Selling Ebooks: The Basics of What You Need to Know from Start to Finish

By Donovan A. McLean

Many writes have flashy book covers and titles that really do little to show the basics of how to publish an ebook, but there is a simple way to share the process of writing and selling ebooks in a clear and compelling way, and teacher and entrepreneur Donovan McLean can show you how in Selling ebooks: The Basics of what you need to know from Start to Finish.
Selling ebooks is a straightforward instructional book that will help anyone who ever wanted to publish their own book accomplish the task. In this easy to folly guide, Donovan walks the reader through all the necessary steps to create their own ebooks, from brainstorming to selling them online for years to come.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jul 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781667852973

Book preview

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Selling Ebooks: The Basics of What You Need to Know from Start to Finish

© 2022 Donovan A. McLean

All rights reserved. This book or any portion there of may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

eBook ISBN: 978-1-66785-297-3

Table of Contents

Introduction:

Easier to Publish Today

You Can Do It Yourself Today

Chapter 1: Why Sell eBooks?

Be Seen as an Authority

Build Your Brand

Ebooks Work as Lead Magnets

Works Well as a Passive Income

Chapter 2: Choosing Your Topic, Genre, and Title

The Basic Premise: There Are Millions of Ideas—Choose the Right One and Start

Why Should You Create the Book?

What’s Your Book’s Purpose and Who Are You Trying to Reach?

Coming Up with Titles

What Should a Book Title Do?

Should You Subtitle?

What You Should Watch Out for With Titles

One-Word Titles

Overly Complex Titles

Title Confusion

Tips for Coming Up with Titles

Have Working Titles as You Write . . . and Be Willing to Change Them

Chapter 3: Who Will Write the Book?

Will You Be the Writer?

What Is a Ghostwriter?

What Can Ghostwriters Write?

Benefits of Working with a Ghostwriter

Save Time and Energy

The Quality of the Writing

Finish the Project

Accomplish Your Dream

How to Choose a Ghostwriter

Applicable Knowledge Helps but Is Not Always Needed

Find Ghostwriters on the Web

Consider What They’ve Written

Ask for a Sample

Be Clear About What You Want

Sometimes, You Need to Be the Writer

Tips for Writing Your Book Yourself

Tools to Consider

Tools for Outlining and Brainstorming

Tools for Writing the Book

Grammar and Style Tools

Chapter 4: Revisions and Editing

Take a Break from the Book

The First Edit and Putting Together the Second Draft

Don’t Overuse the Thesaurus

Consider Hiring an Editor

Have Someone Proofread

Read It Aloud

Errors Will Still Slip Through

Chapter 5: People Do Judge a Book by Its Cover

Hold on a Minute . . . It’s Not True?

What Can a Bad Cover Do?

What Does a Good Book Cover Do?

It Is the Face of the Book

Signifies Genre or Topic of the Book

The Image

Title and Author’s Name

The Colors

Can You Create Your Own Book Cover? Sure, but Should You?

Find and Hire a Professional Book Cover Designer

What Is the Process of Finding a Designer Typically Like?

How Much Could a Book Cover Cost?

The Types of Covers You Might Need

The Types of Artwork Used

Timeframe

Quality and Experience Make a Difference

Difference Between eBook and Print

Chapter 6: Getting the eBook on Amazon

Hire Someone to Take Care of the Formatting

Using Kindle Create to Format Your Kindle eBook

Get the Program from Amazon

File Import

Adding Your Front Matter

Your Table of Contents

Adding a Bit of Style

Consider Choosing a Theme

Images Are Easy to Add

Putting in Some Hyperlinks

Your Back Matter Pages

Get the Book Ready to Print

Check the Book Before Publishing

Chapter 7: Increase Sales with Audio and More

Earn More with Your Book

Reach a New Audience

Like eBooks, You Are Always in Stock

Improve Your Reputation

It’s Affordable to Get Started with Audiobooks

What’s Next?

Chapter 8: Choosing a Narrator—You or a Professional?

Before You Look for a Narrator, Listen to Your Book Again

Where to Look for Narrators

Listen to Samples and Research

Think of Your Audience and Your Book

Choose Sample Text for the Narrator to Use as an Audition

What Should You Provide to the Narrator?

How Much Could Hiring a Narrator Cost?

Royalties

Should You Be the Voice of Your Audiobook?

Chapter 9: Getting the Book onto ACX

What Is ACX?

Go to ACX

Create the Title Profile

Find a Narrator

Review the Auditions You Receive

Connect with the Producer

Make Sure They Are the Right Fit

The Finished Book

What Comes Next?

It’s Nice and Easy

Chapter 10: Choose the Right Prices for the Book

Check Your Genre and Categories

Consider the Length of the Book

Listen to Feedback from Readers . . . to a Point

Don’t Just Price Cheap—99 Cents Gives You Nowhere to Go

Consider the Value of What You Are Offering

Can You Set the Pricing of Your Audiobook on Audible?

You May Need to Experiment with eBook Prices

Chapter 11: Beyond eBooks and Audio – Benefits of Easy, No-Cost Printing

Easier than You Think

Kindle Makes Things Easier for Print Books, Too

You Don’t Have to Make a Choice Anymore

Paperback and Hardcovers Are Viable Options through Kindle and Amazon

Get Preview Copies Before Making It Available for Sale

Chapter 12: Tips for Marketing Your Books for More Sales

Start Marketing as Early as Possible

Use Social Media Wisely

Create a Good Website

Why You Need a Blog

Start Building an Email List

Make the Email Worthwhile

Videos and Podcasts

Make Some More Money

Interact with Readers

Connect with Other Authors

Consider Book Promotion Sites

Run Some Ads

Run Pricing Promotions

Rework the Marketing Campaign

Write Another Book

Conclusion:

Get Started Today

Resources:

Introduction:

In the past, it was difficult to write and publish a book. There was a lot of time involved, you would have to query publishers, or you would have to take an expensive self-publishing route. It wasn’t for everyone, and it could be very difficult to find success with your titles.

Easier to Publish Today

Fortunately, times have changed. Thanks to advancements in technology, it is faster and easier to put out eBooks, as well as audiobooks, and even print copies if you choose. It is also more affordable than it was in the past. You don’t have to work with a vanity press (which is always a bad idea), and you don’t have to worry about fly-by-night publishing companies trying to scam you.

Even if you did get a publisher or publish books yourself, it was expensive. It was