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