Why Bother Writing An eBook?

If you run an online business, there are some very good reasons why you should consider writing an ebook. First, it will help to establish you as an authoritative expert in your field. Authors are perceived as intelligent people. This is true whether you write an ebook or a physical book.

Another reason to consider writing an ebook is the passive income you can earn from it. When you write an ebook you do it once. You can then sell it again and again on your website. Writing an ebook costs you no money, so you earn 100% profit when somebody buys it. Here’s how to get started.

FREE Checklist: How To Write An Ebook

How To Go About Writing An eBook

As an online entrepreneur, if you haven’t written an ebook, there’s no doubt you have thought of several excuses for not doing it. The number one excuse internet business owners and bloggers give for not writing an ebook is that they don’t have enough time.

But even the busiest people have more than enough time over 365 days to write several ebooks, much less a single one! And that’s because writing an ebook takes nothing but time. There’s no secret on how to write an ebook fast. Simply write every time you have 10 or 15 minutes of free time. That’s exactly what Harry Potter author JK Rowling did for the first book in that series. Plenty of other successful authors, of both ebooks and physical books, have done the same thing.

Getting Started

Don’t let anyone tell you how hard it will be writing an ebook or that you can’t write. This will discourage you and keep you from doing something you really want to do. If you’re preparing to write your first ebook, this is the most important tip. Some of the most famous writers couldn’t put a full stop or comma in the right place. It is more important to get those words down where they can become more real to you. This is the biggest step you can take. Editing can come later.

Break It Down Into Manageable Tasks

Remember, a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. The hardest part of writing is the title, first sentence and a potential ending line. Breaking it down makes each task seem smaller and more manageable. When you look at the whole project, it seems like an impossible task, but if you can get the project started, even if not perfectly, at least you have begun to get the words down.

Figure Out A Good Working Title

Don’t just pick a title out of thin air and say, “This is the name of my  book.” Write down a few
different titles and eventually you’ll find that one that starts to grow on you. Titles help you to focus writing on your topic. They guide you in anticipating and answering your readers’ questions. Don’t pick a title, and then write about something that doesn’t go with it. The title should let the reader know what the ebook is about.

Have A Good Reason For Your eBook 

Be totally clear exactly what problem you’re addressing and how your ebook will solve that problem for your audience.  Make sure there’s good reason to write your ebook so that it helps your target audience. When writing an ebook, determine if it will:

• Present useful information that is relevant
• Positively affect the lives of your readers
• Be dynamic and will it keep the reader’s attention
• Answer questions that are meaningful and significant

Don’t Write For Everybody

Remember you’re writing an ebook for your target audience. Nobody can write an ebook that will be loved and read by everybody. It’s not possible. Your target audience will determine the style, tone, diction, and even length of your ebook. The more you narrow down your target audience, the greater chance it will have of success. It’s important to know the following:

• Expected age range of your readers
• Typical gender
• Readers main interests
• Socio-economic group they’re from

Keep Your Writing Engaging

Usually, anecdotes, testimonials, little stories, photos, graphs, advice and tips will keep the reader reading the pages. You can also use sidebars which are useful for quick, accessible information. This will help break up the density of the page.

Let Somebody Read It First

Before you publish your ebook, get somebody to read with a fresh pair of eyes. They may spot something that you have missed. Also, print a hard copy and ask them to initial it and date it. In the internet world, plagiarism and copyright infringement is a big problem. If you have someone date and sign your ebook, it provides some confidence that if it happens you will have some record of the fact that you wrote it, and when you wrote it. Also remember to make backups of all your work. There’s nothing worse than having your ebook almost finished only to lose it if your computer crashes unexpectedly.

Write Down Your Publishing Goals

The more you know up front, the easier the actual writing will be. Are you writing an ebook for profit to sell it as an information product on your website?  Some people are actually writing ebooks for a living. Or do you want to offer it as a free gift to encourage people to opt in to your email list?  The more you know about how you plan to publish it, the more you can write toward that goal.

Free Checklist For Writing An eBook 

Make sure your ebook over-delivers on value. If you’re selling it, offer it for a nominal fee. You can always adjust the  selling price.  Writing an ebook costs nothing and once written, can provide passive income for years to come. Yes, it does takes effort to write an e-book. You have to research, write, edit and format it. The secret is to follow a proven system that has worked for others. To learn more about this proven system, download my free checklist on How To Write An eBook and Sell It Online.