A Letter to Ebook Creators

These points are purely as a reader of eBooks. I understand the need many eBook publishers feel concerning digital piracy of their books, and securing their books from this. There also appears a desire in some quarters to control how an Ebook can be shared (or not) including it being printed. I also understand the demand that some have for different formats such as formats supported by certain mobile devices. The industry is still somewhat thrawted by the various different eBook formats and non-standards, but as a customer and reader of eBooks here are my desires -

1. Please choose a format which is compatible with the vast majority of my own systems and those of others. Technically, the easiest for me is PDFs. Not exes – these come in far too many variations, and just aren’t as easy to work with, or even read. In fact, after purchasing some executable eBooks to find they were corrupt, I have a distrust of these, no matter how whiz-bang technically they may be.
2. Please allow an eBook to be printable – many readers don’t enjoy reading on the screen all the time. Having a physical copy to read (on the train or plane) is a selling point.
3. Stay away from formats which have strange digital rights management. I need to transfer my eBooks across computers and possibly onto mobile devices to read. If I’ve purchased something to read, I consider it my right to be able to read this eBook where-ever I desire. You can move a real book around locations, and you should be able to do the same for eBooks.
4. Consider the future and media changes. Remember that many of us are spending hours transferring our old video (and even vinyl albums of music) recordings onto the newer formats. We are also spending large amounts of money backing up our electronic media onto backup storage, and finding that we have to reconvert (using even more software and data storage) when technology changes. This is going to become an issue if eBooks aren’t future-proofed as much as possible, by using standardised and common-place supported formats which work across platform and independently from the software version used to create it. Ebooks might, in the future have different readers and technology for both archiving them, and reading them. I don’t expect you to cater for these, but as you are in the business of creating an electronic product, you should be knowledgeable of the latest trends as a business practice and as a professional. If you choose to provide your eBook in a non-common format, at least provide the textual content also in a more common format such as PDF.
5. Various types / page-lengths of eBooks require differing pricing structures. However there’s a huge discrepancy over an eBook’s price. From my side, I’m not going to pay $77 for an eBook even if it does contain 149 pages of promised special information which can make me a millionaire in two days, when I can buy the same information (as far as I can tell) in a book off Amazon for $12.99 (and with free delivery) or find it free spread across the internet. You can’t leaf through an ebook in your purchasing decision, as you can do a book on a shelf. Having a money-back guarantee is helpful in my own buying decision, as are chapter summaries and looks inside at some of the content.
6. Pricing of eBooks is getting notoriously difficult to fathom, when I can see huge packages of PLR or resell rights ebooks being sold for a pittance on eBay. And yet some eBooks are going for more than I would ever pay for a physical book. There are incidents where both a physical book and an ebook are available, and yet both are priced the same. As a buyer I would expect the eBook in this example to be priced substantially lower. I am well aware that eBooks circumvent the warehousing and distribution requirements of a paperbook and can not understand why both should be the same price.
7. Point 5 above mentions some of the attraction factors towards my own buyer’s decision in purchasing an eBook. This point is going to mention the huge turn-off factor when looking into an eBook – the long scrollable sales letter page websites which have reader’s recommendations and reviews as quotes scattered throughout the page. Why? I don’t know Sam Jones from Arkansas from a bar of soap, and I don’t care what he thinks of your eBook – nor do I actually believe he exists in the first place. If you are going to insist on a sales letter page, then at least keep it factual, and include content which helps me make my own decision towards purchases. Give me the features, the benefits, the cost (often missing from the pages, or embarrassingly dealt with in the smallest fineprint at the bottom), and the previews if possible. But not your made-up character’s testimonial which I simply don’t believe.
8. Sales Letter pages again – don’t tell me I’ve only got five days for this special offer only, then the price is going up. I don’t believe you, and I don’t like being treated like a fool. And contrarily, if I ever found I paid through the nose for an eBook which others got cheaper earlier on, you would never find me buying from you again. This rule does not apply to eBooks which are released as free for a limited time to subscribers or via special online events, and then are sold. I don’t resent that particular special at all – it’s perceived as a kindness.
9. Go to Point 7 again. Note the bit about where you’re putting the cost on the sales letter page. Don’t do that. If you’re selling me something, I want to know how much it is right from the start. If I have to search for it, or worse – if I have to click through to a purchase page before I know how much the eBook is going to cost me, then you’re 99 out of 100 times going to lose the sale.
10. Please include graphics and good graphical design if you can. I know, I know – there are many good eBooks which simply look like a standard novel or technical discussion book. And those are plain text, with limited if any formatting, without pictures, without colour. And they work, right? Yes, but in eBooks I would draw your attention back to Point 2 above. You just can’t sit in front of a computer screen reading a book for a long time, without needing something else to rest your eyes on, to break up the blurriness of the text, to allow you to think. So include graphics, borders, sidebars, stupid little cartoons which make me grimmace, coloured headings, formatted backgrounds – not too much, but enough to break up the text and add value and rest-points to my reading.

