine the structure of your book: the opening, middle, and closing chapters.
The opening chapter should contain a brief summary of the entire book (known as the ‘summary’ or ‘synopsis’) along with an overview of the main themes and characters. This is essentially just a short description of what the book is about, and it should pull no punches in making this clear to the reader.
The middle chapters should be the most interesting part of your book, and they should be structured in such a way that the reader is propelled through the material quickly but also finds the information interesting and pertinent. These chapters may include everything from investigative journalism to romance to science fiction.
The last chapter should bring everything together and tie the whole story up nicely. It should provide the reader with a clear idea of what happened and what they learned throughout the course of the story. Remember that readers will typically ‘flip’ through your book while searching for relevant information so the last chapter should be a quick hit of information with a clear call to action at the end.
Once you have a clear idea of how you want your book to look and what it is going to contain, you can start to build out the initial chapters. Remember to proofread and edit everything diligently. Once you are happy with the content, you can move on to the next phase.
Make The World Come To You
With so much information available online, it is vital to ensure that your book can be found when searched for. Many writers go the extra mile and put extra work into their SEO or search engine optimization. This is the process of enhancing the ‘natural’ ranking of your book’s content so that it can be more easily found when someone is searching for related material. Some SEO services even provide online tools that can be used to optimize a book’s content and find the best possible keywords.
As a self-published author, you have the power to reach readers across the world with just a few clicks of a button. But you must be strategic in making use of this platform. Make sure that you are focusing on the right audience and relevant keywords so that you can reach the biggest possible base of potential readers. When choosing your keywords, make sure that they are short and easily typed by someone without hurting their fingers on a keyboard. Also, be sure to include the ‘AND’ conjunction between keywords to ensure that your material shows up when someone types in multiple keywords.
Create A Marketing Plan
Now that you have a structure in place and some content written, it is time to put all of this into practice and begin marketing your book. Even though you may be tempted to skip this step, you must do it. The earlier you start, the less awkward you will feel when trying to pitch your book to a potential buyer. So, create a small marketing plan and schedule some time to follow through with these tasks.
Research The Market For Your Book
If you are not familiar with how markets work and how much competition there is in your chosen niche, this is the phase where you should start learning. There are generally three types of markets that authors need to worry about:
- Traditional Markets – Books, magazines, and newspapers are all considered traditional markets for authors. If you are lucky enough to fit into one of these categories, then you are in for a treat because this is normally where the best sales are.
- New Markets – With the rise of the internet and social media, it is now possible to reach a large audience quickly and effectively. If your book does not fit into the traditional categories above, then this is where you should focus your efforts. Consider publishing on YouTube or Instagram to reach a broader audience.
- Exclusive Markets – With exclusive markets, you are appealing to a smaller audience but giving them value by offering something special. For example, if you are an expert on the subject of fashion and you want to write a book on the subject, consider publishing an exclusive eBook where you feature the best of your work. You may also want to consider creating a blog around your book’s contents. The more value you provide, the better your chances of securing an exclusive deal.
Pitch A Perfect Book To A Potential Buyer
So, you have created the perfect book. Congratulate yourself. It is likely that you have spent the last few months (or years) meticulously crafting this masterpiece. But, there is still a chance that you have not found your audience. This is why you need to continue pitching your book to a potential buyer. The earlier you start, the less awkward you will feel when trying to negotiate the price or discuss other terms of the deal. This is why it is essential to follow the above steps diligently. And, remember: writing a book is not the easy way out. It is an extremely demanding process that can require weeks, months, or even years to complete.