Ebook writing can be a well-paying career if you intend to create ebooks for sale or do freelance ebook writing jobs.
However, many people trying to venture into ebook writing know this 
essential fact but are yet to get started. Possibly you’re one of them and maybe don’t know where to start.
Well, there is no need to worry about that because here you found a comprehensive guide in which I will be detailing all the key details about ebook writing and how you can succeed at it.
Through this article, you will find out what ebook writing is, how it works, the benefits of ebook writing, formats of ebooks, and basically any other essential information that you would like to find out related to ebooks.
With that said, buckle up for an informative guide on ebook writing!
Table of Contents
What Ebook Writing Is
Ebook writing is simply the writing of ebooks. On the other hand, an ebook also called an electronic book, is a version of a non-editable digital book that can be read through a computer, laptop, or even better a phone.
The reason many people are writing ebooks is that they have realized how marketable they are and there are so many reasons for this.
One is of course how easily accessible these books are as well as how cheap and portable they are.
Readers have realized that they don’t have to stress about traditional reading anymore which takes up space in their purses or bags, among other downsides, and have therefore opted for a much easier experience that allows them to store as many books as they can on their devices.
This is where writers come in by creating ebooks that meet the specific needs that various people have.
They structure their books based on what people want and write on these topics while aiming to be helpful as possible.
Writers get to earn money from ebook writing and that serves as a motivation for them.
They earn money in two ways using ebooks, that is, through writing their ebooks and selling them online or taking up ebook writing jobs on freelance sites.
Both can be very rewarding but lots of practice and hard work are required to be successful.
How Ebook Writing Works
While trying to understand how ebook writing works, let us first look at the common types of ebooks that are there;
1. Guide books – With these, you take your readers through how to do something. For example; “A guide to helping you focus as you read”. These kinds of ebooks are simple to work on but require good organization and being very informative to readers.
2. List books – With these, you come up with a list and give readers ways they can do something for example, “50 ways to decorate your house”.
3. Tips books – Here you also give helpful tips to readers on how to do something. For example, “tips to coming up with a business idea”
4. Daily routine books – Here you give ideas to readers on how to do something on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. For example, “31 daily things to do towards a healthier you”.
5. Fiction books – Here you come up with a creative story and then share it with your readers. You want to be as captivating as possible to get the attention of your readers.
6. Topic based ebooks – Some ebooks focus on a specific topic for example meditation, travel, business, health and give detailed information to those that need it. These usually take time to come up with because research has to be done thoroughly but if created well can be very rewarding.
Let us now look at the various ebook formats;
* PDF – This is the most popular ebook format and stands for Portable Document Format.
It’s best for ebooks that are meant to be read on a computer and all a writer needs to do to convert text to this format is, first open the ebook file from their computer, then print out the file to a PDF then lastly save the newly created file.
* MOBI – The MOBI format came from the Mobipocket Reader software, which was bought by Amazon in 2005 from a French development company but was later discontinued in 2016.
However, the format is still functional with most ereaders (a special app or program used to read ebooks) apart from Nook.
It also supports neither visuals nor sound.
* EPUB – This is another common ebook format and stands for electronic publication.
It’s a good format because it can adapt to various digital devices and therefore, allows a reader to move easily from one page to another making them easier to use on small screens.
* IBA – This is an ebook format that is only used for books written in iBooks Author.
This means that ebooks in this format cannot be read in any other e-reader. This format supports images, videos, and sounds.
* AZW – This is an ebook file type designed by Amazon. Through it, readers can open this file format on computers, tablets, and smartphones.
There is a much-advanced format than this which is called AZW3 and supports more styles and fonts as well as layouts. It also supports audio and video.
Other less popular ebook formats include;
* LRS, LRF and LRX – These were created by Sony and are not supported on any other e-reader.
* FB2 – This one was created in Russia and is user-friendly because it’s easy to convert it into any other format.
* DJVU – This is a super-advanced format and can compress many text lines without occupying too much memory space.
* RFT – This is a format that can maintain the special characters in a text and can be used on any e-reader.
Now that you have learned the different formats, let us now look at how writing an ebook works if you write for yourself as well as if you decide to write for freelance sites.
When venturing into ebook writing individually, you have to first get an idea of what you want to write about and then get as many angles of the topic as you can.
Next, you need to get to the writing process which also has to be done fantastically and then finally publish your work.
On the other hand, if you would like to work as an ebook writer for a freelance site, you have to first look for legitimate sites, apply for the jobs posted by various clients, get hired, write the ebook and then get paid.