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Just about all of these ebooks – no matter if a report of a few pages, or a 100 – 200 page how-to manual, come in PDF form in a portrait orientation. Just like the white papers, documents and real life books and manual they are trying to electronically represent and look like.

There’s nothing wrong with this format – except for when you’re reading it. The amount of times I’ve swapped from Fit Page to 100% in a reading is beyond count on some of the bigger books. Fit Page makes the whole page fit into my adobe reader window, but this is especially small on a laptop screen, but at least gives me the bigger picture. 100% gives me the ability to read, but then I get into the whole scrolling problems. Scrolling on a laptop without a wheeled mouse is quite an effort, and I often end up scrolling down too far, to end up at the top of the next page without wanting to.

There was one difference in two of my many ebooks. Zen to Done and Personal Core Values are in landscape. And what a wonderful way to read an ebook! Each page is right there, at 100% and you can see all of the page on the screen. (Aside note : I don’t know if there’s anything to be read into here, but both books mentioned are on productivity, and formatted with a lot of sidebar quotes and whitespace).

Now, there are obvious pros and cons about each format – but even when viewing facing pages (two pages on the screen), the landscape orientated ebook is still as legible as any in portrait orientation. And I agree that the landscape ebook is still reminiscent of publishing powerpoint slides – which are in a similar orientation, but that preconception is easily waylaid with some good ebook designs. And sometimes landscaped paragraphs of text look too elongated with a waste of white space, particular with one-sentence text.

But landscaped orientation for ebooks (and for that matter, web pages and anything else we have to read) makes sense when considering our reading habits, and the current wide-screen formats of our television and computer monitors.

So spare a thought for this eBook reader, and design more of them in landscape, to save my fingers at least from all that scrolling.

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Being into digital art, I’m always on the look-out for more reference texts. A website called The Digital Artist has quite a few ebooks available free for the digital artist. At this point in time, the list includes -

• The Best of the Digital Artist
• 33 1/3 Ways to Make Money with a Digital Camera
• Art Materials for the New Painter
• Out of Eden – Essays on Modern Art
• Seven Discourses on Art
• Marketing Your Art – The Visual Artist’s Guide to Making Money (Unfortunately this one appears to give a dead link for the exe download).
• Hopes and Fears for Art – by William Morris
• Marketing for Small Business – an Overview.

The Digital Artist is always on the look-out for more free ebooks on their topic, so on this page you will also find their email address should you have one relevant for the niche. EBooks are a great way to get out some information and link back to your own website or business, as we know, so if you do have a good eBook to do with marketing for the artist, or a digital art eBook, then this is certainly a good website to place it.

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I’ve recently read a lot about creating eBooks which sell successfully and profitably for the writer. A key towards all of this – certainly for me, is writing about something you know about, and are therefore enthusiastic about.

Here is a checklist to ensure success in writing and publishing eBooks which have a better and planned opportunity in selling well. I intend following most of these steps myself, and providing detailed information on each area as I progress through on writing each of my own ebooks.

