Tag: ebook creation

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Create a sales page with WP-Sales page Template

One of more more challenging aspects of creating an eBook is the sales page. It need to capture people attention, create a need and the desire to learn more about your eBook and provide accurate information about the product or service you are providing.

So a sales page requires knowledge of copyrighting, technical abilities, SEO techniques or knowing where to outsource the project. But even if you outsource the creation of the sales page you still need to assemble to facts and collect them in a orderly fashion. Your sales page also needs a landing page on a website.

This you tube provides information on how to make a sales page using the wp-sales page template for word press.

There are many programs out there to help you with a sales page but if you have a wordpress website this may be an easy answer.

And once you know how to set up a sales page you need to learn how to get your copy and any graphic onto the site. Komposer or Front Page are the easier programs to use for this. NVU (a free program) is also easy to use but I have not tried it for a sales page.

There are several sales page templates available. Some are free and some you will be charged for. I have not tried this template yet, but I plan to. That way I will know how well ti works and its advantages and disadvantages.

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Ebook creation and sales plan

The final steps in eBook creation cannot be overlooked or your eBook will collect dust. By implementing a plan and following it you can create the successful eBook from start to finish.

A basic eBook launch plan

This is the basic plan of steps needed to get the project started. There are many small steps that are included in each step.

1. A great ebook (take you time to create a great eBook and have it proofed for errors and grammar.)

First, there are many PDF eBooks that you can purchase or that are free that you can revamp, add more information and make your own. You can also write your own ebook from scratch. But whatever decision you make the eBook has to have quality content and the professional look that will capture a person attention.

Purchasing an eBook to work over is fast and will save you steps but you have to add enough new information to make it your own. Creating your own eBook from scratch will take more time but overall sales should be higher since its will be fresh content.

There is no doubt content and the look of the book through artwork and photography are essential but you have to have a basic plan to create and launch an ebook that sells.

2. A web site specifically designed to sell (Use your title which should be keyword rich as you website title. You also need a riveting sales page that will capture a person’s attention and hold it)

3. Ad copy written with passion, excitement and a benefit There is a lot of competition so catch the viewer’s attention.
An easy ordering process (click bank and PayPal are easy to set up and operate)

4. A powerful marketing strategy (this is where a mentor and/or a great plan is essential)

Each step will play a very important role in your overall success. Plan each step very carefully and develop your strategy to its fullest potential. Ask your friends for advice. A plan is essential and if even one step fails, your sales will suffer.

After your ebook is written, images are added and proofed its time to turn you attention to the sales page.

Designing Your Sales Page

When you’re ready to design your sales page, keep in mind the most important part of your page is your sales copy. A sales page may look great but it’s the words that count. Word capture interest and make the sale.

Your sales page should have one specific purpose — getting your potential customer to take action. The sales page should be simple in design and focus on one specific product.

You want your sales page to load as quickly as possible and draw your visitor’s attention to your text. You will need to use a program that will turn test into html. I have been using front page but Komposer is free and works well. I also have used the free program NVU.

Another consideration is making your sales page SEO (search engine optimization) friendly. That means search engines will find your sales page easily and be able to rank it quickly, which will help your traffic to the site.

Your page design, title, text, link text and image alt tags all play a very important role in determining how your page will rank. Proper use of Meta tags and keywords also are important.

Visit Search Engine Watch. This will help you with Meta tags and keywords for your sales page.

My suggestion for a sales page is to look at sales pages that have been created in your niche or topic and see how they work and if they were successful.

  • Are they easy to read?
  • Do they keep your attention?
  • Has the eBook had good sales?
  • Are there changes you would make to have a better flow or be more easily understood?

There are several sites that offer templates for sales pages listed on the Internet. Look them over and ask your friends for advice.  If you would like a head start on designing your sales page, you can find some free templates here: Free site templates

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Advertising in your E-book?

An eBook serves many purposes. And depending on its use you may have to address the question, do you include advertising in your eBook?

DSC_4843
photo credit: Sheldon Pax

Depending on the use of your eBook there are many forms of acceptable advertising that could be considered.  This could be advertising that you can take advantage of to create additional streams of income or to promote your own products.

Affiliate links, affected items, items related to the eBook niche and up sells are only a few forms of advertising.

One of the most common ways to add advertising to your eBook is to add an appendix of recommended resources and more. These resources are a valuable and viable advertising method.

These can be from your own products, from a matching niche or area of sale or from other select marketers. Just make sure whatever advertising or product you promote has value and is an asset to your eBook and the credibility you have built in your niche. And remember, never promote a product or program that you do not believe in

And also limit the amount of items you promote or your eBook and project will lose its perceived value.

Another strong advertising method is to add a promotion for a product right at the start.  This should be for one of your own projects. This will give a person a reason to sign up.

Mini eBooks are a good item to create as a promotion to your eBook. Many are free and give your audience a reason to want to purchase a product from you.

Everyone wants to receive a free item and most people want to give loyal customers or readers a deal but the reality of marketing is that the most important tools cost money.  So promoting a product in your eBook, whether its yours or someone else’s will help you with costs and make it possible for a few free items for your readers.

These mini eBooks are usually in support of your main ‘niche’ area, and make your product all the more valuable and attainable.

Whatever advertising or product you decide to promote should be one you’ve personally used and should match or add value to your overall theme of your niche.

Trust is an all-important goal you need in producing eBook that will attract readers and good advertising practices will add to your trust and value of your eBook if you choose wisely.

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Create an eBook Cover

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
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
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.

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Avoid Four common eBook mistakes

There are many reasons why a person creates an eBook, but one common goal is to have the eBook read. With this in mind here are a few of the biggest eBook mistakes. Ones that relate to getting your eBook out in public.

Da Vinci notebook
photo credit: tiny_packages

There are four very common eBook mistakes. These mistakes can cost you your hard work and time faster than any other mistake you’ll ever make.

1.  The first mistake is you need to provide a strong reason to redistribute your eBook. Free eBook, free reports and free gifts go a long way, but you’ll also find that some people aren’t inclined to redistribute free.

They won’t read the e-book. They will set it aside to look at later and it gets lost in the stack of “to do projects.”  Or they just won’t find the time to create a way to offer the eBook to others.

So you’ll have to offer some form of an attractive bonus to the people downloading it to redistribute your e-book.  That bonus could be anything from a percentage of each sale, or the ability to sell the book themselves. It could also be other valuable items that give them a reason to distribute your book to their lists.

2.  The second mistake is failing to create a buzz. You need to create a stir and attention to your product before launch.  It’s important to remember that you’ll need to create an honest buzz. If you over promise and under deliver you will have many unhappy customers and the interest in your eBook will fade.  So keep your promotion honest. If your content is informative and fresh you will do well.

3.  The third of these big mistakes is not finding a joint venture partner or group of people to help you distribute your book.  Affiliates are great when you’ve reached critical mass, and pay per click and search engine results won’t hold a candle to the amount of promotional traffic a strong joint venture partner will bring you.

And the biggest mistake you can make and I am guilty here, is trying to make the eBook perfect. You want a good eBook that is full of relevant information but if you keep tweaking and changing plans you will not know how the book will do.

There is time after your eBook is released to tweak the sales page, add a bonus and change a few things for better sales. But you only know where to start when you start seeing results.

As my friend Wizzer says: Do it now!

And there it is –  four  common mistakes that you can make and the easiest ways to avoid them – avoiding them, though perhaps a bit more time consuming, but well worth it in the long run.

Create an eBook now! Denise