Here are freelance sites that can give you ebook writing projects
Freelance Websites For Ebook Writing
• Upwork
This site allows clients that need ebook writing services to post their jobs and then writers can apply. If picked, the writers charge the following according to their level;
√Beginner: $20 per hour
√Intermediate: $33 per hour
√Advanced: $80 per hour
• Guru
This one claims to be a prominent online space for ebook writers to find work posted by different types of clients.
All one needs to do is create a profile and define what they do so as to be hired.
• Freelancer.com
This is another website that works with clients and ebook writers on various aspects.
Here clients post an ebook writing job and invite freelancers to bid for the job.
After taking a look at the bids, the client choose the one that is most fitting for them and hire them.
They then track the progress of the writer, approve their work after they are done and finally pay.
• Truelancer
This is a freelance marketplace that offers many ebook writers a chance to make money using their skills.
Their website has job opportunities for ebook writers clearly shown on their page, with each showing what is required for the project to be successfully done.
• Workana
Workana is another site that helps ebook freelancers find work.
Clients post work and then writers can bid. From their page, under each job, one can bid between $50-$100.
Benefits of Ebook Writing
It gives exposure to a brand
Just like any other marketing or advertising strategy, ebook writing will expose a brand because the information in it gets to reach a lot of people through the various platforms it has been made available, such as Google, social media, and reviews from people.
However, for this to happen, one has to put in hard work in terms of marketing your ebook which will pay off eventually in the form of clients, great business deals, and generally growth in your writing career.
Content is easily accessible
This, of course, has been facilitated by the digital world and hence readers can easily download ebook content and read it on the bus as they head back home, at the mall, in the garage, and anywhere else that they would like to begin reading ebooks.
One great feature in downloading ebooks is the fact that one can search within the ebook for specific details they require and thereby making their reading experience a lot easier.
Readers can also enjoy reading the books because there are amazing features included such as videos and audios relational to what they are reading. This makes reading not only informative but also fun.
Helps generate sales for brands
Through the exposure that ebooks give a brand, people can know what services a company or brand provides that they didn’t know about previously, and hence most are compelled to buy if the services meet their needs.
As a writer, you want to match your topic with your reader’s buying experience so that they can make a purchase.
Content can be easily shared
A reader can share the contents of an ebook with many other readers using the social feature that involves liking and sharing of content.
This, of course, cannot be done with printed books and the great thing is that you not only get to share with one person but many people in a matter of minutes.
They are environmentally friendly
This helps save on the money that could have been used to print books and in return save trees because they play a major role in paper making.
They are easy to come up with
This is in the sense that you don’t have to be a pro to come up with one. You just have to research well on an area and deliver thoroughly on it.
In the writing process, you can use a program as simple as Microsoft Word and then convert it into a PDF file.
You can then market your ebook using forums, your colleagues, or your family.
You also want to make sure that you protect your work with the relevant authorities to prevent it from being stolen by other people.
They are very affordable
Compared to printed books, ebooks cost much less. Readers don’t have to pay shipping costs or any other related fees as a printed book.
Also, on the end of a writer, you won’t incur a lot when putting out your book to the public as you normally would do with a printed book.
Can be updated
Since most of the information on ebooks is mostly cloud-based (stored on servers on the internet), it can be easily updated.
This means that if a writer wants to update content then he or she can do so easily.
Saves on physical space
Since ebook content is read using devices, you don’t have to worry about a shelf or room full of disorganized books.
Also, you don’t have to worry about a book getting lost or destroyed because they are well organized on your device.
Offers high-quality information to readers
With ebooks, they are written specifically for a certain group of people.
Therefore, writers who are knowledgeable on a certain topic provide all the necessary information and if maybe the information is not available elsewhere, the readers get to benefit from the content.
Can be as long as the writer wants
A writer is not limited to any length when it comes to ebooks. All you need to do is ensure that your book serves a purpose because you don’t want to have a long book full of nothing!
Can be a source of income to writers
This can either be full-time or passive depending on what the writer decides.
With every ebook a writer sells, royalties are paid and if he or she has several books the pay becomes quite substantial.
They are customizable
When a reader wants to make their reading experience better, they can customize a few features for themselves such as font and brightness level, something that cannot be done with print books, so this again proves why these books are better.
A writer gains authority
This is through writing for a specific niche because then they establish themselves as experts in that area.