This checklist is referring to eBooks as Informational Products – references and guides of information. The subject of eBooks as fictional works is different matter not dealt with in this checklist. And choosing a niche and topic which will sell well is not dealt with within this checklist either. That’s a very big subject in itself.

41 Point Checklist for Creating eBooks to Sell

What to Write Your eBook About

1. Write about Something You Know About – a special hobby, your day job experience, local organisations you’re involved with, or working knowledge in some area of interest. Your passion and knowledge (even if newly developed) should show for this topic. The key to a successful eBook is in having REAL and QUALITY CONTENT.
2. Write eBooks to Solve Others’ Problems – a little bit of research time (niches, keyword searches, forum and online group reading – called lurking) will pay you dividends in selecting areas where you know you can provide an information product WHICH OTHERS WILL SEEK OUT.
3. Write eBooks to Provide Quick Information – for many topics out there, there are copious physical books written, and available within two-three days from online book retailers. eBooks have an advantage over these, due to the fact that they are available instantly by download and on demand when someone really wants to know something quickly. But to leverage this advantage over a physical reference book, your eBook should provide exactly the information someone would need – and quickly, or information in a format and of a quality which will build the reputation of your own information products.
4. Use What’s Already Available – if you can not come up with a full eBook by writing this yourself, it is quite feasible to compile your eBook using the freely available articles published out there on the web. Compile your eBook using these, remembering to leave as-is the author notes and links, and the written content of each article. Introduce your own comments and thoughts to the composition. Or use excerpts from others with attribution to them (seek permission first).
5. Research the topic thoroughly. Seek out other websites, books, pamphlets and industry experts on the subject. Compile a file of research and thoughts before starting to plan your initial write. You may want to keep this as a physical file, in a dedicated ringbinder or filing system, or in electronic files as you generate ideas. There is nothing to stop you from compiling a growing pile of research material for any eBook you may be thinking about, well in advance of actually starting to write it. Add to this research file as soon as you locate more interesting material as you browse the web or read materials. Use this material as a basis for your own thoughts and ideas – and ultimately your own content.
6. Research the direct competition. If there are other eBooks available on the topic you have set your heart (and expertise) upon, then purchase / download these and take a look at the competition. What aspects of that book don’t work for you? What could you do better? What areas could do with more detailed information for you to fill the gap with? Could similar information be formatted in a more usable or readable way? Ultimately, what information could you provide as a unique selling point (UPS) for your own Ebook?
7. Package from Your Archived Content – This works well if you already have a website or blog with a large amount of content on the subject. Offer your readers an Ebook of a whole year of the content from your site. Quite a few well-read sites offer such eBook packages. Examples can be found on the blog, Zen Habits, and the Top 10 blog, Boing Boing (which offers five years worth of content as a blog birthday-anniversary gift). Magazines often do something similar in producing their own magazine content in a yearly PDF format on CD-Rom. EBooks in this way, are sought after as a means to return to quality information without having to search through a website (or series of articles) trying to find what you are after. Ensure you index and content your eBook archival collection for easy searchability, and consider offering additional special content as an incentive to delve into the eBook itself.

