Where’s Your E-Book?
What’s that you say? You don’t need one? Pshaw! Of course you need an e-book. Come on in and sit down for a minute. We’ll talk about it a bit and you’ll see!
Excuses why you haven’t done it
- It’s too hard – Well, it’s not that hard, really. Start with an idea. Look at what else is out there and you will see that folks have written e-books about nearly every subject imaginable. You do recall that you are a writer, right? An e-book does not have to be hundreds of pages long. It needs to be helpful and get your point across. Shoot for twenty to thirty pages. You could get it done in a weekend.
- I don’t have the time – What, you don’t have the time to produce a product that could bring new visitors to your site and sway a client into hiring you? Make writing the e-book a priority. Even if you dedicate a little time each day you could certainly have an e-book ready to go inside of a month.
- It’s all been said – That can’t possibly be true, could it? Certainly you have something unique to say about writing or freelancing from your own perspective. Think about things that you have written in the past. Is there anything that in particular gets your heart pumping? Anything that pulls the passion from deep within? If so, choose that and go for it.
Those are probably the most common excuses that folks use to not write an e-book. There may be dozens of other excuses but when it comes right down to it, they are exactly that: excuses.
It is easier than ever to write an e-book. If you use Open Office then publishing your text document as a .pdf is really only a click away. Since most e-books are in a .pdf format this is a no brainer and then you are done! If you are interested in publishing your ebook in more than one format, then I highly recommend Smashwords.com . Smashwords takes the text you enter and publishes in numerous formats. Once it is published, you can upload a cover image and set your price. If you’d like to offer it for free then you can do that as well. Did I mention it doesn’t cost you a darned thing to sign up and do this?
E-book advantages
- People love getting something for free. Offer the e-book for free in exchange for their email. Guess what? You’ve just built an email list for future promotions.
- You can revise and update the information in the e-book quickly and easily.
- You establish yourself as an authority on the topic
- A group of already published posts can be packaged as an e-book. I published an e-book that was originally a series on my blog. In 4 months, it has been downloaded nearly 350 times.
- An e-book gets your name out there in yet another venue.
There really is no down side to having an e-book. You should get started today, you will be happy you did.
If you already have an e-book, tell us about your experiences with that!
Posted by: George
About the Author: A writer living in Alaska. A simple man with few passions: My daughter, writing, soccer and now and then a good cigar.
Monika | Aug 25, 2009 | Reply
@ George: Words well spoken. Thank you for yet another wonderful post. I so agree with you when you say how much exposure one can get by eBook writing.
It has served me well in the past and currently I have three of my own books floating around in cyberspace and those won’t be the last ones either.
I’m not sure how you feel, but the more eBooks I write, the more I get hooked on writing more.
Perhaps that’s why I have been ghostwriting eBooks for clients too.
Chris Anderson | Aug 25, 2009 | Reply
That is most definetly on my list of to-dos. I think it would be a lot of fun. And as you said, I think it can do wonders for your credibility. No excuses, just do it!
~Chris
Tumblemoose | Aug 25, 2009 | Reply
Monika,
I derive a lot of satisfaction from completing an e-book. I like that it is a saleable, tangible project that I can look at and say, Hey! That’s mine!
George
Tumblemoose | Aug 25, 2009 | Reply
Hi Chris,
I’m glad this lit a fire for you. If there is anything I can do to help then please just let me know!
George
Kathy | Virtual Impax | Aug 26, 2009 | Reply
I’m making what Neil Rackham defined as a “Major Sale”. The stakes are high and as a result – buyers need a LOT of education and information before they make a buying decision.
Which is why ebooks are a WONDERFUL marketing tool for me. Prospective clients can either pick up a free or pay for an ebook – and see if I really know what I claim to know.
I think you hit the nail right on the head in this post – FEAR of the unknown is what stands in most people’s way.
John Soares | Aug 27, 2009 | Reply
George, I wrote an e-book on how to succeed in my particular writing niche. It sells moderately well, and it helps me to get more projects, in part because I’m seen as an expert and also in part because I posted all my previous publishing credits and experience on my website.
I strongly urge business people to write an e-book. In my case I sell it, but for others it can be a freebie that hooks clients for much larger sales, such as consulting.
Monika | Aug 27, 2009 | Reply
@ Kathy: I like how you mentioned the stakes. It is quite true that as a webmaster in any type of ‘teaching’ or ‘education’ role people are certainly looking to you for guidance. The stakes are indeed high. I also believe that many prospective clients are looking at a blog of a service provider long before they think about hiring the person. Seeing an eBook offered is quite something because it manifests a provider’s knowledge or interest, while helping others do the same.
Monika | Aug 27, 2009 | Reply
@ John: You’ve provided good advice here for anyone thinking about writing an eBook. Although after reading George’s post there is enough motivation to give it a whizz for just about anyone. The expert bit is very important and often underestimated. You’d be surprised how many doors open up because people deem you to be the expert at something – but then I have a feeling you already know this anyway, because you are an expert in your field.
Cath Lawson | Sep 18, 2009 | Reply
This is a great reminder for me. Before I got too ill to be bothered to write, I started two ebooks with the intention of giving them away to build a list. Now I need to get them finished.
Sujith | Sep 18, 2009 | Reply
Hi George,
Thanx for this wonderful post, which is an eye opener.
Love's Leading Companion | Oct 31, 2009 | Reply
George, this was a very helpful post! I am starting to change perspective with my next marketing step for my complete, but unpublished book for long-distance-relationship couples… it makes perfect sense to me now that I should do this even though I have a finished book that I’d like to see in stores soon as well! Thank you for sharing and I am excited to add you to my network! You have much value to add and I want you to know how much I appreciate your words of experience
Have a beautiful week! *cheers ~Jenn
tumblemoose | Nov 3, 2009 | Reply
Jenn,
I’m so happy you found it helpful.
If I can do anything to help then please let me know. Heading over to your blog right now!
George