Writing E-books: The Hottest Marketing Tool on the Web

With so many e-books available on the Web, the need for a dynamic marketing tool to make your e-book offering stand out from the rest of the crowd is a must. However, selecting the appropriate marketing tool for your e-book is not easy given the array of competing marketing tools available to you on the Web. Your choice of marketing tools range from pay for click advertising, blogging, article marketing, forums, social networks and online video, to name but a few.

Of all the online marketing tools available on the Web, online video represents the most versatile, most cost-effective and most value-added asset you can choose. If you are not using online video to promote your e-book, then you could very well be missing out on a lot of potential sales.

Here are six reasons why you should be using online video to promote your e-book:

· Online video has the power to engage your audience faster than any other medium

· More and more people are tuning into online video: In the UK alone, the number of people watching online video went from 6 million in 2006 to over 17 million in 2010

· There are over 50 free to upload video sharing sites on the Web

· Youtube, alone, has more than 490 million unique visitors every month

· Youtube and Google Video are not just video sharing sites – they are search engines

· Youtube is the second largest social networking site after Facebook, with over 15% of the social networking market

Creating online video need not be difficult, as most PC’s and laptops come bundled with video making software. Software such as Movie Maker or I-Movie is not complicated to use, and you can create a short video clip within the space of a few hours. You don’t even need a video camera as you can use screencast technology to capture images from your computer screen. For those of us bereft of video editing skills, I’ve discovered that a PowerPoint presentation set to music is an effective way of creating online video.

The point is: you don’t need to be a Spielberg to create online video, nor do you need to create an Oscar-winning blockbuster. All you need is a short video clip, of no more than 1 minute, to announce the publication of your new e-book.

Online video, if entertaining and informative, has the potential to go viral. For example, Pepsi Cola created a funny video clip that attracted over 26 million viewers over a very short time span. The clip lasted no more than a few minutes. Now that is what I call viral marketing at its best.

Creating an online video and uploading it to any one of the free video sharing sites will increase your e-book’s exposure to a broader audience.

Online video will also help you to create a brand image for your e-publishing business, a must if you want to become a bestselling e-book author. But, more importantly, online video will empower you towards a better rapport with your readers. Furthermore, the growing popularity of online video amongst Internet users translates into a better opportunity to build a more dynamic online presence for your e-book, which in turn equates to more sales.

Why not give your e-book the online video promotion treatment? The results might just surprise you.

The E-book Challenge: How to Engage Your Reader in 3 Seconds

Did you know that it takes less than 3 seconds for a reader to decide if your e-book is worth reading or not? Three seconds is about the length of time it has taken you to read the previous sentence. I think you will agree with me, 3 seconds is not a lot of time in which to engage your reader.

Your e-book may be full of riveting content, but if it doesn’t have a hook to engage your reader, then all your eloquent prose will be for nothing.

What is a hook? I hear you ask. A hook is something that attracts your reader’s attention and will compel them to delve further into your e-book to see what you have to offer. And remember, you only have 3 seconds for your hook to work.

Three seconds… tick, tick, tick. That is all the time you have to entice your reader into reading your e-book. If you are employing the same tired techniques from yesteryear to hook your readers, then the chances are you’ll hear click, click, click. Your readers will have flown never to return.

Whilst one should never judge a book by its cover, readers of your work will, however, make value judgments of your e-book offering based on title and imagery. A long complex title on a blank page will most certainly drive away your readers.

The key to engaging readers is to use a short title of fifty characters or less superimposed over an attractive image. The image must relate to the title and convey some sense of your e-book’s content.

It is a fact of life that imagery plays a vital role in how we perceive the world around us. Images, as they say, can convey a thousand words in the blink of an eye. And that is why a good front cover on your e-book is more likely to engage your reader than a blank page or a dull and unrelated image that bears no relationship to the title or content of your e-book.

Using symbolic imagery for your e-book cover is fine, but do not make it too complex. When creating your e-book cover, try to keep in mind that your readers will only give you 3 seconds in which to engage them. A complex image that doesn't strike a chord with your readers immediately will simply drive them away.

