In the past, putting together an eBook would mean spending countless hours combing through content, manually editing photos, and building tables and charts to present the information in an easy-to-understand manner. But thanks to platforms like HubSpot’s Wix.com, putting an eBook together can be a fun, productive, and—most importantly—less frustrating endeavor.
Set A Deadline
No matter what stage you’re at in the eBook writing process, setting a deadline will be of great help. Setting a firm date for the completion of your book will help you keep motivated, as it gives you a goal to work towards. You may decide that you want to write a specific number of pages per day (or week) to meet your deadline, which will give you a clear picture of how much progress you’re making. Looking for a way to write a book but don’t know where to start? Setting a deadline will be the best way to find out what you need to do and when you need to do it. Deadlines are a great way to combat procrastination, as they force you to push beyond what you think you can achieve and allow you to be more optimistic about the project than otherwise.
Choose The Right Platform
Before you start building your eBook, you need to decide which platform you’ll use. There are numerous choices available, so consider your audience when making this decision. If you’re writing for an adult audience, look at Amazon’s Kindle store, as it’s been designed to be more accessible to readers. If you’re aiming at a more technical audience, a choice such as Apple’s iBookstore would be a better fit. Ultimately, it’s a matter of personal preference. You should consider the size of your intended audience, the purpose of your book, and the format you prefer before choosing a platform. When deciding which platform to use, it’s important to keep in mind that Amazon and Apple have different policies when it comes to third-party eBook publishers. While Amazon favors independent authors, Apple restricts the availability of its own content on third-party platforms. However, as a digital marketer, you can still build a profitable business selling and promoting products on these platforms, as long as you follow the rules. For more information, read Apple’s and Amazon’s policies concerning books and digital downloads.
Set Your Budget
Budgets are a tricky thing when it comes to writing books. For one thing, you won’t be able to calculate how much money you’ll make until you’re actually published. So, to put together an eBook that will make money, you’ll need to set up a separate PayPal account to cover production costs. If you want to be able to afford the creation of your book, set a budget and stick to it. If your budget allows, you could always hire some freelancers to help with the editorial work or take a look at Fiverr’s freelancer marketplace to find some editorial help. Setting a budget can be a good way to determine how much you need to spend, so you don’t waste your limited resources on things you don’t need. It can also be a good way to determine how much you’ll need to charge for your book. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to budgets, as they depend on a number of factors. Consider your personal and professional circumstances and set a budget that you feel comfortable with. Budgets can vary from almost zero (digital nomads and some bloggers) to six figures (mostly established authors and CEOs of large companies). If you’re looking to break into publishing, it’s worth considering the different categories of fees that you might face.
Pick Your Theme
The theme for your book is one of the most important things to consider, as it will dictate the overall look and feel of your publication. You’ll need to consider the style of each and every part of your book, from the cover to the font used throughout the text. While it might be tempting to go with a simple theme for your book, don’t! In order to have a successful publication, you need to consider how readers will engage with the content. In other words, you need to make sure that each part of your book contributes to the big picture. For example, if you’re writing an eBook about web design, the cover should complement the content inside and vice versa. The same goes for the rest of the book. As a general rule, it’s best to choose a theme that is relevant to your target audience. Ultimately, you’ll need to consider what will make your book different from other eBooks in your genre. If you can’t think of any unique aspects about your book, it might be a good idea to pick a simple theme (kind of like Netflix’s Making a Murderer).
Find Your Perfect Intro
No matter what type of book you’re writing, there will be some sort of intro that acts as a table of contents. The intro should come after the acknowledgements and before the preface (if there is a preface). Typically, the intro consists of a short overview of the book, why it’s relevant to your target audience, and a pitch for the book (optional). To make your intro stand out, consider adding multimedia content such as infographics, videos, or an interactive guide. If you’re not exactly sure what an intro is, check out Wikipedia’s article on introductions, which might contain useful information. If you’re looking to write an eBook in a hurry, getting an intro right might be the most difficult part of the process. So, take your time and make sure that everything else is polished before starting on the intro.
Create The Back Cover, And The Table Of Contents
The back cover of your book serves three purposes. First, it’s where you’ll list the publication details. Second, it’s where you’ll list the credits, which include the people and companies that contributed to the success of your book. Finally, it’s where you’ll include a short bio about you (optional). If you’re self-publishing, this is the part where you’ll need to allocate the most time. As a general rule, try to create the back cover and the table of contents in the same document. Otherwise, you may end up with a disconnected image, which can be quite frustrating if you want to upload it to a stock page or blog post.
Figurehead Design
The figurehead design marks the beginning and the end of your book. It’s a graphic design element that you’ll include on the front cover and back cover of your book (the beginning and end, as mentioned above). As a general rule, make sure that the figurehead design is professional and fits the theme of your book. If you’re lacking in ideas, take inspiration from books that you deem successful (or at least well-designed). For example, HarperCollins’ Figurehead design used yellow and green to create a refreshing contrast against the white background.
Create Design Standards
You’ll need to establish design standards for the rest of the book, which are the general rules that you’ll follow to ensure that the content looks as good as possible. The easiest way to do this is to use templates, which you can find online. When establishing standards, it’s important to think about the purpose of your book. If you’re writing an eBook for digital nomads looking to grow their business, you may want to consider the KIWI standard for eBook covers (based on HubSpot’s design language). Or, if you’re writing an eBook for a more technical audience, you might want to follow the Apple standard. In any case, make sure that you review the rules regularly and revise them as needed. Establishing and following design standards will help you create a polished eBook that looks as good as new.
Manage The Copy
Now that you have a completed eBook, it’s time to manage the copy. This includes everything from the content to the layout and design of the book. For the sake of simplicity, we’ll walk through the process of editing a traditional print book. However, everything described below can be done with eBooks.