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Write An Ebook

If you are looking for a way to secure new traffic to your website and demonstrate your business’ credentials then an ebook may be your answer. There are many routes which you can take when designing, writing and distributing an ebook and each has its advantages and disadvantages.

Learn more about the process, the routes you can take and how it can support your business here.

 

What Is Classed As An Ebook?

Digital text documents can be described as a whitepaper, article or ebook. Generally the difference is only in the size. An article is normally 1 to 3 pages, a whitepaper 4 – 9 and an ebook 10 or more. In this post, we will use the term ebook to describe all three.

The length of your ebook should relate to its purpose. For instance, a detailed marketing guide covering many aspects of online marketing is going to be longer than a single marketing case study.

You should also consider splitting one large document into several smaller ones. This is a good strategy if your ebook covers more than one topic or if your ebook is going to be quite generalised.

Ebooks are great marketing tools for your business because they can achieve so much in so little content. For instance an ebook can:

  • Establish your prominence in the industry and demonstrate you are an expert in your field.
  • Attract an audience to listen to you.
  • Support your Search Engine Optimisation efforts.
  • Help build a large highly engaged email list.
  • Be an extra income generator.

 

How Can An Ebook Be Used?

The most common use for an ebook is to exchange it for the visitor’s email address. The visitor then becomes part of your mailing list.

Yet there are other uses for an ebook. Some businesses write an ebook to sell on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other online book retailers. The idea is that people who read your book recognise your expertise in the area and become a paying customer via links in the back of the book.

In these cases, some authors will charge for the read, others will not. Those who set their book price for free generally receive a significant download rate but sometimes poor conversion rate.

A better conversion rate is held by those who charge for their books, even though uptake on the book may be limited and income from the book can be poor.

Another use for ebooks is to use them as premium content. This is especially useful on a members’ site or where you ensure only paying customers gain access. This creates scarcity for the product and therefore increases the perceived value of the ebook.

 

What To Write About?

Writing your first ebook can seem daunting. The first step is to decide on a topic and style of article, for example:

  • A ‘how-to’ article – e.g. ‘How to setup a Twitter account’. These can become surprisingly long documents for instance, ‘How to Create, Manage and Grow a Twitter Profile’.
  • A case study – showcasing a problem a customer had and how you supported them to solve it.
  • Industry information report – for instance the latest trend in the market.

The opportunities are endless.

One way to start writing your ebook is to use some of your previous blog posts and combine them together to create one document. To add value you should insert new information and add further details. If you are using this method the document will need careful editing to ensure the narrative flows well together.

Another option would be to write from scratch. This is going to be more time consuming depending on the length of the document. Remember to include the time to edit when estimating how long it will take you.

Some businesses will ask a ghostwriter to create the ebook. This is normally a sure way to generate good content and relatively quickly. So those who are busy might want to take this option.

Ghostwriters can charge anything from $35 to $10,000 for an ebook depending on the length and their own personal charges. Better quality is not always guaranteed by higher costs either. What you should be looking for is whether they have experience writing for your industry, their credentials and time frame.

If possible look at previous books they have written. However many of their past clients may have non-disclosure agreements with them that prevent them from demonstrating this.

 

Where Can You Distribute Your Ebook?

There are several options for distributing your ebook. You could have it as a secure file which users can access through your website. Another option is to have it as an attachment on an autoresponder email series.

In either of these options it is best if you have your book in a PDF format. These are harder for people to copy and it can look more professional than a word document. Also you cannot guarantee what reading device your audience has and most will accept a PDF document.

Another option is to self publish your ebook online through Amazon, Smashwords or Lulu. These are good self-publishing sites, however there is the problem that you are then marketing two sites, your website and your book’s landing page.

Unless you have an army of good reviewers and people who are willing to download your book within the first 48-72 hours of being published, your book may be lost in the millions of others.

Therefore you have to consider carefully what option is best for you.

 

How Much Can I Charge For An Ebook?

The ideal price for ebooks is constantly changing. A few years ago it was 99 cents. Every two or three years that price rises by about a dollar and currently sits at around $3.99.

That doesn’t mean that you can’t charge less or more, just that this is the price which people are more likely to buy your book at.

Relying on your ebooks as a source of additional income is not a good idea. Author royalties are between 30-70% of the book sale after costs. Therefore some authors receive only 20 cents for each book sold.

 

Conclusion

An ebook is an important part of your marketing mix. Creating a large ebook or a series of ebooks can be a long and exhausting journey, yet at the same time it can be rewarding. You have a chance to give evidence of your expertise and connect with others you might not have before. Boosting your reach will help you increase customers, sales and achieve a better financial outlook.

 

Action Steps:

  • Consider developing an ebook and decide on the topic.
  • See if you can use your blog posts for the basis of the content or whether starting from scratch is better.
  • Write (or hire a writer) to create the book.
  • Publish the book on your website or through online book stores.

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