Archive for the Category »ebook creation «

02
Mar
2010

Why should you create an ecourse for your eBook?

By Denise

Your eBook is done so you may want to consider creating an eCourse for the product.

Why should you set up an eCourse for your eBook?

  1. For promotion
  2. As an example of your eBook content. Select several chapters or create a small study course that relates to your topic that will create interest and possibly questions about the subject.
  3. As a freebie. Supply information not in the ebook or let the reader know the topic is expanded on in the book.
  4. To build a list. You will need a list if you want to promote your eBook.
  5. To get more traffic to your website you have set up for ebook promotion.

What you need to set up an eCourse

  1. Information relating to the eBook or articles from the eBook. This information should be well presented, error free and have a look of quality.
  2. A form of delivery. Aweber and Get Response are two of the bigger auto responders used for newsletters and eCourses.
  3. The ability to create a pdf and a program to zip or make the file smaller if needed so it can be easily delivered through most email services.
  4. Photo images or graphics. This are not mandatory for an ecourse but they may add to the feeling of the eBook being professional and written by an expert in their field.

Cost for an eCourse

  1. Some sort of auto responder. There are a few free auto responders, I have never used them so I have idea what quality they offer.
  2. A way to create a pdf, if you need it. Open office makes pdf’s for free and they work great.
  3. ghost writer if you need one.
  4. My cost for my eCourses are just the auto responder. Any other programs I use are free.  Overall an eCourse is low cost and what you gain from building a list or future sales makes an eCourse worth the time and any small cost.

An eCourse will add another dimension to your work and create a bond with the readers. There’s a possibility they will pass the information on to a friend who may be interested in your work.

ECourses are also easy to make and fun. It’s always fun to share information and make friends who share the same interests.

If you want more information on creating an eCourse read Create an eCourse.

Category: ebook creation  Tags: , , ,  Leave a Comment
20
Feb
2010

Co-authoring a mini e-book

By Denise

You have an idea for a eBook. You selected your niche and checked keywords for proper search success. But… you are new online or you just don’t have the list or pull to get the word out to the proper groups. Or you may have an idea but you just can’t get it into words.

DSC_4847
Creative Commons License photo credit: Sheldon Pax

One idea that may speed up your plan is to find a co-author or co-create an eBook with an expert or ghostwriter.   Start by looking for sites in your niche – and then take the time to contact the webmaster or site owner and ask if he or she is interested in co-authoring a eBook with you.  This is often referred to as a joint venture. And with any joint venture you have to offer some benefit to your prospective co-author or co-creator.

Your co-author can provide anything from half (or more) of the content, to an introduction, articles, or additional information. Or you may choose to merge your information and theirs.  Regardless of what your co-author brings to project you can increase the products credibility, especially if you select an expert in your chosen niche.

Selecting and joining forces with a co-author will give you an instant promotion for your joint venture. You will need to discuss how to set up the OTO (one time offer) and upsell aspects of the venture to give you both a great deal from the JV project.  The co-authors contribution to the book could be within the eBook, through back end sales – or both.

Basically a joint venture is what will work the best for the partners to create a product and make a nice income for both parties. And one additional plus to a joint project is that it is a learning experience with both participants bringing fresh ideas and expertise in new areas.

Having a great idea and a unique spin may not be enough to bring a co-author onboard. So the bottom line in your approach you will have to make sure that any arrangement you come to is win-win for everyone involved.

Category: ebook creation  Tags: , , ,  Leave a Comment
27
Jan
2010

Create an eBook Cover

By Denise

The writing of your eBook is finished. Now its time for you to add the final touches, designing the eBook cover and matching banners, graphic buttons. You will need a sales pages  if you are planning to sell the eBook.

Pratt Library Wordle 2: books and shapes and more
Creative Commons License photo credit: Enoch Pratt Free Library

This last step of creating a professional look to your eBook is one of the essential parts of creating a professional impression. With out this final process your writing will be overlooked.

There are several options available for this last step.

1.  You can hire a professional to design your e-book cover and the graphics needed. This is the faster way to finish your eBook, particularly if you have not worked with graphic design and photo imaging software before.

2. You can  use a package of ‘stock’ covers that you can alter to fit your needs or you can design the graphics you need yourself.

3.  Use software to create you own eCover and graphics.

eBook Cover Design
Creative Commons License photo credit: room122

If you really don’t feel up to the task or time involved in eBook cover and graphic creation, hire a professional. There are groups of skilled designers that design eBook covers, headers and graphics for very reasonable fees.

Online, I would recommend eLance.  You sign into eLance and place a job ad for the eBook and graphics needed for your project. Include the  price range you are willing to accept and wait for bids.

You may also be able to find talented local college students that would be able to do the work for you.

