Here are some pros and cons if you’re thinking of writing (and publishing) an eBook for the first time. My experience comes from writing and publishing two books on Amazon Kindle, as well as sharing some insights with others who have much more experience with eBooks and Kindle, like Sean Roach and Ryan Deiss.
First of all, 6 DO!
#1 Consider Amazon Kindle
According to a senior Google executive, Amazon is the company they fear the most. Amazon has more than 400 million credit cards on file with them. No one else comes close. Why is Google so concerned? It is that Amazon attracts buyers, not browsers.
When it comes to e-books, Amazon’s e-publishing arm Kindle is one of the most powerful forces in the business. There are now more than 100 million black-and-white Kindle readers, and even more impressively, the new Kindle Fire (which has a color screen) has sold more than 23 million units since July 2012. Plus, Kindle books can also be read (for free) on virtually every platform out there. For example, iPhones, iPads, PCs, Macs, Androids, etc. No wonder Kindle is growing at 119% per year.
#2 (Solo) Do it!
If you think you have a book inside you, I encourage you to ‘just do it’. Now it’s easier than ever. Once you’ve hit the Publish button, one of the beauties of the platform is that all books sit on the same level; whether it’s posted by you, Simon and Schuster, or whoever!
You don’t even need to have special experience or knowledge on a given topic… it’s perfectly fine to write as a reporter.
Another advantage is that you do not need to write a large amount. If you can write in the 20-50 page range, that’s perfect. If you want to write more than that, consider writing a series of books instead of one big book (as was the way, further back in history). If it’s your first time, then possibly the biggest challenge is overcoming your fear of taking risks and looking stupid. Everyone understands that to some degree, so as they say, just feel the fear and do it anyway. (Version one is better than version none!)
#3 Do it for fun (and profit too)!
To get started, maybe start by just writing for fun. Take the smallest steps and let it grow.
However, if you are also interested in profit, I have some numbers that you might find interesting. First of all, the publication costs are very low. Kindle does not charge anything, however if you want a professional photograph for your cover, you may need to pay a third party for publishing rights (say $10 for a high-resolution image from a photo library). Also to format; If you’d rather not do it yourself, you’ll have to outsource, however the cost is also very low.
Of course, beyond these costs, the sky is the limit if you want a very professional result or the support of a real publisher. However, if you are just starting out, you can do it on a shoestring budget.
As for the price of books, the sweet spot for Kindle books is between $2.99 and $9.99. Lower than that and the price may seem too cheap (implying low quality), and higher than that needs additional justification. But maybe his book really does guarantees a higher price. That’s great if it is. However, unless there is a compelling reason to do otherwise, it is best to stay within the optimal range.
Although these prices may seem low, they can still generate a good income for the author as long as the volume is high enough. This is because, as an author, he will earn up to 70% royalties. (Surprisingly, he is likely to make a better income from an Amazon book that sells for $2.99 than a traditional paper book that sells for $24.99!)
If you’re interested in some specific examples of earnings, I recently came across the results of a couple of Kindle how-to books. One was called How to Purify Water and the other was called How to Use Pinterest. Although both were priced at just $2.99, the book on purifying water produced a royalty profit of about $300 per month, and the book on Pinterest produced a royalty profit of about $1,300 per month. Very good, hey!
#4 Don’t… target a niche
The two previous examples clearly lead to the topic of niches. I think both books were deliberately targeting popular niches; the purified water book in the ‘disaster preparers’ niche and the Pinterest book in a ‘trendy’ internet niche.
If you write for an attractive niche, the results can be great. However, the downside is that the result may not be maintained over time.
Of course, niches don’t have to be non-fiction. It’s worth noting that for every three nonfiction books on the Kindle, there are about two fiction books.
an example of heat fiction niche emerged after the great success of the book Fifty Shades of Grey. Despite its professional reviewers (who said its quality was “mixed to negative”), it became the best-selling paperback of all time. Of course, Kindle also rode that wave and did its best to quickly get more titles in the same genre. (Maybe they still are!)
A quick word about pseudonyms and niches. I have chosen to write my books using my own name. Of course, it’s also okay to write a pseudonym. The best advice I’ve gotten is to use one pseudonym per niche if you’re posting in multiple niches.
#5 Do a few things to speed up production
I’ve found that it’s better to write a lot, write fast, ignore mistakes, and then go back and rewrite, rewrite, and rewrite again. (Actually I start with a mind map). Set up the structure first, and if you can, create a book title and description from the start. (Essentially, define the result and work from there.) To progress at a reasonable rate, set yourself deadlines and then stick to them. Celebrate when you hit them. And, if you don’t, you might want to give yourself the occasional penalty!
The only real “tool” you need is Microsoft Word. Kindle has a process for taking Word documents and automatically converting them to its (HTML) format. However, you may need to adjust your document before submitting it for conversion, as there are some areas where your process is lacking. For example, table of contents, bullet points, etc. (But, as mentioned above, there are plenty of people who offer this service at low cost.)
One thing I’ve used to help me write quickly is speech recognition software. This technology has been around for a long time, however it has now been developed to a point where it is fast and accurate. You first have to learn about your speaking style, but, when that has happened, you can type as fast as you can speak. I used a program called DragonSpeak, which costs AU$80. It’s worth every penny!
#6 Yes… choose a suitable environment
I have found that the choice of location used to write can make a world of difference. The better you can focus, the better your speed and quality will be. For example, if you have a home study that might be perfect for you, or perhaps you prefer a café or a public library. Whatever it is, if you get stuck I suggest you experiment with your writing environment first. (And that includes picking a time when you’re at your best.) Just do what works for you.
And lastly, 3 DON’TS!
Here are three simple tips that can help.
#1 Do not copy others!
Don’t be tempted to plagiarize. While I’m happy to say that the content I’ve produced is original, it’s true that some people do copy other people’s work (whether in large or small amounts). For anyone considering taking this shortcut, please note that Kindle has sophisticated technology to detect this. They can scan online and check for duplicate content elsewhere. So the best advice is simple… just produce original work.
#2 Do not check the screen reading
It is very important to produce material that aspect good. Even if your content is the most fantastic and valuable thing ever written, it will be dragged down if the presentation is bad, for example, bad spelling, punctuation, grammar, etc. I would recommend that, at a minimum, you hire one other person to proofread your manuscript. If not, print a hard copy and then go through it yourself with a red pen, sentence by sentence, word by word. Do it slowly and carefully… very carefully. If you rush, you are likely to miss mistakes.
But whatever you do, never try to correct a screen. If you do this, the errors are even harder to find. Fortunately, however, if you spot errors after the book has been published, it’s very quick and easy to correct them. Just resubmit and the corrected version will be posted within about 12-24 hours.
#3 Do not produce an elaborate cover
The key here is simplicity. When people first discover your book, it will likely appear as a thumbnail image in one search result among many others. Elaborate covers are likely to mask the message, so people may not click through for more information. I would also suggest that if your cover is light in color, use a dark border on the outer edge. Again, the reason stems from the search process, as the cover thumbnail images are presented on a white background. So if your book cover is light in tone, it will tend to blend into the background. So, better yet, use a darker cover and it will stand out more.
As it is for the cover image, it is also for the title. For this reason, use a headline that’s short, and choose a style that’s bigger and bolder than you’d initially think necessary.
In closing, I hope you got some value out of this article. Hopefully, we now encourage you to go ahead and write your first eBook!