How to Write an Ebook- Formatting

If you spend time formatting your ebook correctly your readers will thank you for it because it will be easier to read. It will also be easier to edit during the proofreading process.

1. Write the title of your document and the No 1 benefit at the top of your first page. Use a large font for this.

2. Place a large image of your ebook cover below the title (this is assuming you already have created the ecover otherwise it can be inserted later).

3. Write an introduction
that mentions why you wrote this ebook and why it will benefit the reader.

4. Create a table of contents
for all your chapters. Link each chapter to it’s location in your document so readers can easily access the content by clicking on the chapter title.

5. Set the text to Arial 12pt double spaced. If the sentences are too close together you will lose readability.

6. Use short paragraphs, bullets, text boxes, sub-sections
to keep the information easily accessible and the pages visually interesting.

7. Use lots of white space
for aesthetics and readability.

Open Office Settings to format your document:

To create double spacing

Format-paragraph-indents and spacing-line spacing-double-ok

To insert page numbers

Insert footer
Insert fields-page number
Align center to center the number on the page

8. Include your web site address
in the footer of every page. Make sure it’s a live link
so you receive backlinks to your web site when distributing your ebook.

9. Include links to any affiliate programs
you want to mention. Use anchor text (text with a live link) so you don’t have ridiculously long URLS. Alternatively you can cloak your affiliate URLS to make them short.

10. Create an “About Author” section at the end of your ebook. Include URLS of your other web sites if you wish to promote them as well as a picture of yourself. This adds a personal touch and credibility to your readers.

11. Upselling. Include the product you want to upsell at the end of your ebook. If readers are inspired by your content, they will be hungry to receive more.

12. Proofread your content. Get several people to read your ebook. Other people often see mistakes you may have overlooked because you are too close to the content.

13. Create the PDF document
by clicking on the PDF icon at the top of the Open Office window. You can also use the free software at pdf995 (http://www.pdf995.com/)

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Herman Drost is the Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW)
owner and author of Web Site Design, Web Hosting, Search Engine Optimization

How to Write an Ebook – Organizing Your Content

I’ve found that the more organized you are the faster things get done. You know the saying a cluttered desk means a cluttered mind.” The same applies to the organization of your ebook content..completing it will be faster if you’re organized.

If you write an article a day create a folder with the name of your ebook. Within this main folder create a separate folder for each chapter. When you are ready to put your ebook together you’ll have easy access to all your files.

If you’ve already written all your articles, organize them according to how you want your content to flow. One easy way to accomplish this is to print out all your articles, then spread them out on the floor so so you can see all the titles. Now you can easily organize the articles for each chapter by shuffling them around. You could do this on your computer but its much faster doing it this way because you can view your content at once.

Organizing them in this way enables you to see where the information gaps are, fill them with more content and create smoother transitions between each chapter and topic.

Length of your ebook

Don’t worry about how long your ebook should be. If it gets too long you have the option of creating another ebook which could be used as an upsell. An upsell means you offer another product (often with at a higher price) immediately after the customer has purchased the first product. It’s easier to sell to customers who have already purchased something than sell to new customers. This is because they are hungry for more information.

An ebook doesn’t have be over 100 pages long. You could have one that is 10 or 20 pages long and sell it as a report or offer it as a gift for subscribing to your newsletter.

Software to use

Compose your ebook in Open Office (openoffice.org) or MS Word if it’s on your computer. I use Open Office because it’s a free download, functions almost the same as MS Word and has the added feature of converting your content to a PDF file with one click. PDF is the standard file format for creating ebooks.

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Receive fresh, in-depth articles articles on how to design, optimize and promote your web site by subscribing to my “Marketing Tips” newsletter at: http://www.isitebuild.com/

Herman Drost is the Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW)
owner and author of Web Site Design, Web Hosting, Search Engine Optimization

How to Write An Ebook

Creating a quality ebook takes a lot of time and commitment. It’s difficult to just sit down and write continuously until it is completed. It’s difficult to just lock yourself up in your room to remove all distractions and responsibilities (particularly if you have a family). For most people this is not an option.

Create an outline

Instead, create an outline of your ebook by writing down all the possible topics you want to cover. Organize them according to how the information needs to flow. It must flow naturally if you want to retain the interest of your readers.

Create a deadline

Without a deadline your ebook may never get finished. For example if you want to complete the writing of your ebook in 3 months, try to write a part of it each day. This breaks it down into easy steps and moves you towards your goal. If you pass your deadline without having completed your ebook, set another completion date. I initially had the goal of completing my ebook in the first 40 days of the year but got too busy with web design projects to focus on it. Instead, I selected a later date to finish it.

Methods of writing your ebook

Create a series of articles

Write an article a day for each topic you wish to cover. If you have a lot to write about create sub topics. At the end of one month you will have 30 articles. An article a day makes it easier to write your ebook because you break it down into smaller steps.

Create a series of blog posts

One of the easiest ways to stay on track writing your ebook, is to write a tip a day on your blog. A series of these tips can be combined to create an article. The articles can be composed into an ebook. One of the benefits of this method…you can begin pre-selling your ebook by getting visitors to your blog, commenting on your posts, subscribing to your newsletter and interact with blogs related to your topic. When your ebook is ready to be published you’ll already have an audience hungry to purchase it.

Hire a ghostwriter

If you don’t have the time to write the ebook yourself, hire someone else to write the ebook for you. Visit elance.com (or other bidding sites) to post your project and have someone bid on it. It’s inexpensive because the person may be from a country that has low wages or a stay-at-home Mom that could use some extra cash. Make sure you check their credentials and see samples of their work before you hire them.

Use Private Label Rights (PLR) content

You can purchase PLR articles that are already written on your subject. These packs are often sold to a limited number of people for distribution. Instead of writing an article from scratch you can modify these articles to make them unique and put your own name of them. They are not copyright protected.

Tip

After creating your first ebook, the process gets easier. Creating and selling several ebooks on a subject or subjects you are passionate about will produce ongoing passive income.

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Receive fresh, in-depth articles articles on how to design, optimize and promote your web site by subscribing to my “Marketing Tips” newsletter at: http://www.isitebuild.com/

Herman Drost is the Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW)
owner and author of Web Design, Web Hosting, Search Engine Optimization