The price for the graphics for your eBook project will depend on the amount of work you are requesting. But prices usually fall between $40 and $100.

If you decide to design your eBook cover and graphics yourself you will need imaging software.  Photoshop, Paintshop Pro, or GIMP are a few programs available. Stock images, are also available online. But you need to carefully check the license of any image you select to see if you can user the image for your project.

If you are a photographer and have professional quality photos, or know a good photographer, they might be a person to contact. Otherwise look for sites that deal in royalty free images. Google has many listing for stock photographs.

When  creating you own eBook cover make sure the quality of the image is sharp and attractive. You will also need to check the perspectives of the eBook cover and match up all edges so that your binding, and front and back covers are not crooked or out of proportion.

There are software packages out there that provide Photoshop action scripts and more aid in the design of your eBook.  These action scripts allow you to generate a cover without fiddling with matching up edges and other tasks such as a perspective view that you might want for your e-book or stylized box design. ECover software programs can be found on Google. Some programs must be bought and others are free.

The cover and packaging is the first thing most people will see of your e-book. The quality has to be top notch to attract attention and create interest.  Your eBook may be informative and a great read but if the eCover lacks pizzazz your readers will loose interest quickly.

Regardless of the topic of your eBook, a professional and appealing e-book cover is a must if you expect to people to read your eBook or buy a copy.

Category: ebook creation  Tags: , , , ,  Leave a Comment
23
Jan
2010

Free eBook Directories for listing your eBook

By Denise

When creating an eBook you will want a way to promote it after you have the product finished.  Ebook directories are one way to get the word out about your eBook.

DSC_4846
Creative Commons License photo credit: Sheldon Pax

Below are four directories that may be useful to you.

Ebook2U is a free e-book only directory – which means you can target those affiliates and people looking for highly targeted niche content.  You can promote well in this directory.

This huge directory accepts free and paid listings.  With a vast array of categories and areas, you can list your e-book within many different areas to maximize your niche exposure.

Wisdom e-books is another site that allows you to list your e-books – its business category contains a lot of free and purchasable e-books, but doesn’t really have much niche targeting capability.

Jogena.com – Mainly focused on marketing and business categories, you can sometimes list your e-book with these categories.

You can also list your eBook at Craigs list and forums that are related to yout topic.

Category: ebook creation  Tags: , , ,  Leave a Comment
15
Jan
2010

EBook Creation: The Portable Document File (PDF)

By Denise

The Portable Document File (PDF) is the base of eBook creation. Text, images and an eBook cover give the eBook its own flair and personality, but the PDF is the tool that helps you to create the finished product.

The Setup
Creative Commons License photo credit: caffeinated_zeitgeist

What is a PDF?

PDF’s are a file format that is used for storing, archiving or exchanging bulky information among computer users. The portable and compatible features of the file format make the task exchanging information more flexible and convenient.

Once the PDF is sealed the advanced features of the format keep the content secure and intact, thus making it perfect for today’s businesses. An added advantage is that you can also insert a variety of images, graphics and multimedia content in the documents.

This capability of the file format enables you to make the documents more interactive in appearance and gives you the ability to create files and even booklets that are appealing and catch the attention of the reader. A large report or book can be reduced to the size of a file making it easy to easily convert files from one format to another.

Homes, schools, colleges and businesses use the PDF document format for storing vast amounts of data and to create online libraries. The PDF file format can also be used for exchanging data across multiple platforms. This is particularly beneficial to businesses that have offices across the country or overseas. In a few minutes a PDF file can be created and sent through an email or link to be used immediately.

The compression algorithms of the PDF reduce the file size. This makes it easier for anyone to view the PDF file on any computer. As long as you have a PDF reader, which is on most computers or can be downloaded from the Internet for free, you can read a PDF file.

EBooks are a popular use for PDF files and the creating of eBooks is growing everyday. With the price of printing and publishing rising the PDF is economical, environmentally friendly and quick replacement for a book. And if you need a quick presentation for a meeting, the PDF file is the perfect solution.

Animation, graphics, audio and video files can easily incorporated into a PDF file giving this form of communication and information exchange a versatility that is quickly becoming irreplaceable in the business world.

How do you create a PDF file?

There are various online tools available with which you can create the PDF documents. They range in price from free to relatively expensive – if you only plan to use the program occasionally.

As with any software program its best to check to see what the software offers and make your decision accordingly.

Once you have worked with a PFD program you will find it is easy to create and manage PDF files. And once the file is created you can encrypt or protect the file using advanced tools and techniques in the PDF software program.

I have only worked with PDF files to create eBooks but have seen the files used at a newspaper office and in many offices. My experience has been with adobe, pdf995 and Open Office. Both pdf995 and Open Office are free. For more information and other options check Google or your favorite search browser.

Category: ebook creation  Tags: , , ,  Leave a Comment
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