People automatically view you as a pro on the topic that you deliver on, so you don’t want to disappoint them by providing tasteless content.
Common Mistakes When Writing an Ebook
In this section, I will be sharing with you the most common ebook mistakes, so you can avoid making them as you come up with an ebook;
Coming up with a boring topic
This is one of the most key sections when coming up with an ebook and so you should put some thought into it.
When deciding on a topic, don’t just consider it because you think your readers need it, take time to find out what they ACTUALLY want because they come first if your ebook is to succeed.
You can try to engage your readers through various social platforms or using your email list just to ask them what topics they would like discussed. I can tell you for a fact that they will give you many catchy topics that you can get started on.
Failure to allocate time specifically for writing
This is a crucial element in any writing task and if you don’t do so, you end up either rushing to finish a book or never finishing it at all.
So, you want to come up with a time schedule of how you are going to write your ebook so that depending on your availability, you get to write daily or every week.
Failure to market your ebook properly
As you come up with an ebook, you could get so caught up in the process and forget that people need to know about it.
However, you have to know that once you finish writing, the real work of convincing people to buy it begins and that is how your ebook will be successful.
Failing to optimize for SEO
Optimizing for SEO is a crucial step in your ebook because this is what generates leads for you.
Make sure that your headline is catchy so that readers are drawn to your work and that you utilize keywords because this is what ranks you well in the searches, something that translates to more sales.
Providing similar content as other writers
You cannot afford to be like everyone else in the market because then you fail to capture the attention of your readers.
After all, they think ‘it’s not that different anyway’.
You must be unique if you want to see results and get to know what your competitors are offering and then strive to be different.
Wrong title
Your title is the first thing that attracts potential readers so you want to make a good impression on them.
Make sure that your title is perfect and if you cannot come up with one, there are so many tools online that can help you with that such as, “IsItWP headline analyzer” that helps you come up with a compelling headline that will see you have traffic on your site as well as rank up on the search engines.
Offering little content on a topic to readers
As a writer, you don’t want to do this because first things first, you are competing with other ebook writers on a specific topic.
Therefore, if you under-deliver, your readers will not have enough information on what they want and so they will have to look for the same from someone else.
Keeping this in mind, you want to make your ebook is informative as possible, and wow them with your content such that they want to share it with others.
A great tip to this is asking yourself possible questions that your readers might have on a topic and then answering them through your work.
Failure to link
When you write the ebook, allow your readers to connect with you through another platform or sharing with them other works that you have under your radar by sharing a link. This ensures your growth as an ebook writer as well as helps you engage better with your audience.
Poor cover design
As much as you have written a good ebook, you must have a good cover because that is what will prompt readers to download it.
Make sure that your cover is great and also, spruce up your work by adding images that you are allowed to use and also that speaks volume on the content.
Failure to give readers social proof
Social proof is providing evidence such as user reviews, download numbers, or testimonials just so that those who want to try out something know that it works based on that.
If you don’t provide such in your ebook, chances are that readers will doubt your work and so your ebook may not be as successful.
You can achieve social proof by giving people copies of what you are going to talk about before writing and then use the reviews that they will give you. Credible stats are also good in this area.
Poor editing of your work
This turns off readers because it’s had to get through information that is wrongly written.
Therefore, make sure that you test your work for readability through apps like Grammarly, giving your work to trusted colleagues or friends so that they can tell you what’s off, or better yet, get an editor.
It’s important, however, that you set aside time specifically for editing to avoid editing as you go because it holds up your ebook writing.
Failing to back up your work
It’s important that before you start writing, you use an app that can help in the backing up of your work. If you still aren’t convinced enough to do this, visualize having invested so much time and effort to complete a book and then losing all of it just when you are about to finish it.
Giving up on the task
This could be because your ebook is not bearing any fruits in terms of sales or you are having a hard time coming up with one. Whatever the reason, it’s not worth giving up because nothing comes easy. You have to keep pushing yourself and find new ways to be a better sell your ebook or become a better ebook writer on your next ebook.
Tips to Become a Good Ebook Writer
– Plan your ideas first. Anything that is supposed to be successful should be planned for first. This aids in ensuring that one does not forget important elements in the writing process as well as helps in the general organization of work.
– Take time to research the topic you are delivering on. Balance on this because you don’t want to provide a lot of unnecessary details that make your work too wordy or worse, fail to provide key information. Research thoroughly and provide enough content that your readers need.
– Set aside specific time for writing. This ensures that you can meet your writing goals as well as give your work the attention it needs.