Some authors prefer to use expensive software to create attractive front covers for their e-books. E-book cover generators certainly add a touch of professionalism to your work. However, if your budget is limited, then you can use any number of open source e-book cover generators which are available on the Internet. Alternatively, you can also use existing software which is available on your computer.

For example, the e-book cover at the head of this article was created using Powerpoint and Paint, software that comes as standard with most PC’s. On this occasion I have used symbolic imagery to get my message across; the koala bear being a symbol of the bemusement experienced by most newbie authors as they struggle to understand the nuances of the e-book industry. The image is not 3D but it is attractive and endearing to those who want to know more about becoming a successful newbie e-book author.

A clear and succinct title accompanied by an attractive e-book cover is essential to your success as an e-book author. If you value the content of your e-book and want others to read it, then you might want to think about getting creative with your e-book covers.

Writing E-books: How to choose a topic

The biggest problem facing e-book authors is in knowing what to write about. It is also a problem that perplexes most newbie e-book authors when it comes to launching their writing career.

The ability to write well is one thing, but to write with authority on a given topic is something else. Simply plucking a topic from thin air and writing about it is not an option if you want to be a successful e-book author.

Knowledge is the key when it comes to choosing a topic for your e-book. As my old professor once told me many years ago, if you want to write well, then write about what you know. Writing from a depth of knowledge allows the words to flow from your finger tips onto the screen in the same way that water flows from an open tap.

For example, you might be a keen gardener who specializes in growing roses in an urban setting. If this is the case, then you should write about your experience of growing roses in confined spaces. Your e-book may not reach the New York Best Sellers List, but you can be assured there will be plenty of gardeners willing to buy your e-book just for the information you can impart on the topic of growing roses in an urban setting.

Alternatively, you could be an experienced DIY motor mechanic with a penchant for doing up old cars. There are plenty of DIY motor enthusiasts who would love to read about your experience of breathing new life into an old Chevy 57.

Whatever your specialty, there are plenty of potential customers ready to buy your ‘KNOW HOW’.

Once you have identified your chosen specialty, you will need to define the extent of your knowledge so that you can transfer it into print. Mind mapping is a simple but useful aid for revealing your strengths and weaknesses on any given topic relative to your specialty.

To mind map, you simply take a large piece of paper and write in the center of it, in big bold letters, your specialty. Working from the center out, you fill your page with what you know or do not know about the specialty you are going to write about. The secret to a good mind map is to use single descriptive words or short phrases to describe the extent of your knowledge. You can even use pencil drawings if you are so inclined. The idea behind the mind map is to create a set of reference points for generating ideas for your e-book.

You can further enhance your mind map by carrying out research. Research will not only plug the gaps in your knowledge, it will also lend credibility to your work. Moreover, research will help you to define your e-book topic when it comes to writing on your specialty.

When writing your e-book you should always bear in mind that people want answers to questions and not generalizations. E-books filled with generalizations hold little value for readers and will not sell. In short, there is no market for generalizations. Markets are broken down into demographics of age, interests, income and, more importantly, needs. Answer your market's needs in relation to your specialty and you will quickly find a demand for your e-book offerings.

Writing for Cash – The Myth and the Reality

If you are reading this article, then you are clearly interested in writing for money, or least given some thought to the idea. You have also no doubt researched the idea of writing for cash on the Internet and downloaded a handful of e-books or reports telling you how to turn your writing into a source of income.

Many of the e-books or reports you have read probably waxed lyrical about the hundreds of thousands of dollars that newbie and established writers are making from publishing their work on the Internet. Moreover, amongst all the hyperbole you will have come across testimonies testifying to the magic of a particular writing system. Some of these testimonies may contain an element of truth. However, what these testimonies fail to tell you is the fact that a majority of wannabe writers will not make a penny from their writing, no matter how great the writing system might be. This is understandable since the promoter of the writing system wants you to buy the product. So let us dispel the myth right now: not everyone can or will earn money from their writing.

There are several reasons why many wannabe writers never cut the mustard when it comes to turning their writing into cash. The most obvious reason is the lack of effort on the part of the wannabe writer to write effectively.

