Archive for the ‘Writing Resources’ Category

(Click here to read Part 1)

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CHOOSE YOUR PUBLISHING FORMAT

Second only to choosing your topic, choosing the correct file format for you ebook is critical.  Each format has some limitations, so you need to have an idea of what you want your end product to look like before choosing your publishing format.  For example, some format types can read only on specific hand-held devices.  Others limit what type of add-ons you can include with your ebook (such as videos and images).  And still others limit you to only publishing straight text.  To determine which is right for you, let’s start by discussing one feature that you will not need in this exercise.

DRM, or Digital Rights Management, is a technology designed to protect the intellectual property of digital media following sale.  In other words, it’s a way for the creator to defend the end-user from using their work in a way other than intended.  Since the purpose of this ebook is to offer it for free as a way to draw attention to your website, we will not be using DRM at this time.  (For additional information on DRM, consider reading “How Digital Rights Management Works” on howstuffworks.com.)

There are plenty of publishing formats available for you to choose from, but I am going to narrow the list down to a handful based upon the range of features you can include with your ebook and the various platforms that support them.

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The following is a comparisson of the popular ebook formats vs popular ebook features.

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The following is a comparisson of the popular ebook formats vs popular ebook reading platforms.

(For further comparisons of ebook formats, consider reading “Comparison of e-book formats” on Wikipedia.com.)

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EPUB:  EPUB has quickly become the new format standard for electronic publishing.  It works on almost all main digital readers, with the exception of the earlier Kindle devices.  Also, it supports all the main features desired in creating a new ebook (video is supported under EPUB version 3).

Kindle:  The Amazon Kindle is the leader of the e-reader industry, and a lot of that has to deal with the format of the content that displays on the device.  The Kindle ebook format supports all the main desired features for content, but it is limited to the platforms that it can read the files.  Obviously, it works on all Kindle platforms, and can now be read on Android devices (the Kindle Fire is an Android-based platform).

PDF:  Adobe’s PDF file format has been popular for over a decade since it provides a clean page-formatted document that can be read on virtually any major platform.  With ebooks, the only major platform that cannot view a PDF file is the original Amazon Kindle.  The one drawback is since PDF files display completed pages, it doesn’t offer the word-wrap feature that the EPUB and Kindle formats do.

Mobipocket:  Mobipocket was purchased by Amazon back in 2005, and was the foundation for the Kindle ebook format.  As a result, Mobipocket files can be read on all the devices that the Kindle format works on, in addition to a handful of other minor ebook readers.  Unlike the Kindle format, however, it does not provide sound or video support.

HTML:  Since so many of the available ebook formats incorporate HTML in some form into their design, HTML formats can be read on most ebook readers.  What is missing from the more popular ebook formats is the bookmarking feature.

Plain Text:  Plain text is simply that – plain text.  There is no special format associated with it nor any special content, and as such, it can be read on any platform.

The nice thing about all the formats listed above is that they work on the universal ebook-reading platform around – the computer.  More ebooks are read on a computer than any other hand-held device.  Some of the ebook formats do not require a computer user to download an ebook reading program (plain text, PDF, HTML) while others do (EPUB, Kindle, Mobipocket).  If you publish in a format that requires your customer to have an ebook reader on their computer, be sure to provide them a link to a recommended site to download the reader on their machine.

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ADD ADDITIONAL CONTENT

Now that you have the body of your ebook written, let us consider adding some additional content to reinforce your text as well as to add reader interest.  One look at your favorite non-fiction texts probably includes images, tables, and maybe even asides providing related content of interest.  You can add these forms of additional content (and more) to your ebook.

Images: The most popular form of additional content is one I’m sure you have already used on your website – that being images.  Images, when used properly, give the readers a better understanding of your topic.  And by properly, I mean you want to use images that are related to the topic at hand, rather ones that might distract the reader from your message.  Going back to the example about an ebook discussing origami, incorporating images showing the reader how to fold the paper correctly is a proper use of images.  Incorporating images of hamburgers on the other hand doesn’t work.

