There are a number of reasons why you should write your own eBook: to establish yourself as an authority, to create new leads, and even to make a profit. eBooks are a great way to advertise your services and to cross-promote other products that you might offer. More often than not, however, eBooks are available free: the rationale for this is to drive more visitors to your site (from social media), or to encourage website visitors to leave their details in exchange for eBook access. The idea of writing an eBook can be quite daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. eBooks can vary in size from 3 pages to 3,000 pages; and you don’t even have to author the book yourself. Suzi Dafnis from The Australian Businesswomen’s Network speaks to Linda Diggle, the Director of eBook publishing firm Book Boffin, who breaks down some frequently asked questions about publishing an eBook. She tells us how it’s a lot easier than you might think.
How long should my eBook be?
This depends on the eBook itself — what its purpose is, and how big or complex the issue or topic that the eBook covers is. If it’s a giveaway, 3,000 words could be more than enough.
How much should my eBook cost?
This depends on what your eBook is trying to achieve. If you are trying to generate leads, then your eBook will most likely be free. This doesn’t mean, though, that lower price equals lower quality. If you have a specialty book that might be, for example, on photography, then you might be selling your eBook for a higher price. Cost is largely dependent on the expertise of the author and the level of detail in the eBook.
Do I write the book?
One major issue people face when deciding whether or not to write an eBook is having enough time to do so. When you are managing your own small business, the prospect of writing an eBook on top of everything else you need to do, can be overwhelming. However there are options available for writing the book that reduce the work load. You can:
- Collaborate with other people who specialise in the related area.
- Hire a ghost writer to write the eBook for you. (This doesn’t have to be expensive.)
- Speak the book and have it transcribed. Then all you have to do is cut it down and shape it to how you want it.
The most important issue is finding a good copyeditor.
“Whether your book is 12 pages or 1,200 pages it really needs to stand up to your brand and be a good representative of you. Typos, misspellings and links that don’t work are really, really a no-go.” Suzi Dafnis.
How do I publish my eBook?
When considering publishing your eBook, the first thing to ask is: “What is my primary outcome for this eBook?” Getting a clear idea of the eBook’s purpose is an excellent way to determine where to publish it. If you don’t currently have a lot of traffic going to your website, a fast and simple way to build your audience is by publishing the eBook on an online book retailer. These platforms can allow for a faster way to get your message out there. However, unfortunately when someone purchases your book from one of these sites, you have no visibility as to who your fans are. To remedy this, include calls to action inside the eBook itself.
“Direct buyers back to a landing page on your website in exchange for their email address, which you can then capture and start building relationships.”- Linda Diggle
These calls to action are completely dependent on the purpose of the eBook itself. They might be supporting materials or bonus information that relate to the given subject. In every instance the overarching purpose of the eBook is to invite people into your community and make them engage better with your business. This article is based on the How to Use eBooks to Generate Leads and Market Your Business webinar. You can access the webinar recording through the Online Learning Centre. Premium Members get free access to this and over 90 other online seminars.
