Get
Help With that E-Book of Yours.
How does one go about creating an
e-book? Do you just sit down with a notebook and start
scribbling? Blow the dust off grandma's antique typewriter?
Do you gather together the material you already have,
and edit for e-book purposes? Maybe all three...?
The idea of writing, publishing,
and best of all selling an e-book that reflects your
years of professional experience, your talent, your
knowledge, is exciting-- yet overwhelming. Thankfully,
you're not alone. Dina Giolitto of Wordfeeder.com
can help you get that e-book out of your brain, on
paper and into the hands of your future readers.
At Wordfeeder.com, we find that
the easiest way to create an e-book is to start thinking
topically. Let's say you're a pet expert, and your
e-book is going to be called The Silent Communication
of Cats.
You would start with a list of "articles"
that will actually serve as chapters in your e-book.
Sit down with your trusty pen and pad, or an open
document, and type out some possible article titles
(these can be finessed later - they're supposed to
just be functional at this point).
For example:
- Cat Communication: The Meaning
in a Meow
- Cat Tails: the Untold Story of Nonverbal Cat Communication
- Why Do Cats Purr?
- Is Your Cat Psychic?
- What's Your Cat Trying to Tell You?
As you can see, these are very undeveloped
topics, but they clearly start you off in a direction.
Now you can start researching and planning some articles
on:
Meows - different types, pitches,
what each means
Nonverbal cat communication - maybe
the tail swish, ear position, crouching, hair standing
on end...
(and so on.)
Once you have the basic subjects
covered, you're ready to begin research. Make sure
there's enough information out there to develop into
a substantial report. Hopefully you will be a *true*
expert in this area, so much of what you share will
come from your own personal stockpile of knowledge.
Your formula for writing articles
that will become e-book sections is simple - just
follow an outline. List each of your key points, say,
five to seven of them. Then write a paragraph, or
two, or three, or four, on each.
When you have enough articles to
make a book, you can stop writing articles. But remember
that the articles now have to be connected. You'll
need to develop the "framework" of the book
that creates a bridge between sections, ties them
into chapters, ties the chapters into a book, and
keeps everything moving along. You'll also need an
introduction, conclusion, and often a foreword that
is traditionally written by a fellow expert in the
field.
Uh... what?
Right, that's where the copywriter
comes in. E-books inevitably become overwhelming.
At the point where you sit down to edit, you'll come
to realize that this is nothing like writing in your
blog. Everyone thinks they can edit, but it's a skill
all its own requiring substantial experience if you
want to sound professional. A novice editor will undoubtedly
find that repeated words and ideas sneak back into
the copy. Arguments become diluted. Meaning gets convoluted.
You lose "the voice" that you originally
started off with - the essence of your brand, the
thing that made this masterpiece an original works.
Pretty soon, your precious manuscript, information
product, book, e-book, or whatever you're writing
becomes a complete disaster.
You don't
want this! It's not cost-effective. So DON'T
try to be a hero. Don't attempt to write an e-book
without a solid partner backing you on it. You may
think "but what about all the money I'm saving,
not using a service provider?" Money "saved"
is time lost. And time is money so you're back where
you started. But it doesn't have to be that way. Spend
your time serving your clients, making more money.
Leave the e-book edits to someone who's quick, fast,
and good: Wordfeeder.com.
Contact Dina@Wordfeeder.com for help
writing your next e-book today.
