The Marketers’ Senate

How to Write Your First Ebook

Writing your first ebook may seem like a daunting task. But like
many projects, it won’t seem so bad when it’s broken down into
manageable chunks. Not all projects are successful, so don’t be
too disappointed if your first ebook isn’t a best seller.
Whatever the outcome of your first ebook, you can at least say
‘You did it’.

Like many things in life, what often seems impossible can be
attained with the right attitude and the right equipment. It
could be a marathon run, climbing a mountain or finding parking
space at the supermarket.

If you want to play golf, you will need clubs, balls and some
practice. There’s no guarantee you will become another Tiger
Woods but you will become a golfer.

If you want to write an ebook, you will need a computer,
software and some directions. Assuming you have a computer and
software or access to them, here are some directions.

Establish Your Reasons

Your reasons for wanting to write an ebook will have a major
impact on your success. It may be for financial gain, promoting
a business, advancing your career, education, self satisfaction
or something entirely different. Whatever your reasons, write
them down. It will help to motivate you if the going gets tough.

Choose Your Subject

There are countless subjects that you can write about. It’s wise
to choose something you have an interest in or knowledge of. It
is worthwhile spending time on this. The more you know about
your subject, the easier it will be to write about.

Choose Your Title

After you’ve chosen your subject, you’ll need a title for the
ebook. It’s worth writing down a few different ones before
deciding on the one you’ll use. This will help to keep your
focus and may give you some other ideas. The title should give a
clear indication of the content in your book. A catchy title may
help to sell it, but remember to balance this with clarity to
keep it in context. I’ve written down two examples. Feel free to
use them if you have a sense of humor.

A Clubbers Paradise - Golfing in Ibiza

20 Minutes Late – The Future of Trains

Choose Your Audience

The subject and style of your writing will determine your
audience. Decide who your desired audience will be. Age, gender,
culture, social background and education are factors you may
want to consider. What you write should be targeted at your
desired audience.

Write Your Thesis Statement

Although it’s possible to write your ebook without a ‘thesis
statement’, it is not recommended. If you are unfamiliar with
this term, there are many sources available that will provide
you with all the details you need. Unfortunately, there are some
differences of opinion that may lead to confusion.

The ‘thesis statement’ deserves a separate article of its own
but for now I have written a general definition of a thesis
statement for ebooks. This may leave the door open for criticism
but is a small price to pay if it removes some of the confusion.
More importantly, it will give you a base on which to start.
Only use it as a guideline. If you want a more specific
definition, Google is a good place to start your search.

A thesis statement is a sentence or two written to clearly show
the reason(s) for your ebook and what you expect to write about.

Although I have referred to this as a general definition, keep
in mind that your actual statement should be as specific as
possible.

Think of it as the foundation for your ebook. It should contain
the following:

1)Your subject 2)Your opinion on the subject. 3)A supporting
reason for your opinion 4)The significance of 1), 2) and 3)

Create Your Document

Now that you have the foundation, you can begin writing. A
standard application like MS Word is a good choice. While you
are writing your document you can revise your thesis statement
at any time up until it is published. This provides a good
degree of flexibility.

Choose the format and layout of your document, including
chapters, headings and introductions. Dependent on your subject,
you may wish to add photographs, anecdotes or testimonials that
keep the reader’s attention.

Since an ebook is generally read from a screen, you may want to
break up the text more than in a printed book. Experiment with a
few different fonts and look at other ebooks for ideas you can
use. Spell check and save your document regularly.

MS Word has an auto recovery feature. This is useful if you
don’t save the document on a regular basis and later experience
a system crash. Always backup your document. As a precaution you
should also keep a copy on another media such as CD.

Choose Your Ebook Format

This is a personal choice. You may decide to create an
executable (.exe) file or a Portable Document Format (.pdf)
file. By no means an exhaustive list, here are some points to
consider before you choose.

EXE files are compiled using an ebook compiler EXE files may
offer features that are not available with PDFs EXE files can
only be read on a PC EXE files don’t require any other software
to be read EXE files are easy to open, easily branded, and good
viral marketing tools EXE files may be susceptible to viruses
although some compilers offer virus protection More information
on the better compilers can be found at
http://www.ebook-site.com/ebook-compilers.html

PDF files can be created using Adobe Acrobat PDF files can be
created with several other 3rd party applications. PDF files are
an industry standard PDF files can be read by both PC and MAC
PDF files require Adobe Reader to be read PDF files are highly
unlikely to become infected More information on PDFs can be
found on the Adobe website

Create Your Ebook

Create your ebook in your chosen format.

Congratulations you are now an author.