Salim Benhouhou   IT Support
1. Snuggle up to the basic rules of good writing.
Even the best writers slip into lazy or flabby writing, which is why
publishing houses assign editors to work with authors! Make sure you not
only know the basic rules of good writing, you actually apply them to your ebook.


2. Carve out 30 or 60 minutes a day for writing your ebook. I had to force myself to keep writing both Fire Up (or Just Fire!) the Muse and Quips and Tips for Successful Bloggers ? I wrestled with self-doubt and fear (What if nobody buys my ebook? What if people buy it, but don?t like it? What if, what if, what if?) The best way to overcome doubt and fear is to set your ebook writing schedule and stick to it. (Which, by the way, is what Fire Up the Muse is all about: overcoming writer?s block, fear, doubt, self-criticism ? and being a successful writer).


3. Double check the facts and figures in your ebook. Don?t rely on your memory when you?re writing an ebook
? your reputation is on the line! You have to be your own fact checker,
which means making sure that everything you say is supported by
research, expert sources, or solid personal experience. Question every
sentence; let no detail sneak by. Learn as much as you can about your
topic ? but don?t include every last detail in your ebook!


4. Ask for feedback before you publish your ebook. I sent a draft of Successful Bloggers
to several readers before it was ready, which was a mistake. Before you
ask for feedback (and before you start selling your ebook!), make sure
you?ve spit and polished your rough draft until it shines. Writing
ebooks (and writing in general) isn?t easy, but it has to be done well
if you want to be successful.


5. Be specific when asking for critiques. Do you
want feedback on spelling and grammar? Flow? Consistency? Smooth
transitions? Active voice? Content? Usability? When you give your ebook
to people for feedback, ask for specific advice. And remember that ebook
writing isn?t easy ? it takes time and effort.


6. Create a cool ebook cover.
I found both my ebook cover images on Flickr, and I love them both! It
took awhile to find the right images that were also allowed for
commercial use (less than 30 minutes, which is a long time to me) ? but
finding the exact right cover can help make or break ebook sales. To make ebook writing easier, look for your cover image early.


7. Decide what format(s) you want to publish your ebook in. My ebooks are all in pdf format ? which is more or less the standard for ebooks. Fire Up the Muse
is in a Kindle format and is available on Amazon; it took me a full day
to change my pdf to a Kindle and upload the ebook to Amazon. There are
several different publishing formats for your ebook (such as epub and
mobi) that make it compatible on various digital readers (eg, Sony,
Nook, Kobo, Kindle, etc). When writing ebooks, remember that tables and
images may not convert well to digital formats.


8. Write your sales or landing page while writing your ebook. I spent a lot of time on my landing pages for Fire Up the Muse and Successful Bloggers.
They?re tough to write ? almost as difficult as writing my ebooks! My
best tip for writing your landing page is to develop it as you write
your ebook, using your brilliant ideas, excerpts, and research findings.
Don?t leave it until the end, when you?re ready to sell your ebook.


9. Google your ebook writing questions. I had so
many questions when writing my ebooks: How much should I charge? How
will I market and promote my ebook? Who is my audience? Why am I writing
it? How many ebooks can I realistically expect to sell in a month? I
found the answers to these questions ? and more information than I could
absorb ? when I asked Google. Another great source for answers is the
Absolute Writers forum.


10. Ask bloggers to review your ebook.
This is something I?m very bad at: taking the time to approach fellow
bloggers and writers and ask if they?d like to review my ebooks. I?m not
worried about The Ask ? I just can?t find the time to find bloggers and
writers to share the Good News with! If you?ve already written an
ebook, read The Publicity Hound?s 26 Ways to Promote an eBook ? it?s got some great tips.
Feb 19th 2011 02:16