Multimedia:  One of the benefits of the digital age was the ability to incorporate audio and video with text.  Hearing or seeing something as it occurred creates a deeper context to the topic being discussed.  The same potential exists with your ebook.  Depending on the file format you choose for your ebook, incorporating multimedia can further increase the value and usability of your work.  But as with images, you want to make sure your audio/video inclusions are related to the topic, especially since they increase the file size of your ebook.  Also, be sure your audio/video inclusions are not simply audio versions of your text.

Sidebars:   The last addition that you might consider is the use of “sidebars.”  In this case, a sidebar is a section of text that is apart from the body of your ebook.  In these sidebars, you can add related content that are of value to the reader, but not necessarily a part of the topic itself.  Here, you can provide Top Ten lists, or post a testimonial, or even an interesting trivia tidbit that you think the reader might enjoy.  Going back to the origami example, you could have a sidebar listing the most popular animals created with origami.

A sidebar is typically found to the side of your text, but with some ebook readers, you might not be able to format your ebook with that feature.  An alternative is to display the sidebar at the bottom of the page where you want it to occur.  If you do, be sure to change the background color, crate a frame, change the font, or use some other formatting option to set this text apart from the body of you ebook so you don’t confuse the reader accidentally.

Links:  The reason of this ebook exercise is to draw attention to your website(s), so you will want to be sure to incorporate a few links; however, you do not want to flood the reader with hyperlinked text every other sentence.  This is especially true if you are providing links to additional sites.  If these additional links are reference points, you can consider creating sidebars for each section citing these additional websites.

Headers/Footers:  One thing you should consider including with your ebook are headers and footers.  This will provide a more professional look as well as an ease of use for your readers.  The header will display the title (and section, if you choose) of your ebook, while the footer can display the page the reader is currently on, as well as the title/link of your website.

Color and backgrounds:  In addition to content, adding color to your ebook is a good way to give it life.  However, you need to be responsible with the way you use color.  Depending on the device your reader is using, some colored text might not display properly (such as trying to read blue text on an old Kindle device).  To be safe, use a dark font color if you don’t want to publish in black.

Another color concern to be aware of deals with your background designs.  Like with the above, some background/text color combinations do not work well on black-and-white hand-held devices.  Additionally, if your reader chooses to print your ebook, backgrounds heavy with color can cause your reader to burn through print cartridges quickly.

Foreword:  As noted in the first part of this article, you can include a foreword with your ebook.  While not required, a foreword can serve a variety of purposes.  Naturally, you can use it as a greeting to your readers and introduce them to the topic within your ebook (with your thesis statement, for example).  It can also serve as instructions for your readers to follow if your ebook includes interactive material.  It can even include your copyright and/or list any disclaimers as necessary.

Cover:  One aspect of your ebook that might be overlooked in this process is your cover.  The old saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” is misleading.  While the content of the ebook is what really matters, the cover is what can attract a potential readers’ attention initially.

Your cover doesn’t need to be flashy, but it does need to be professional.  Your title needs to be clearly visible.  If you choose to use a graphic, make sure it ties somehow to what your ebook is about.  Using the origami example, you wouldn’t want to put a picture of exercise equipment on the front of the cover.

Just as with the backgrounds within your ebook, be sure that your cover is “printer friendly.”  In this case, be sure that your graphic looks well both in color as well as black and white.  Not only because of the way it prints, but also for the way it is displayed on handheld devices (such as the Kindle).

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EDIT/PROOFREAD

“Measure twice and cut once” is a saying often used when it comes to building things, and the same can be said about creating your ebook.  Doing a good job of editing before you publish your ebook can go a long way to capturing and retaining new readers.  If the reader gets the impression that you care about “how” you write, then they might feel you care about “what” you are writing about.  Let’s cover the areas that need to double-checked before publishing.

