eBook Publishing Success

Even if your best friend owns a top publishing
company, giving you an immediate "in," this does not
guarantee publishing success.

First, you have to write a quality book that has a
clear target audience. And your book must answer a
common problem or need that audience shares. Then you
have to develop a marketing plan, and stick to it for
at least two years.

Let's begin with the process that should commence
before you write your first word. Begin by reading A
LOT. Read both books you passionately love and books
you can't seem to make it past page five. Then figure
out what the author did in the book you loved, and
what was wrong with in the book you couldn't finish.
Write down these points so they are crystal clear to
you. Read other people's books for inspiration and to
discover what you should avoid as a writer.

The next step is to plan out your book. Narrow down
your subject, and then divide it into chapters. Each
chapter should address a specific aspect of the
problem your book is going to solve. In each chapter,
break the specific aspect down into several parts.
This will help your readers take in your information a
bit at a time instead of overwhelming them with every
bit of information clogging up the pages until they
feel like they're about to go blind. It's not quite
spoon-feeding the information to your readers, but
it's close.

The next two steps are obvious. Write your book and
then revise it. And then revise it again. And perhaps
again. Of course, writing is extremely hard, and
writing a book can seem like an impossible task. There
are many books out there that give you guidelines to
help you become familiar - and even love - the process
of writing and revision. Find a number of books about
writing. Better yet, find a number of books about
writing the specific type of book you aspire to write.
These can serve as roadmaps on your writing journey.

Once you've written your ebook and revised it at least
twice, show it to someone else whose opinion you
respect. If you're lucky enough to know a good editor,
see if you have something to barter for him or her to
go through your manuscript. Or join a writing group
and let the other members critique your work.

Then take all these ideas from other people, and
revise your manuscript one last time. And then stop!
Put down that pen! Get your hands off the keyboard!

One of the most important steps to actually producing
a book is to know when to stop writing and tinkering
with it.

You've finally written your ebook! Pop open the
bubbly! Give yourself a night out on the town!

Okay, now that this necessary celebration is out of
your system, what do you do next?

How to turn your ebook into Profits

Ebooks are a revolutionary way to publish your book
without incurring the costs of print production. All
you need is a relevant and targeted subject and some
inexpensive software, and you can transform your
manuscript into a book.

The problem, in terms of actually seeing any profits
from your ebook, is that the market is overwhelmed
with ebooks, and many of them are not worth the time
it takes to download them. Just because the ability
exists to easily produce an ebook, doesn't make it
good writing.

Make sure your book does not simply rehash old
material. You will injure your credibility as an
author by claiming to offer valuable new insights and
disappointing your audience with material they've read
a zillion times before. So spend enough time writing
and revising your book to make sure it's of the
highest quality and presents the most current
information. A good book will eventually sell itself;
false claims about your book will make it extremely
difficult to sell any future books you may write.

Assuming you have determined that you do indeed have a
quality product that answers some question or need of
your target audience with NEW information, how do you
know how much to charge for it? Rule number 1: Set a
price for your book equal to its value. An
under-priced book will only give the impression that
your book isn't worth very much.

To figure out a fair price, estimate how much time you
put into creating it and how difficult it was to
transform the necessary information into
understandable and engaging writing. Figure out how
much your time and effort is worth, and then price it
accordingly. The goal is for you to be adequately
compensated for your talent, your time, and your
effort.

Once you've figured out a price that is high enough to
convey the value of the book, but not so high as to be
out of the reach of your target audience's mean
budget, then it's time to offer it for sale on your
website. To attract sales, you will need to develop a
promotional campaign, particularly if you are an
unknown author.

There are multitudes of books about self-promotion
that will guide you in your efforts. Choose a plan
that is both creative and professional. Learn how to
write a catchy yet informative press release, and send
copies of your ebook to sites that specialize in ebook
reviews.

Learn how to write powerful sales copy, or hire
someone to write it for you. This is an essential. You
absolutely need excellent sales copy to sell your
book. Make sure the copy includes all the reasons your
target audience needs your book, and the benefits they
will derive from buying it.

Use graphics in your promotional materials. Beautiful
graphics have the power to instantly convey the
quality and value of your ebook. Graphics can also
convey the amount of valuable information the book
contains, and your careful attention to detail.
Professional graphics sell professional books. They
reassure the customer that the product is what it
claims to be.

Consider excerpting chapters for articles. You can
offer these tidbits for free on your website as a sort
of demo of your book. Include an order form for your
ebook at the end of the excerpted articles.

Finally, when you set-up your download link, make sure
to simplify the process. It's a good idea to offer a
few bonuses that make your book even more enticing to
purchase, but make sure the bonuses are valuable and
high quality. Too many bonuses that are basically a
load of useless stuff will compromise the impression
your audience has of your ebook. The goal is to convey
to your audience that they are getting a quality
product for a good deal. That means applying
restraint, especially when it comes to adding bonus
items. Too much free stuff offered diminishes your
credibility.

Make sure your book is a quality product. Make sure it
is relevant and current. Develop an effective
marketing plan that includes excellent sales copy and
excerpted articles. Then offer your book for sale, and
wait for your audience to discover you!

eBook Compilers

Now that you've finished writing your eBook and have a
basic understanding of what an eBook compiler does,
you may be feeling overwhelmed by the number of
compilers on the market. To help you make your
decision, I have tested and reviewed the best-rated
eBook compilers currently available.

* E-ditor

This software has a demo version that you can download
to try out before purchasing. You can't actually use
the demo to create an eBook, but you can run the
software and test it out thoroughly to see if it does
what you need it to do for your particular eBook.

