By Helen Abi, Northend Agent’s
To many, the thought of becoming an author was perceived as having to sign a publishing contract, get a large printing contract, and have boxes of books in their home. However, digital publishing has taken that picture to its head this day. An eBook enables persons, professionals, entrepreneurs, educators and institutions to transform their expertise, experiences, or ideas into a book that can be read anywhere near the globe.
The eBook, or electronic book, is nothing more than a book that is presented in an electronic format and can be read on a smartphone, tablet computer, computer or e-reader. The concept of making a successful eBook is more complicated than sending out a few pages of information in PDF. The eBook has a clear purpose, an intended audience, a clearly structured content, is carefully edited, and is professionally presented.
In the case of an ebook, the initial question – and one probably the most essential – is not, “How many pages should it be?” It is, “What is the reader’s TRIZ to get from this?”
Starting With a Clear Purpose
All good eBooks have a beginning.
It may be a great idea for a small business to develop a guide of the questions that customers typically pose. A financial professional may create an introduction to budgeting/credit resource. In some cases, the teacher/trainer can wish to put years of knowledge into an educational guide. An eBook can be used by a non-profit to raise awareness in the community about an important topic. Others may just have a personal story, a skill or some life circumstance that they think may inspire or assist someone else.
Once you understand the purpose of an eBook, you can figure out all of the above from the subject, length, writing style to the design and distribution.
It is also very important to determine the audience. If you are writing for first time homeowners, you’ll need to write differently than you would when you’re writing for a real estate investor. A health and wellness guide for older adults probably would not be as formal or detailed as a guide for college students.
Avoid writing for all audiences or it will appeal to nobody. It’s better to think about the person who’s going to read the information and present it in writing to that person.
Turning Knowledge Into a Structure
There are lots of potential writers who have lots of things to say and aren’t able to structure them. This is where an outline can be helpful.
The author can break up a chapter topic into logical sections prior to writing the actual chapters. For an eBook on starting a small business, the chapters could focus on getting started with an idea, finding the people to sell to, drawing up a basic budget, marketing the business, running the day-to-day operations or planning for expansion.
Outline: Gives direction and prevents repetition and dispersion of the writing. It also enables the writer to observe if he or she lacks information before investing hours of writing.
It’s the same for books of inspiration or personal books. Someone who has experienced lessons learned during a career, family life or a significant life change can structure the experiences by themes and/or stages rather than just in chronological order.
Good structure will help readers to read your material more easily, particularly if they are reading on a mobile device (phone or tablet).
Writing for the Reader
After the structure, it is the development of the content.
Another thought that is often mistaken about eBooks is that the writing should be very academic or difficult to understand to appear to be professional. Clearly, simplicity is more useful than complexity.
The typical reader wants to get the information quickly, easily and right to the point. Digital content can be more easily digestible with shorter paragraphs, helpful examples, clear explanations and descriptive headings.
It is also a good idea to think through what questions the reader might have as he/she is navigating through each part of the text. If you don’t know the term explain it. When possible, give an example to illustrate your advice. If the reader needs to take some action, explain what that action is.
This makes an eBook more than just a resource to read and learn from, it makes it a resource to use.
Editing Is Part of the Creation Process
It’s great to have written the first draft, but it’s not the last.
Editing is the beginning of having a polished eBook.
The first (content) review should be focused on the content. Do ideas flow in a logical manner? Is anything missing? Are there parts that are repetitive that aren’t needed? Does the book fulfill what the book introduction predicts?
A more in-depth grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, and consistency review can be done later.
When the writer knows what he/she wants to say, it can be challenging to see all of the problems in his/her writing. Therefore, the assistance of a second reading can be very helpful.
In certain books, like those of a medical nature, law or finance, or other special subjects, accuracy is of especial importance. Authors need to ensure that information is accurate, and that the reader is aware of where to get professional advice if needed.
Presentation Matters
The presence of an eBook also has an impact on the reading experience.
Professional Format – consistent fonts, spacing, headings and page organization and visual elements. An eBook may also contain photographs, illustrations, charts, worksheets, checklists or links to extra resources, depending on the subject.
A good cover is also significant. With digital publishing, however, readers are still first impressed by the cover. It should make it clear what it’s about and not look like a student’s work at full size or thumbnail size.
Depending on the way the eBook is going to be distributed, they may also require formatting. A business or organization’s downloadable pdf might differ from an eBook that is developed for an eBook reading platform.
That’s why authors should consider the distribution beforehand when creating the final design.
Publishing Is More Accessible Than It Once Was
The great thing about publishing is that no longer will people need to wait for a traditional publisher to determine if their ideas have an audience.
Independent publishing has become increasingly easy thanks to digital platforms. Authors can sell eBooks directly to customers through online bookstores, share directly with customers/clients via websites, share, and use it as an educational tool within an organization.
That inclusiveness doesn’t mean a loss of standards, however.
As nearly everyone can publish online, another effective way for the author to distinguish himself is by producing a high-quality work. Good writing, accurate information, thoughtful organization, good editing, and professional design all impact the perception of the reader of the author and the material.
Your Experience May Already Be the Beginning of a Book
However, many feel that they have nothing to write because they don’t think of themselves as authors!
But an eBook generally starts with a piece of knowledge.
The knowledge of one who has worked in a particular field for many years. If a business owner has solved the same customer problem 100+ times in the past, he has knowledge. A parent, teacher, coach, community member, tradesperson, or professional might have lessons they could save someone else time in, keep someone from making a mistake, encourage someone to pursue a topic, or make a complex topic easier to understand.
Sometimes it is not hard to find something to share. It’s seeing the worth of what you already understand and arranging it in a manner that is advantageous to others.
While it requires planning and work to make an eBook, it’s now much easier than it used to be. An idea can be written, organized, developed, edited, and presented effectively, and it can become a resource that can impact readers beyond the author’s circle if it has a clear purpose, a defined audience, strong organization, thoughtful writing, careful editing, and a professional presentation.
In a world where people are increasingly looking online for answers, info, and instructions, the knowledge a person has within their notebook, computer, or memory may already comprise the knowledge for their initial eBook.
