Nine Tips for Creating Your eBook Content

Following on from my last blog, Using Free Reports and eBooks to Build Your Business, I thought it might be helpful to provide some tips on creating your eBook content. It can seem daunting to write an entire eBook. The truth is that writing an eBook is no harder than writing a blog post (though I realise some people find writing blogs hard!).  These tips can help you create your eBook without breaking a sweat!

To make it easy I’ve added a checklist you can download at the end of this blog so you have a reminder of these 9 tips.

Nine Tips for Creating Your eBook Contents Checklist

1. Come Up With an Idea - Nine Tips for Creating Your EBook Content1. Come Up With an Idea

Before you even begin with writing a book, you need to know what the idea is. Ideally, your eBook should link to the product or service you’d like to sell. Come up with an idea for your book that fits your target audience’s needs and solves a problem for them.

What are the questions your customers ask you most often? If you can resolve that pain point for them with your idea, then you’re well on your way.

 

2. Brainstorm Your Idea - Nine Tips for Creating Your EBook Content2. Brainstorm Your Idea

Once you come up with an idea, brainstorm your idea in order to come up with enough content for an eBook. Some people like writing outlines; other people like using mind maps.

You can brainstorm however you want, but give yourself a time limit so you cut down on procrastination. It can be very easy to get carried away with ideas!

 

3. Note your Main Points - Nine Tips for Creating Your EBook Content3. Note your Main Points

Once you’ve fleshed out your idea, write down some of the main points you need to cover. Five to seven steps or points to solving your target audience’s problem can be a good starting place.

These main points should then become the different chapters for your eBook. This way you’re starting to create a structure for your eBook.

 

4. Name your Chapters - Nine Tips for Creating Your EBook Content4. Name your Chapters

Once you know the main points you want to cover, turn them into compelling chapter titles. It may sound strange but a good source of compelling headings can be tabloid newspapers. They’ve perfected the art of drawing you in to read an article.

First, review your notes to find your strongest emotional motivators. Then, consider the benefits that your product/service offers. Finally, try to write at least 10 variations of your chapter title so you can choose one that will grab your prospective customer’s attention and draw them in instantly.

5. Write your Summary - Nine Tips for Creating Your EBook Content5. Write your Summary

As you write the chapter titles, write a short summary of what will be included in each chapter.

This will provide you with a guide and help you stay on track. It will also help ensure that you don’t repeat the same content in different chapters. It’s easy to get carried away and not realise that you’ve repeated yourself.

6. Outline Each Chapter - Nine Tips for Creating Your EBook Content6. Outline Each Chapter

Make a list or small outline for each chapter with the ideas you want to cover.

This can even be just 2 or 3 key bullet points. Doing this will help you keep on track and you’ll also find that you’re really starting to build your content out in a simple and structured way.

 

7. Write your Intro and Conclusion - Nine Tips for Creating Your EBook Content7. Write your Intro and Conclusion

It might seem odd but writing your intro and conclusion first can help you stay focused on what you are supposed to cover within each chapter. If you’re anything like me, maintaining focus and ignoring distractions can be a big challenge.

I find it just too easy to get carried away with what I’m writing once I’m in ‘full flow’ and creating this framework helps me.

 

8. Format your Book - Nine Tips for Creating Your EBook Content8. Format your Book

Now you can make your book look pretty so that the formatting flows from one page to the next without worry. Remember to use headers and subheadings so that you can easily insert the page of contents.

If you’re promoting your eBook on your website then a PDF format will work. If you’re thinking of self-publishing, then Kindle Direct Publishing has a great information section on how to prepare, publish and promote your eBook.

I would also highly recommend that you get a good proofreader to review your book. It really is almost impossible to see your own mistakes as I know from experience. You tend to read what you think is on the page rather than what you’ve actually written! I use Pernickety Kate Proofreading & Editing and highly recommend her. She’s worth every penny and very affordable!

 

9. One Day at a Time - Nine Tips for Creating Your EBook Content9. One Day at a Time

Remember to take your book writing one day at a time. If you’re writing a 10,000 word eBook, and you only write 500 words a day (about the length of an average blog post), you will only take 20 days to finish your eBook. Not bad.

Creating an eBook isn’t really any different than writing individual blog posts about the same topic. In fact, you could take old blog posts, organise them in a cohesive manner, update them for the new format and publish that as your book.

If you take it one day at a time and break it up into small pieces, you’ll have your eBook ready for publishing in no time!

Download the checklist below and use it to guide you step by step through these nine tips!

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