Writers who plan to create a book of fiction will have to spend considerably more time coming up with ideas and plot points. Read this article on how to write a novel for more relevant advice. The eBook format has the advantage of being not only open to self-publishers, but essentially free for them, which means that “books” too short to really be worth printing on paper can make perfectly valid eBooks. Therefore, feel free to use a simple idea.
Different books call for different approaches. Memoirs and self-help books might do better with a vertical outline; a book of fixes for common household problems will probably come together faster using a web of ideas.
Each step along your line will end up being a chapter in your book. If you can break the chapters into groups as well (for instance, if your book on home repairs has chapters that can be divided by room or type of problem), feel free to turn those into larger sections that contain a few related chapters each.
Writing a book – even a short book – takes time. The important thing is to persevere. Set aside time each day to write, or write until you hit a certain word count. Don’t stand up from your desk until you meet your goal. Even if you feel stuck, the act of writing something down will help loosen up your mind, and before you know it your words will be flowing again. Keep at it for as long as it takes.
Like writing, editing takes time – not as much time, but still a significant amount. Pace yourself by editing a certain number of words or chapters each day. You will often find that words, like chapters, simply need to be rearranged. Do your best to keep related ideas together, and don’t forget to alter connecting sentences so that the new order still fits the text. It has often been said that “deletion is the soul of editing. ” If you find that a chapter is going down the proverbial rabbit-hole on a particular point, bring it back in line with the overall flow of that chapter by deleting the extra detail. If such information is absolutely vital, consider setting it aside in a sidebar instead, or try to more smoothly incorporate it into the text so that it continues to flow smoothly when you read it.
If you pick a very simple title, have a couple of alternates on hand in case it’s already been used. Adding adjectives or even your own name (as in “wikiHow’s Guide to Selling Real Estate”) are simple ways to do this. If you used information from elsewhere, always be sure to properly cite it in a bibliography. If your sources were friends, at least add in a page of acknowledgments so you can thank them by name.
Even sections and pieces of copyrighted images are off-limits. When in doubt, get explicit permission from the copyright holder first.
How was the book? What did you like the most? What did you not like? How can I improve it?
Contrary to what you may have learned in high school, not every piece of writing needs a thesis statement to work. However, most nonfiction writing will have an obvious thesis statement by the time you finish writing it.
Never work with a publisher that won’t let you set your own price. Forcing a price can have detrimental effects on your bottom line in a few different ways, which essentially makes it another fee. As a general rule of thumb, eBooks turn the most profit when priced between $0. 99 and $5. 99 per copy.
Calibre is a newer program that is quick, powerful, and easy to use. It converts HTML files (and only HTML files) into EPUB (the industry standard) format easily, and costs nothing, though donations are appreciated by the creators. Most word processors can save your manuscript as HTML. Adobe Acrobat Pro is the gold standard program for creating PDF files, which can be read on nearly any computer or device. Acrobat allows you to password-protect your PDF file when you save it, though once you’ve given out the password, anyone who has it will be able to open the book. It’s a powerful and flexible program, but it isn’t free. OpenOffice. org is a popular free office suite that is similar to Microsoft Works. OpenOffice. org’s Writer program (word processor) can save documents in PDF format just like Adobe Acrobat. Writer’s tools aren’t as advanced, particularly with regards to adding a cover, but the program can secure and encrypt your PDF just like Acrobat. There are many other programs available to help you self publish, both free and paid. If none of the above options sound perfect for you, explore online and find one that suits your needs.
Use social media for visibility. Post about the book (and link to a place it can be bought!) on every social media site where you have a presence: Twitter, Facebook, and so on. Even LinkedIn is a good place to add a link to your book on your profile page. Think laterally to maximize exposure. Don’t just tell people about your book; be clever and thorough. Link to it on StumbleUpon, take a photo of your computer screen and post it to Instagram, or even [Do-a-Youtube-Video| record a short video] and talk about the book on YouTube. Use every user-created platform at your disposal. Rely on yourself. People love it when authors are accessible. Advertise times for virtual Q and A sessions about the book, or send complimentary copies to bloggers who review eBooks and ask to do an interview.
