So, you’re on a journey to build or support your brand and you don’t know whether to write it yourself or buy eBook content. We’re happy to say, you’ve landed in the right place because Textbroker is your leading voice in content marketing, and that includes showing you creative ways to write eBooks. Our goal is to help you create topics that are remarkable—so remarkable that readers will consume the shiny nuggets you drop and share with them, over and over again. Sound like a plan? Fantastic! Read on.
What Is An eBook?
First things first, you need to know exactly what an eBook is and how it can help your business or personal brand. The straightforward definition is an eBook is a book you can read on any number of electronic devices. Think tablets like a Kindle or an iPad, laptops, and even a good old-fashion desktop computer. Depending on how comfortable one is reading from smaller screens, eBooks are also accessible on most smartphones. The brilliant aspect of an eBook is how readily you can share content with an audience at any time, anywhere they’re comfortable with consuming it.
Don’t lose sight of the fact that eBooks are so much more than a downloadable, text-heavy PDF with a colorful front cover. In fact, if you have it in mind to take this approach, don’t. Consumers have been trained to expect hyperlinks at a bare minimum. Make your content more appealing by going beyond the basics. Today’s eBooks have evolved to become full-on interactive experiences.
If you’re feeling fancy, HTML5 and CSS3 standards have developed into a brand-new category called enhanced eBooks. This type of product allows you to deliver highly customized experiences which include the ability to integrate videos, enlarge photos, and even incorporate Q&A capabilities. The technical possibilities are as endless as the depth of content.
Whether you are a subject matter expert with decades’ worth of experience or at the beginning of building a track record as an authority in your industry, writing an eBook can be highly beneficial when you properly execute the content. Even though there absolutely is more than one way to bake a cake, you certainly don’t want to spend too much of your time figuring out the recipe. Writing and understanding how eBook selling works takes dedicated planning. Let’s start with why. Specifically, why should you invest in writing an eBook?
When you think about it, creating an eBook is another way to provide more value to your customers. In most cases, that value can build brand equity translating into lasting relationships and, more importantly, profits. In today’s extremely densely competitive digital landscape, cutting through the clutter requires deft creativity. Quality content still matters. Having the know-how is an important asset to reaching the customers looking to consume your products and expertise.
Your reasons for wanting to write an eBook for your personal brand or to build your company’s presence in your industry may vary. Mostly, they’re created to position you as an authority in your field. They are also an effective conduit to establish trust with a new audience. If you’ve spent time researching eBooks, you’ve already noticed that many well-known, successful authors give away free chapters if not entire eBooks. Free offers help to build name recognition, attract attention to your product and create goodwill amongst potential customers.
Here’s a secret:
The driving force for you to invest in creating eBooks is that people will consume them and share the information they find valuable. Groundbreaking right? Writing an eBook is important to your content marketing plan and has proven to be an effective lead magnet for new customers. eBooks are also instrumental in capturing email addresses and pitching other products or services. Don’t be shy about it. Good content adds value, so share your insights and engage your audience.
Another compelling reason to write an eBook is for profit in the form of direct sales. According to Statista.com, revenue in the eBooks segment is projected to reach $16,647m in 2020. An estimated $6,498,000 is expected to be generated in the U.S. alone.
Do we have your attention now? Specifically, writing an eBook that sells can be a big deal for your business. Don’t just follow the paper trail. Chasing the money without providing quality can result in a significant amount of loss. If written and marketed correctly, an eBook that sells offers financial benefits well beyond the amount of time originally invested in creating the initial content. If you haven’t already, give some serious thought to how to sell an eBook before you start the writing process.
How to Get Started
Believe it or not, it’s very likely you have the majority of your content already on hand. Before you write anything, conduct an inventory of any presentations, marketing material, and even video transcriptions you have previously delivered. Additionally, if you or your company has a website, source material can also be found through analyzing webpages. Company blogs especially are excellent sources of eBook content. Also, keep in mind, the last thing you want to do is regurgitate material already provided to your audience. Include exclusives, and as often as possible, offer premium sought-after content for your prospective niche.
PRO TIP: Successful eBooks are heavy on value and light on jargon and salesy buzz.
Revisit already existing content.
Go through your blog comments, social media timelines and the emails you’ve previously received. What questions or topics have you spent time addressing again and again? Simple research will help you to better understand if your audience would benefit from more in-depth product comparisons, step-by-step tutorials or how-to guides.
Don’t skimp on the research.
Before you begin writing, spend an adequate amount of time researching your competition. Make note of where competing products are sold, how much they cost and even when they were released. When it comes to research, you can spend as much or as little time as you need to feel comfortable. Build in research as an action item of your project completion timeline.
Get Organized.
Organize your material, determine your topic, and stick to it. As tempted as you might be, refrain from having too many branching conversations. One way to do that is to create a chapter outline. Just like you wouldn’t just start driving before you know where you’re going, you need a roadmap for each eBook. While we’re on the travel theme, take your readers on a journey where there is an actual destination. Again, your goal is to deliver valuable content at every turn.
Be your audience. If the subject matter isn’t moving you, it won’t move your consumers
Create a persona.
Construct a fictional customer, called a persona, based on actual data. Using a persona to guide you on how to market an eBook has long-term benefits.
There are a number of creative ways to write an eBook. Ultimately, it’s a smart way to invest your time and resources. Depending on the niche, your initial investment could be minimal, and everybody likes the idea of minimal input yielding maximum value. Not to mention, through focused content, it is possible to attract highly qualified consumers who are motivated to hear more from and do business with you.
Sure, you could write an eBook yourself. There are benefits to that:
Let your eBooks build a loyal reader base for your brand. We don’t want you to go down a rabbit hole of information and get hung up organizing dozens of chapters. Simply, we get you.
The best way to create an eBook is to invest in hiring a qualified writer and buy eBook content.
We recommend you consult with an expert who can match you with an author who not only understands your content but will also fit your timeline and, most importantly, your budget. Textbroker is scalable, has no fixed costs and will deliver content-rich pages that can even boost your SEO.
Why buy eBook contentfrom Textbroker?
Textbroker offers many advantages for business leaders who want to buy eBook content. Some of the advantages are:
eBook Content FAQ
What does eBook stand for?
eBook stands for electronic book.
Can I update the content in my eBook?
Absolutely! Most programs offered through Amazon and Barnes & Noble will allow you to make as many manuscript updates as you need.
How many pages should an eBook be?
There’s no hard-and-fast rule for the length of an eBook. Page count depends more on the audience and intentions of your content. Textbroker best practice indicates a ballpark of 30-100 pages as being ideal.
If I buy eBook content, how long will an author take to complete the project?
We have good news! You get to determine the length of completion for your project. As long as you provide the writer with a clear brief, your content delivery time shouldn’t be a problem.
Can I print copies of my completed product?
The short answer is maybe. Depending on the platform, you may be able to change the permissions of your manuscript allowing for it to be downloadable.