Consistency:  If you are compiling previous articles (especially if they were written years apart) from your website to create your ebook, the odds are that you probably have a consistency issue.  Consistency implies professionalism, so when editing, you want to be sure that the writing style and formatting are the same.  Some areas you want to check:

1.  Tense:  Is the tense the same throughout the document?  If a section used from one article was written in the past tense, while a section from a different article was written in present tense, you need to choose which tense you want to use and correct the rest of the document.
2.  Font:  Is the font style and size (excluding section headings) the same throughout the body of the ebook?
3.  Headings:  If you are using a heading “hierarchy,” are you using different styles to denote the difference between headings and subheadings?  Also, be sure your case-use is the same.
4.  Page numbers:  Most word processors will automatically handle numbering the pages for you.  Be sure the numbers match up with your table of content.
5.  General numbers:  Are you spelling your numbers out (one, two, three, etc) or are you using numerals (1, 2, 3, etc) instead?

Readability:  Additionally, you want to ensure the ease of readability of your ebook before you release it to the public.  Check the following:

1.  Mood:  Are your sentences too negative?  For example, the sentence above (“If the reader gets the impression…”) could have been written negatively (“…that you don’t care about …”).  By changing the sentence from a negative to a positive (“… that you care about…”) can leave your reader with a positive impression.
2.  Language:  Do you use a phrase too often?  Consider rewording the phrase to make the sentence sound more original and less repetitive.
3.  Run-on sentences:  Do you have sentences that can be shortened or broken up into two?
4.  Pronouns:  Is your pronoun clearly identified with its associated noun?  For example, “When Harry and Jim get together for dinner, he usually pays the bill.”  In this case, who is the “he” referencing?
5.  Spelling:  Having a word processor with a built-in spellchecker is handy, but sometimes it misses obvious misspellings (such as “there” instead of “their” or “one” instead of “on”).  Read each line carefully to catch these hidden misspellings.

Review:  Sometimes, it takes a fresh set of eyes to catch the errors you make (even the simple ones).  If you are interested, find someone willing to review your ebook before you publish it.  Even if there aren’t any errors found, the reviewer might provide you some valuable recommendations.

You can even use the editing/reviewing process as a means to get your core readers involved.  Invite a small group of readers to proofread different sections of your ebook before you publish it.  Their involvement could result in free advertising for you, since they may provide testimonials for you ebook because of their individual involvement in the process.

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PUBLISH

Congratulations!  You’ve completed your ebook.  Now it’s time to upload it so the rest of the world can read it.  There are three ways you can provide your ebook to your readers: upload it to your website, e-mail it to your readers, or publish it on a site that allows potential readers to find and download your ebook.  Which of these methods (or combination thereof) you choose to use are up to you, but let’s cover them for a moment.

Uploading your ebook to your website is probably the most comfortable way for you to provide your ebook to the public.  In an new post, on the sidebar of your homepage, or as a standalone page on your site, you can draw the attention of your readers to your ebook for them to download.  All they would need to do is to click on the link you’ve published and have it download to their computer to read at their leisure.  (One thing you can do is have them provide their e-mail address first before being able to download.  That way, you can create a mailing list for any future communication you wish to have with interested readers.)

If you already have a mailing list, you can send the link of your ebook to your readers to inform them of the new content they can download and enjoy.  This is handy if your followers read your website through an RSS feed rather than actually visiting your website directly (and might otherwise miss the ebook announcement).

Lastly, you can upload it to an “ebook marketplace” (such as Lulu.com) where potential readers who may have never seen will find your ebook.  These sites usually have a format requirement (for examply, Lulu.com accepts PDF, EPUB, and DOC formats), and sometimes they will offer a free file conversion service for you.  When you upload your ebook, you can use your thesis statement that you created at the beginning of this exercise as the description for your ebook.

And there you have it.  You have published your first ebook with the intent to advertise your website, establish yourself as an authority on the subject material, and hopefully generate a larger followership.  If you choose to accept this exercise, please share with us the link to your ebook, as well as your experience in the process.  You may have discovered a tip that was missed in this two-part article that might benefit the community.  Best of luck!