How to Create and Write Your eBook

1. Plan your eBook –
   1. Outline the subjects and topics for your info product, before writing it. Put together a detailed outline, using the research pile of content ideas you gathered beforehand and continue to build as you write.
   2. Provide a project plan if necessary (this may keep you on target to meet each milestone). Start planning in your ebook format, distribution channels, pricing and marketing / promotional work into the plan.
   3. The outline and other plans can be kept in a file, electronically, or perhaps as a journal.
   4. Use lists and documents, with reminders to keep you on track for the tasks needed.
2. Design your Ebook – from writing topics, to how it will look and feel. What other content will the ebook include? – graphics, videos or other multi-media within or externally, sidebars, hint-sheets, forewords, introductions.
   1. Use images sparingly as this increases the file size of the eBook.
   2. Create a style for your ebook which is clean and simple, with links to the major sections of your ebook.
3. Write your Ebook – draft and redraft. Schedule the writing tasks (and redrafts) into your daily To-Do lists.
4. Have Your Writing Critiqued by Enlisting the Help of Others. Have somebody else critique your eBook for content and writing style (preferably someone with a need or interest in the information- and not a family member unless they are prepared to be honest rather than always kind). At this point have them look for content issues, writing style, grammatical errors, structural errors, but keep away from anything such as design. Firstly, content is king.
5. Decide on your Ebook name or title – you may have decided on this at the start, but sometimes during the writing and designing process, the subject may change, and you may need a different title.
6. Include Meta Data – Authorship contact address / emails, website links, and copywrite / legal details.
7. Include Table of Contents, Index, Glossary, and Additional Content
   such as Directory or Resources Listing.
8. Decide Upon the Security Measures for the Ebook – you don’t want to see the contents of your eBook spread across the web as pirated copies or as somebody else’s work. Various compilers and PDF converters can provide encryption or password protection. However you will also have to consider the distribution method for the eBook itself, and whether you want one overall password, or a password for each individual customer download.
9. Compile as an Exe or Provide as PDF – decide on whether the completed eBook will be compiled as a stand-alone executable, or whether it will be published as a PDF document. Both have their pros and cons.
10. Have your eBook in its final form critiqued or reviewed for content, design, structure, and as a package. If necessary, edit with changes required.

How to Publish and Sell Your Ebook

1. Establish where and how the eBook will be distributed – research the eBook seller websites, pricing, payment methods, setting up your own website or subscription sub-domain. Once decided, add the details to your eBook Plans for distribution.
2. Write a marketing / promotional blurb for your eBook – a simple paragraph introducing the features, benefits and unique selling point of your eBook.
3. Publish your eBook – to relevant ebook sites, or your own site. If this is to be a paid-for eBook then consider providing it from a dedicated and separate section for members-only access from within your website. This could be on a sub-domain from your main one.
4. Establish your own website tactics – Sales Offer Letter pages, Squeeze pages, various marketing opportunities.
5. Establish the Ordering and Payment processes on site (yours or other sites).
6. Using Autoresponders and Email Addresses – for free eBooks in particular, consider gathering email addresses for the provision of your Free eBook link to download. You can then use an autoresponder to continue to send out additional information to those who have given their e-address, and continue to sell to them with other products. Thank them for downloading your eBook product and seek questions or testimonials from your customers.
7. Do Not Underprice your eBook – depending on pages etc, do not be tempted to underprice your ebook for the sake of a quick sale.
8. Implement your eBook Promotional / Marketing Plan – you may be considering giving away your first eBook as a draw for your next, or providing additional info products as sellers. You may want to advertise the eBook availability via your own website or others, ezines, eBook directories, eBook library sites, via forums etc. Do not Over Promote and Spam however. Your eBook should sell itself because it is written on a subject others need and the writing and content is seen as valuable.
9. Viral Distribution – Encourage the Passing On of Your eBook- If your eBook is a free giveaway product for the purposes of promotion, encourage it to be passed on (provided the format isn’t changed). Your reader should be welcome to promote it through their website, give it away as a free gift from there, offer it in newsletters and as additional info products, thus providing more exposure for your other offerings.
10. Encourage Affiliations – If your eBook is successful as a seller, and you want to continue its growth, consider offering an affiliate programme for others to promote the eBook with an affiliation link to your eBook from their own websites. They will make a certain percentage of the purchase cost. Look into how to setup such an affiliate program.

