In 2011 Amazon announced that eBook sales outnumbered traditional book sales. There now is a huge industry out there ready to help take your potential book idea from concept to finished eBook product. Could writing an eBook for Kindle, Nook or iStore be the right self-publishing move for you?
Last year I self-published my first Kindle eBook on Amazon.com. I have to say it was a learning experience and took some time and patience. I’m glad though I did it because every month my book produces passive income. I can’t say I’m getting rich yet with my book, but I’ve only just begun and I know there is a learning curve involved.
Maybe writing eBooks and self-publishing is something you should consider. If you write regular blog posts, submit articles to eZine directories or have finished manuscripts you’ve been waiting to publish, then this could be the perfect time to consider self-publishing your own eBooks. Here are several “aha’s” I’ve discovered while writing, formatting and uploading my own eBooks.
1. Just because you are self-publishing doesn’t mean you can skip the proofing and editing stage of fine-tuning your book. Proper grammar, punctuation and words that are spelled correctly are still an important and necessary of a well-written manuscript. It is so difficult to proof your own materials. I suggest you have two or three proof readers edit and read your book before you upload it as an eBook ready for sale.
2. Make time to learn the “in’s and out’s” of eBook publishing. The way you format your pages for Kindle and Nook are different than if you were formatting a manuscript for a paperback edition. I recommend Lisa Shea’s website as she has many suggestions about writing your book and preparing it for uploading to Kindle, etc. http://www.lisashea.com/lisabase/writing/gettingyourbookpublished/ (off site link)
3. Prepare an inviting and professional looking cover for your book. Covers are the first impression your potential reader will have of your book. Remember, you never get a second chance at a good first impression and the same holds true for an eBook cover.
4. Write a thought-provoking and interesting summary to appear on your product page. Let your readers know why they should be buying and reading your book. Draw them into the story if it is fiction. If it is nonfiction, let them know how the how-to information you are sharing can change and/or improve their lives. Get them excited about buying and reading your book.
5. Even before you upload your book for sale, you should begin the promoting and marketing process. Develop a workable week-to-week marketing plan. How will you let your potential audience know that you have written a “must read” book? Here are a few suggestions:
- Start your own BlogTalk Radio show where you can highlight parts of your book. Your radio shows can also be downloaded to your website or blog as a way to promote your book.
- Contact radio hosts and ask to speak on their show about your new book.
- Begin a blog just about writing your books – write about your writing process, why chose to write on this subject, have excerpts from chapters, etc.
- Become a guest blogger on blogs read by your target market. You can mention your book in the author box at the end of your guest blog post.
- Create YouTube videos about writing your book.
By the way, Kindle doesn’t charge you to upload your book and begin selling it on Amazon.com – they take a percentage of the sale of each book.
I recommend you start with a small book and test your wings. You never know, this could become an entire business for you or a great way to grow your hobby. I also believe that having a book in print is a powerful way to market yourself as an expert in your field. Happy writing and eBook publishing!
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Sharon Recommends:
I read How I Sold 1 Million Books in 5 Months after I published my current Kindle books and I wish I had read it first. I found some valuable information for planning my future books. Worth the read.
Here is a direct link to the Kindle edition on Amazon.com:
How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months!
Here is a direct link to the paperback edition:
How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months
Disclosure: I purchased this book to read and learn more about publishing on Kindle. All opinions are solely mine. As an affiliate of Amazon.com I will get paid on any purchase of this product from the links within this article.
