Anoop Verma
eBooks have been around for many years and with the advent of large-screened smartphones and tablets, their popularity has soared even higher. Now-a-days it has become quite common for readers to download and read eBooks on handheld devices. A vast number of eBooks are available for free, and there is also no dearth of those that carry a price tag. If you are an aspiring writer, you can think about hopping aboard the eBooks bandwagon.
Here is a list of steps that you can follow to create your own eBook:
Writing your book
For any book, digital or printed, the most important thing is content. You have to ensure that the quality is good enough to make your creation really stand out. The best tool for writing is Microsoft Word, as it is an extremely versatile programme and is compatible with most other tools available on the net.
Creating the format
Once you have done the hard part of writing, you can turn your focus to creating the format of your eBook. The easiest way of doing it is through an eBook creation app. A random search for such an app will lead you to many possible options. You can pick up apps like: Mobipocket Creator, Calibre, ePub, KindleGen, iBooks Author, etc. Each of these apps will allow you to create an eBook that is compatible with popular readers like Kindle, iPhone, iPad. The services in most cases are available for free, but it is better that you should check the terms and conditions before actually making use of any formatting tool.
Creating an arresting cover
Looks matter. The front and the back covers should be arresting enough to attract readers who have become used to accessing ample material on the Internet. For designing the cover page and the back page, you can use programmes like Adobe Photoshop and few other tools.
Determining the price
e-Books by new or unknown authors typically retail at a very low price. So if you are thinking of pricing your book at lets say Rs. 2000, you may not find any buyers. On popular e-Book sites, you can find titles at as low as $.99 (About Rs. 50). Even at low price you can make lot of money if the sales are good. You might also think about offering your product for free, if your intention is to have your creation read by maximum number of people. However, the price of the product will ultimately depend on your input cost. So if you are planning to charge a really low price or offer the book for free, then you have to keep the input cost at bare minimum.
Publishing options
There are large numbers of places where you can list your eBooks. Some of the outlets that you must include are – Amazon Publishing, iBookstore (Apple iTunes), Google Play (eBooks Division), Barnes and Nobles (pubit!), Author Solutions and Smashwords. In case, you are confident that your eBook is going to sell large number of copies, you can think about uploading the book directly at Amazon’s KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) service, instead of going through any middlemen. KDP also allows you the luxury of publishing directly from a Word file.
Marketing your eBook
If you don’t make efforts to market your eBook, people won’t know about your work and the book will not sell. Not every writer can afford to hire slots in TV or have reviews done in glitzy papers. But you can easily create a buzz through the social media and blogs. If you are bold enough, you might even think of passing out fliers on any street corner.
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