I recently came across several e-products where the author was trying to promote him or herself as a marketing or writing guru. Each of the texts that I read had potential but sadly most of them were littered with grammar and spelling mistakes. And whilst no one is perfect when it comes to the written word, I expected something a little better from those who were promoting themselves as leaders in their field.

Although not everyone can be a Hemmingway or a Stephen King, the least an author can do when they are trying to sell their writing for cash is to run a grammar and spell check over their work. Better still, they should learn a little about the art of writing before going to press.

If you are serious about making money from your writing, then be prepared to invest time, effort and energy to improve your skills as an author. It takes practise and a willingness to learn in order to become a proficient writer. The writing process merits respect from all those who are planning to make money from publishing their work.

The key to becoming a profitable writer rests in your ability to entertain and to captivate the reader through eloquent prose. If the reader is distracted because of too many spelling or grammatical errors in your work, then the reader will almost certainly go elsewhere for their reading material.

Once you have lost your reader because of bad spelling or grammar, then it is unlikely that he or she will come back to read the other material you have on offer. In short, to become a profitable writer you must approach the task of writing as you would any other profession – with due care and attention to detail.

Writing, like other professions, requires an understanding of your tools. Furthermore, you need to be proficient at using these tools if you want to become a successful author. You need to know how the written word works in terms of communicating ideas, excitement, tension and passion. Without this knowledge and the skill to use it you will fail to gain an audience for your written material.

At an elementary level, if you want to earn money from your writing, then you need to know how a sentence is constructed. You will also need to know how to use verb tenses to convey the appropriate sense of time and place. Once you have mastered the art of sentence structure, then you will need to learn how to stitch paragraphs together so that your writing comes across as a clear and coherent message.

There are plenty of resources on the Internet and in local libraries to help the budding writer master the art of writing. The local writing club or circle is a good place for writers to begin their career, not to mention a great place to exchange ideas with more experienced writers.

Writing clubs or circles present the wannabe writer with an opportunity to test their work and to gain feedback on what they have written. Constructive criticism from those in the know is always useful to anyone who is serious about improving their writing skills.

Learning to write is a lifelong process and one that should be encouraged. While there is money to be made from writing, not everyone can hope to make the grade as a profitable writer. However, this should not prevent you from trying, so long as you are willing to put in the effort.

Writing is an enjoyable pass time even if you do not make money from what you have written. You do not need to be a bestselling author to benefit from your prose. Writing is a skill that can enhance the quality of your life both at work and at play. So whilst you might be considering a career as a profitable writer, try to think of the other benefits that come with improving and developing your writing skills.

Why People Fail to Make Money from E-books

There are many reasons why people fail at writing and publishing e-books. But most of those reasons are related to the individual’s disposition rather than any problems associated with the e-book publishing industry.

First, most individuals entering the e-book publishing industry do so without fully understanding what it is they want to achieve.

Second, developing an e-book publishing business takes time and energy. Impatience is probably the biggest contributing factor towards people giving up on e-book writing and publishing as a possible source of income.

If you decide to become an e-book author/publisher, then be prepared for a lot of hard work over a long period of time. Even though there are no guarantees that your efforts will be successful, determination and hard work will swing the odds in your favor.

Third, becoming an e-book author/publisher is about learning the tools of the trade
The world of e-book publishing is very different to the one most of us encounter at the shopping mall where glitzy packaging entices us to buy the book. The Internet does not have that touchy feely experience about it most of us have become accustomed to when we go shopping. On the contrary, e-book publishing requires you to get your message across in a sincere and direct way that convinces prospective customers to purchase your e-book offering.

Learning about what works or does not work in the world of e-book publishing is imperative to your success as an e-book author/publisher. And the best way to learn about what works or does not work is to use the tried and tested methods employed by the more successful and experienced members of the e-book industry. Taking note of what the professionals do will give you a solid base of knowledge from which you can develop your own ideas.

Fourth, choosing the right e-book niche is vitally important if you are to succeed as an e-book author/publisher. You do not want to enter a market already saturated by competitors. You are a newbie and will soon become overwhelmed by the size of the competition. Survey the e-book landscape before you take the plunge. Choose something that matches your talent and your demeanor. Market research will prevent you from making the wrong, and perhaps costly, decisions.