eBooks have become wildly popular in the past few years, especially with the affordability of eBook readers such as Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes & Noble’s Nook. Instead of working your butt off to find a publisher who will enjoy your book enough to endorse it, people are taking matters into their own hands and self publishing their books in eBook format. In reality, you’re actually making your writing more accessible to the masses by going this route, and you get more money in your pocket when you self publish an electronic version of your story. So how can you make your dreams of being an author come true? Here are some steps to publish an eBook:
- Write a compelling book: First and foremost, the book has to be something that people want to read. Give it your all, and have someone proof read it. You can either hire an editor or just give some advance copies to friends and family and see what they think. The hardest part about publishing an eBook is writing it. So stop with your excuses, and start typing away.
- Start designing: Although eBooks are much more about the text than the design, you’ll still need an attractive cover and have your text organized well. Pick an easy to read font, arrange your paragraphs and page breaks, and maybe include a nice design for chapter pages. You can either design your own cover using a program like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, or you can hire a graphic designer to do it for you.
- Decide on a format: eBooks come in different formats for different eReaders. Do you want it universally available? Choose PDF, one of the easiest versions to publish. Amazon has their own format for Kindles, Barnes & Noble has their own format for Nook, Apple has their own format for iBooks and more. It’s up to you which format or formats you want your book to be available in.
- Choose a price: Now how much is your ebook worth? Decide on a price that works for you. eBook prices range from less than $1 to about $15, but don’t go straight for the cheapest or straight to the most expensive. Really consider how much you think your book is worth, what you’re giving your readers, and how much profit you’re comfortable with.
- Decide on marketing: What good is a self published eBook if it has no readers? People have to know about your book. They’re not just going to find it by chance. Depending on the topic of your book, reach out to media in that niche. Offering a free copy for review for bloggers is a great way to let people know you have an eBook coming out. You can set off on a blogger book tour, and get the word out to the masses. Don’t forget to use social media like Facebook and Twitter to reach out to potential readers. Set up a website just for the book, which includes a description, brief synopsis, and maybe even a sneak peek. Marketing your eBook will certainly decide your success.
Next week, we’ll discuss multiple resources for self publishing your eBook. In the mean time, come up with your plan and start writing!