This eBook compiler is one of the easiest to use. The
software has a very user-friendly help menu that
provides instructions for and explanations of every
field on every screen. The program also includes video
tutorials demonstrating every step of this compiler
with clear explanations of all fields that need to be
filled out. There are 7 screens that you use to choose
your eBook options.

This compiler requires your files to be in HTML
format. You follow simple directions, and the compiler
loads your files. If you decide to edit your eBook
after it has been compiled, make any changes in your
original files and click on "Compile you eBook" and
your changes will appear in your compiled eBook.

E-editor allows for some customization of your eBook.
You can create a special page that appears when the
eBook is opened; create customized icons that appear
on the desktop after downloading; use your own logo on
the task bar of your eBook; customize the task bar's
buttons, where the task bar appears in your eBook, and
choose the task bar's colors. Additionally, you can
choose to have the eBook open to the last page read,
which many of your buyers will appreciate.

An excellent and unique feature of E-ditor is the
capability to choose a standard Microsoft window or to
create your own design for a window to personalize
your eBook. The program provides some sample window
designs, but you can use any .bmp (bit map skin)
graphic you have stored on your hard drive.

E-ditor is a good choice if you are new at producing
eBooks because it is easy to use and allows you to
customize the appearance of your eBook.

* Desktop Author

This compiler does not require a browser, nor do you
have to download software or plug-ins. The program
converts exe. files into pages that look like a
standard book. You can create and produce eBook pages
scaled to fit on your computer screen without any
scrolling. Additional features include WYSIWGY (what
you see is what you get) page editing and creation,
the ability to manipulate internal images, cut and
paste functions, hotlinks to pages, email, website, or
other files. It is an excellent compiler to use for a
marketing tools, such as creating brochures and
manuals in addition to eBooks.

* EBook Edit Pro

This compiler provides a demo version, which allows
you to test out its features. The software uses a
Wizard that leads you step-by-step through the set-up
and creation of your eBook. Customization includes
text editing that appears on the pop-up starting
message window; the ability to allow or prevent
resizing of your book and the mouse-click pop-up menu;
enabling or disabling the navigation bar and choosing
the buttons you want to appear; and customizing the
eBook's desktop icon and the logo that appears on the
navigation bar.

Ebook Edit Pro is loaded with excellent features that
allow you to create multi-media Ebooks, and includes a
Wizard that is customized for beginners and for
advanced users. The software uses HTML files,
downloading them from the directory where they are
saved. Edit and resave your files in the original
software used to create those files, and then with a
single click you can re-compile your Ebook.

Features include customization of icons, toolbars, and
the "about box." This compiler has a particularly
useful feature called the Rebrander feature. This
permits you to enter customized code into your Ebook
pages and distribute the Rebrander software to your
affiliates or distributors. They can then customize
the links included in the Ebook, but they can not
alter any link or information that you have not
entered a customized code for.

The software includes "eBrand-It" software that allows
custom fields for your customer's name, affiliate ID
or URL. This feature is a powerful marketing tool
because affiliates are much happier giving away your
Ebook from their own site when they can customize it.

* Ebook Compiler

This compiler offers a demo version that allows you to
compile 10 files. If you don't include graphics, you
can create a 10 page Ebook that allows printing and
copying of the Ebook. The catch is that you can't sell
any Ebook you create in the demo version.

The purchased software is user-friendly with
easy-to-follow help files that not only guide you
through the steps of compiling your Ebook, but also
explains what an Ebook compiler does. The software
provides detailed instructions on how to create source
files from Microsoft Word 2000 and 1997, PowerPoint
2000 and 1997, and HTML documents. It contains less
detailed instructions for creating source files from
other programs.

This compiler allows for password protection of your
entire Ebook or for selected pages. Additionally, you
can set a time limit on your Ebook. When the runs out,
the customer no longer has access unless they pay for
it. In other words, it allows you to create a demo
version of your Ebook for marketing purposes.

You can set a single password or multiple passwords.
Using multiple passwords assigns each user their own
specific password. Online help files guide you through
setting up your passwords. You can also create a Sales
and Thank-you page for selling a password protected
Ebook. This is a good choice for the novice,
particularly since it includes basic features for
password protection and distribution.

* Activ Ebook Compiler

This is an easy to use compiler that provides
excellent features. This software can support HTML,
JPEG, GIF, and all active plug-ins. Features includes
password protection, branding, internet linking, icon
customization, assigning unique serial numbers, splash
screen, file compression, and start-up messages. It
also provides free lifetime upgrades. Additionally, it
includes a preprocessor, re-brander, active script,
and detailed instructions for using HTML, Power Point,
and Microsoft Word files.

There are several other excellent Ebook compilers on
the market that are worth looking into.

Ebook Generator features splash screens, password
protection, branding, icon customization, and
compression control. Additionally, it includes virus
prevention that alerts the user to any modifications
made to your Ebook and offers usage statistics so you
can track your Ebook's use. With all these advanced
features, this is an excellent compiler for the
beginner because it is exceptionally easy to run.

Ebook Creator is another excellent compiler,
supporting HTML, JPEG, GIF, and PNG graphics, and
Javascript, VB script, and Java applets. It also
supports all Internet Explorer plug-ins. Standard
features include unique serial numbers, direct linking
to a form or a page on your website, disabled right
clicking, and search functions. The software allows
for expiration after a set number of days or usages,
which allows you to create demo versions. You can
create up to 1000 different passwords; every time the
Ebook is downloaded, a unique password is required to
access protected pages. The software provides
user-friendly menus and buttons that allow the
beginner to the advanced user to easily create their
Ebook.

Obviously, there are some excellent compilers out
there. So figure out EVERYTHING you need in terms of
features, and then compare prices and options. Do take
advantage of demo versions if they are offered before
purchasing. And then, have fun creating your Ebook!