If you’re looking for an easy way to make money from home, you’ve probably considered trying your hand at writing an ebook. Launching an ebook publishing platform has been a profitable venture for smaller publishers, and the demand for ebooks continues to rise as more and more people turn to digital reading.
Whether you plan to self-publish and sell your ebook through a traditional retail platform or want to explore the growing world of digital self-publishing, this blog post will tell you everything you need to know about writing and selling your own ebook.
What is an Ebook?
Put simply, an ebook is a book that you can read on a digital device (such as a smartphone or tablet) instead of a physical book you have to physically bring home. Physical books are generally thicker and heavier than their ebook counterparts, which means you can store more of them on a mobile device’s internal storage. With hundreds of thousands of titles available for download, it is possible to fit entire libraries of beloved physical books onto a single mobile device.
Why Should You Write an Ebook?
The most obvious business case for writing an ebook is to make money online, but that’s not the only reason. Thicker formats like ebooks allow for more flexibility when presenting content, which means you can add more value to an interested party without having to worry about printing out a million hard copies.
Ebooks also allow for new revenue streams that a traditional book publisher might not have available. For example, the company O’Reilly has embraced the digital age by creating dozens of ebooks on a variety of topics including everything from marketing and sales to web design and development. Not only are they able to make money from online sales of these ebooks, but they can also charge readers a fee for access.
Where Can I Sell My Ebook?
If you’ve decided that writing an ebook is right for you, it’s time to figure out where you should sell it. Your choice in ebook stores will largely depend on your target audience and desired profit margin. For example, you might want to consider trying your hand at selling your ebook through online marketplaces like Amazon or Walmart if your target audience is mainly the American market. If you’re trying to make money off your ebook, you might want to consider self-publishing and offering it for free on your website as well as in digital stores. You could also try and partner with a traditional book publisher to get your ebook into physical bookstores. There are endless possibilities for how to sell your ebook, so find the one that makes the most sense for your needs.
How Do I Write an Ebook?
Now that you know what an ebook is and why you should write one, it’s time to figure out how to write one. If you’ve never written a book before or if this is your first attempt at writing one, take some time to learn the ropes. Luckily, with the help of a few resources, this journey from beginner to pro is a lot less intimidating. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Get A Copy Of Writing For Dummies
As an aspiring author, you might be tempted to dive into a digital fountain and just start typing. While it is certainly possible to write an ebook in a few hours, doing so without proper guidance can leave you with an unusable masterpiece. Instead of rushing into action, put down your smartphone and get a copy of Writing For Dummies by Linda Bukowski. This guide will teach you everything you need to know about writing a book from the very first sentence to how to properly format and present your content. No matter what stage you’re at, you’ll find the information you need to move forward.
Find Your Niche
The first step in the process of writing a book is to figure out what kind of book you’ll need to write. This is easier said than done, but it takes proper planning and some patient introspection to come up with an idea for a book. You don’t need to have the whole plot or synopsis for the book ahead of time, but you should have a good idea of where you’ll be heading with it. Once you’ve got an idea for a book, take some time to research and identify your target audience. The better you can identify this audience, the easier it will be to write the book that they want to read. Even if you’ve got a book on a specific subject, you’ll still need to determine who is your target audience and what they want to get out of your book.
Create A Plot
The easiest way to start writing an ebook is to simply start typing. You don’t need to have a complete outline for the book or anything close to it. All you need is a good idea of what’s going on in the story. The better you can imagine the story in your head, the easier it will be to put it on paper. One helpful tool for this is to create a plot using a software application like MS Excel. This way, you can add in all the necessary characters, settings, and plot twists. You can also generate a ton of plot ideas using the Excel template. Once you’ve got your plot established, take some time to flesh it out. This might mean doing some research into your chosen topic or even talking to people who know more about it than you do. Your research won’t be wasted, as even the most basic information can help you shape your story into something unique and engaging.
Determine The Structure Of Your Book
Once you’ve got a complete plot and a clear idea of who your target audience is, it’s time to figure out how to write the book. A book can have any type of structure it wants, but there are a few standard book structures that you can use to make your life as a writer easier. The three most common book structures are the collection of short stories, the memoirs, and the diary-type format. Each of these structures has its perks, and it’s up to you to choose which one works best for you.
Make A List Of Characters You Need
One of the most difficult parts of writing a book is getting the characters to live inside your head. To help you flesh out your characters, make a list of all the characters you need for the book. Once you’ve got your character list, it’s time to populate it with characters that are multi-faceted and interesting. To do this, simply think of people you know who would be perfect for your story. Make a list of their positive and negative qualities, and see how many traits you can find in common with each of them. If you need help, make a list of the various roles the characters you’ve included in your story can play. For example, a main character could be the protagonist, a minor character could be the antagonist, and another could be a witness to the story. Make sure you don’t make the list too long, otherwise, you’ll have a hard time keeping track of it all!
Summarize The Main Conflict
One of the most difficult parts of writing a book is coming up with a good idea for a story. Once you’ve got this idea, it’s time to work out the details of the story. To help you flesh out the story, summarize the main conflict. This conflict should be something that the entire story is centered around and that will drive the events that occur throughout the story. The main conflict should pull the reader into the story and keep them turning pages to find out what happens next. Once you’ve got your main conflict, work out the details of your story. This might mean going over the plot and figuring out where you’ll be going with it. To make your life as a writer easier, take time to write a synopsis that includes all the essential plot points. This way, you’ll have a clear idea of what’s going on in the story without having to constantly re-read the manuscript. This synopsis should be able to stand alone as a summary of the entire book. Make sure you don’t give away any important plot points in your synopsis, otherwise, it will ruin the mystery of the story for the reader.
Organize Your Thoughts
As you’ve probably guessed, writing a book is a lot of work! To make things easier for yourself, organize your thoughts before you start writing. When you start writing, it’ll be hard to keep your thoughts organized, particularly if you’re starting from scratch without proper guidance. By doing this as you go along, you’ll be able to keep track of everything and ensure that your book is everything you imagined it to be. Use a software application like MS Word’s Track Changes to make changes to your document as you go along. Doing this by hand is a tedious process and can lead to many mistakes. Word’s track changes feature is quite simple to use, and it’ll be worth the time you’ll save in the long run.