– Choose a good topic that matches the needs of your readers. This ensures that you remain relevant to your readers and that you satisfy their needs. The best way to approach this is to get in the mind of a reader and get to know what they need and on what.
– Avoid distractions as you write. Stay away from anything that reduces your creativity because then you become productive and ideas flow much easier. If you need to move into another space for example a library as opposed to the house, just to enhance your concentration, then so be it! Also, find something that inspires you to write because this will make your writing experience even better.
– Make the chapters of your book distinct. Let your readers easily see them because then they can scan through quite easily. You should also ensure that one chapter leads to the other to facilitate the aspect of the flow of ideas.
– Promote your ebook. Do ebook promotion as much as possible to ensure that you give it the exposure it needs and in return be in a position to earn. Be very creative as you do this.
– Include visuals. This has to be used carefully so that they are relevant to the topic at hand and aid readers to fathom your work. Also, they should not be blurry or offensive.
– Edit your work. Under no circumstances should you provide readers with unedited work because it compromises the quality of your work.
Frequently Asked Questions On Ebook Writing
Question: How long should an ebook be?
Answer: Well, you get to choose because there is no limit when it comes to how long or short your content should be.
This is one of the greatest advantages of ebooks because with print books, an author has to provide concrete content to readers and is therefore under pressure to write longer texts.
Question: What kind of content is published in ebooks?
Answer: Again, there are no limits, you can write about anything you want or are passionate about in the case that you are writing your own ebook.
But in freelance writing, you write what a client instructs you to. However, as much as there is freedom, you have to ensure that you write well.
Question: What does one need to write an ebook?
Answer: All you need is a functioning computer or laptop and of course your beautiful mind because that is where the ideas are.
Question: Does publishing of ebooks incur any costs?
Answer: If you are doing it all by yourself without involving a certified publisher then there will be no costs at all, but if you are involving one then of course you will pay up and costs may vary from one publisher to another.
Question: How do people purchase and read ebooks?
Answer: Since ebooks are downloadable, they can be read on almost any digital device.
Most people read ebooks of course on smartphones because it’s much accessible and portable but the reality is, Android and IOS devices have apps that can help them read books much better.
Readers can also buy ebooks from online stores such as The Kindle BookStore which is considered to be the world’s biggest online eBook retailer.
Other popular ebook online stores include Barnes & Noble as well as Apple’s iBookstore. Writers can also make their ebooks easily accessible by making them available on their websites.
Question: Why are other authors making more ebook sales than I am?
Answer: First, quite frankly there will always be someone who is doing better than you and that applies to life in general.
Avoid comparing your ebook writing journey with that of another person because then you use too much time focusing on that and forget that you need to put in work to see growth.
Just use that as an opportunity to ask those better than you how they do it, and then keep practicing and learning how to be better every day.
Question: How long will the download process of an ebook take?
Answer: This depends largely on how fast your phone is and also the internet as well as the size of the book you are downloading. Either way, the downloading process should be very fast and only take a few minutes.
Question: How can I avoid losing my ebook?
Answer: You can do a backup of the book for example using an app such as Google Drive to protect it from loss.
Question: How do I download my ebook?
Answer: You can follow these simple steps;
First, click on the special download link sent to you via e-mail.
Next, you will be required to open or save the ebook in the folder that you want, and downloading will start to take place on your device.
You can then open the file from where you saved it and start reading.
Question: Can I make good money from ebook writing?
Answer: Yes, you can make a living out of writing ebooks, but you have to work hard so that your content gains you more leads and in return earn good money.
In the case where you are writing for someone else, seek to provide an incredible ebook so that they refer other clients to you and therefore get paid well.
It’s honestly mostly about how much work you put in.
Question: Can I change or edit information on an ebook?
Answer: No, you cannot. Ebooks are created in such a way that you cannot change the information on them and the reading apps in your devices ensure that you don’t carry out any form of editing on the books that you read.
It’s okay to highlight using colors important points that resonate well with you, but the text will remain unchanged.
This, to some extent, protects the work of authors and so nobody can edit or reproduce the content that is already there without permission.
In any case, nobody in their right sense of mind would permit their work to be plagiarized.
Conclusion
And that is what ebook writing is practically all about.
I encourage you to choose the kind of path that you would like to take in ebook writing and get started right away and incorporate the tips that you have learned here.
If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact me through the comment section and I will be happy to get back to you and give you a hand as soon as possible.
Best wishes in your ebook writing! 🙂
