How to Write and Publish an eBook
Do you enjoy writing? Have you ever started writing a book...but haven’t gotten around to finishing it?
--You’re not alone!
Joseph Epstein, essayist and short-story writer, famously revealed how 81 percent of Americans want to write and publish a book within their lifetime. However, less than eight percent ever do! According to Amy Watson, media research expert at Statista, this could be due to most people having to work a 9 to 5 and not having the time to write. “Sixty percent of emerging authors work day jobs to support their income,” Watson said. “The data reveals that they work a day job to supplement their earnings, or someone in that author's household does.” As a business coach and published author, I know that writing and putting together a book is a labor of love. I’ve written and produced three books (both printed and online) on tips to become a successful entrepreneur.
I recently published my newest book, Digital Dollars. While I absolutely love the final product, writing and publishing is no simple task! What I’ve learned is it takes three quintessential steps to develop and complete your eBook.
Keep reading to learn how!
Where to Start?
At the beginning. No, seriously.
How do you write? Do you jump in headfirst and type what comes to mind, your fingertips typing 100 words a minute? Or do you prefer to outline and draft all your bullet points before you begin? I suggest you choose the latter now!
Writing a book is easy, but you must be organized. Start with creating a plan of action that includes every step of production, from writing to publishing your eBook to be sold online. No matter the category of book, this is what you’ll need to do before you write: Pick a topic that you know inside and out, or that your audience will identify with. Draft each chapter and its subject. Map out the details of each chapter. Design your eBook. Plan your launch! I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “The way it begins is usually the way it ends.” That is especially true for writing. If you don’t have a strategy to not only write but finish and publish your book...you’ll have a difficult time seeing your project through!WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!
Once you have your game plan, you’re ready to hit the keyboard, or the pen to the paper. Whichever way you choose to write isn’t as important as the writing itself. Take two to three hours to write each week. That can be five days, six days or every day! You must make the time to sit down, focus and WRITE. Maybe you like to have soft music playing in the background because it helps get your creative juices flowing? That’s great until twenty minutes flies by because you’re shuffling to find the perfect song.
Do yourself a favor and shut everything OFF so you’ll have no reason to break concentration. Keep in mind, the words don’t have to be perfect. I recommend an editor to touch up your work so you don’t have to. If you need extra help writing and getting it done, I recommend my class on writing your first eBook!
How to Publish
Once your book is written and edited, it’s time to design and prepare it to go on the “shelf!” After I finished writing Digital Dollars, I decided to publish through Amazon.
Here’s a video I created with details about the publishing process with their company and what to expect.
If you’re looking to save some coins when it comes to design, Kindle Create and Canva are excellent tools. Both sites offer free access to format the interior of your eBook with thousands of features such as templates for your book cover, page art and font choices. When your book looks the way you’ve always dreamed, you must purchase an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) for your eBook (EPUB) to make it eligible for distribution through Amazon and most publishing companies.
Each country has their own registration for an ISBN, and if you’re publishing in the United States, you’ll go through R.R. Bowker, LLC. If you’re working on a series of novels, I recommend purchasing the pack of 10 for a better bargain. You can decide if you want to self-publish or hire out. If you decide to self-publish, one of my favorite sites is Lulu! Their services offer full control over the production of your book with competitive rates for distribution and royalties.
Since I published with Amazon, the process is very different. Amazon does the hard work for you. All I had to do was set up an account and fill out the information about my book (such as the title, summary, pricing and keywords for the genre), and hand over my completed, formatted book. Amazon also provides free ISBNs when you publish with them! Publishing is no doubt the biggest step, and there’s no shame if you need help! Whether it’s editing, designing or formatting your eBook, I recommend visiting Fivver or Urban Writers. These sites help connect you with professional graphic illustrators and writers to revise your work and take the pressure off you!
If you follow my steps on how to create your eBook, you’ll be a legit author! No more wishing and wondering what it would feel like if you finally got around to writing a book.Writing an eBook is a labor of love, but it’s also a source of profit! Download your online Course "Write Your First Ebook Class" to learn first-hand how I write and self-publish all my books plus help you make money from home while doing what you love. Check it out here and learn how to make writing your full-time job!