Follow-On and Enhancing Info Products for Your eBook

1. Enhance your eBook Product – many eBooks also offer audio or video content to the deal, often available on the eBook’s own website. You might consider a newsletter for subscribers also. Or access to a resource directory to enhance the information. Some of this might be freely provided on the website. Some may be …
2. Develop Follow-On Info Products – start developing these as soon as possible after starting writing your first eBook. What additional info products will your eBook buyers / readers seek out? The above example of an enhanced (and maintained) resource directory or subscription service may be one or two ideas for follow-up products. Another might be a Beginner’s eBook with an Advanced eBook as a follow-up. Or a paid-for course on advanced subjects.
   • One point here, however – I’ve personally seen people try to provide follow-on products by simply splitting out a large eBook into say, three smaller eBooks. The first will be free, with the second and third chapters having an expectation that I pay for them. For me, that’s annoying and rarely works – it’s important to not look like you’re just after my money by providing an inferior product at the start which relies on follow-on products to make sense of the whole thing. Don’t treat me as a mug, is all I am saying. I will rarely purchase those follow-on eBooks if the first is unusable as it is.
3. Seek Testimonials for your eBook – as the eBook (and supporting / follow-on products) begins to sell, readers will offer testimonials for your products, hopefully unsolicited. Collect these and ask permission to use in your marketing materials, on your website and possibly add into the eBook on the next edition. If no forthcoming testimonials come unrequested, then send out an email to your customers asking for these.
4. Lace Your Products – as you develop new eBooks, remember to add information about each of these to the back of each eBook (and info product). This will provide additional advertising and revenue for you. Ensure you link to the purchase link for each eBook laced into your products in this way.
5. Offer Co- or Re-Branding – for additional exposure (and possibly revenue), consider allowing others to co-brand or re-brand the eBook with their own logo and URL. Some eBook Compilers allow this as a feature.
6. Offer Advertising within your eBook – if your site is considerably well-trafficked, and the eBook a sales success, then you may be able to accept paid advertising within the eBook itself. Ensure that this doesn’t impact the eBook structure and perceived quality however, and that the advertising is complementary to your information product’s topic and style.

Keeping Ahead of the Game

1. Understand the eBook and Info Product Industry. Hang out at industry blogs and websites. Network. Setup RSS feeds from news from the industry into a Feed Reader (such as Google Reader) and ensure you keep abreast of the changes in the industry to meet changing demands from consumers. Keep a resource list of must-go websites, new sites, and internet marketing sites as a personal resource. There are also a lot of good (and not so good) books available on creating and selling eBooks available through booksellers such as Amazon. One example is eBook Secrets Exposed which is currently being read and will be reviewed on this site. And of course, the Juiced On Ebooks site is intended to provide as much information as possible on this industry, so keep this site bookmarked also.
2. Keep a Watchout for New Info Products and Competition. Many companies and individuals think creating eBooks and other Info Products is a doddl
   e – and easy money resultantly. This is no longer the case, with many eBooks saturating the market. Once again, your eBooks will sell if there is a market need for them, if you promote them successfully so that the market customer can find your book, and if the content is superior to that of your competition. It’s about quality but your competitors can provide a source of additional ideas for you and your own eBooks in the future also. And they’re certainly helpful to allow you to spot other market trends and movements for you to plug a hole in.
3. Understand the Statistics – it has been found that the majority of people who download an eBook rarely read them, or not past the first few pages at least. EBooks litter everyone’s hard-drives. Human beings like to collect and eBooks are easily collectable. This should not be a concern for you, if your eBooks are still selling – but understand these statistics when building plans for new eBooks and seeking testimonials and additional sales from your customer-base.
4. Keep Your Knowledge Up-to-Date. And therefore your eBooks. Something which sold a couple of years ago may have been outdated with movements in the industry. As an expert author, keep your own knowledge up to date, and consider updating the eBook to a newer edition also. Offer this to previous customers (a great promotional exercise).
5. Keep Your Products Technology-Relevant. The choice of whether you provide your eBooks in PDF or compiled exe format should be looked at as technology continues to (as always) develop. Currently there is more and more work being put into eBook reader portable devices such as Amazon’s Kindle or competing products. There are hints of larger format reading devices which will provide commuters with the ability to read downloadable daily newspapers, their fictional novels – and why not a nicely formatted info-product like your offerings? Keep ahead of the game on available technology.
6. Don’t stop. Start your research and ideas pile for new eBooks as soon as possible. Start your planning and outlining, having two ebooks on the go at one time. This gives you variety, often some creative motivation and inspiration, and a continuing and growing set of info products for your eBook writing career.

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