The eBook Writer's Guide to Writing an eBook

Honestly, ebook writing just isn't the same as traditional print writing. The rules are different on almost every aspect of the process. You don't have the same rules for publishing or word count or even reason. You don't have to follow recent trends or be behold to mysterious editors with lots of red ink. In fact, the better ebooks completely break the rules that traditional print books are almost required to follow.

That being said, it's obvious that it would be futile to spend all your time studying the traditional print style of writing a book, when you want to write an ebook. And trust me when I say that I've read most of those books too and they really just don't have a clue.

Sadly, the few guides that are available to new ebook writers, are often written by traditional print writers or those who only have a few ebooks under their belt. That's not a bad thing for them and that information has been useful to a point.

Though after spending the last 6 months writing ebook chapters on fiverr as EpicCoach, it's become apparent that those ebook guides and how to's, do not explain the process clearly enough nor do they tell you how to write faster and avoid writer's block. People are not in a crunch for ideas (most of the time), but they are in need of ways to save time, get the job done and get that ebook out to the world.

When I was writing the initial pieces of the eBook Writer's Guide, I realized that there was something else I needed to add that most other authors have failed to include until now. That realization turned into 111 questions about ebook writing: Answered.

After scouring every corner of the internet and bugging every writer and newbie that I could, I finally managed to compile the largest list (to date) of questions asked by most new and intermediate ebook writers. Questions about writing, publishing, formating and marketing, which seemed to be the most common. After compiling them, I set myself to answer every question with as much detail as possible so that it's not just a list of challenging questions with one line answers.

I've been told that the answers to these questions are by far one of the most powerful elements of the guide that I offer exclusively on fiverr.

While I definitely want to suggest you contact me, I feel I would be doing you a dishonor if I didn't suggest Noomii.com

Noomii is a coaching directory and facilitation website that will hook you up with a coach for any need, including some fantastic writing coaches.

I wanted to be able to leave something original in this hub that isn't necessarily within the ebook writer's guide. Something that could compliment it and help you get another step up towards starting and finishing that ebook of yours. There are so many things I could go through, but after several hours of racking my brain, I think the best thing I can do is leave you with 5 of my best tips for new ebook writers.

1. Write for yourself before you write for anyone else - This is something I wish I had known before I got started. The funny thing is, I literally could not write anything for anyone else before I had written a few books for myself. I've met many other authors who've experienced the same thing, and often times this happens because we all have a story to tell that must come out before any other good can be done. At this point, you can either write because you love the subject you're writing about and you just really want to put it onto pages, or can spend several years learning the lesson the hard way (like I did).
2. Don't edit until your done - This is probably one of the hardest parts for almost all writers, especially when you have more experience. It's all too easy to get a paragraph out and decide you hate it, or to find a typo here and there and go through to edit while you're writing. And while logically it seems like a time saver, it's actually a time waster and one I want to help you avoid. Not to mention, it's a good measure of your own self discipline to just say "Fuck those typos! I will not be deterred!". Remember that you can edit as much as you like in the end and if you're like me, you'll find that some of what you might have deleted, really does belong there.
3. Never let your mother read the first copy - Yes, if my own mother read this, she would probably gringe a little because the truth stings sometimes. But the truth is that your mother loves you too much, and that can actually hurt you when you're looking for feedback on your book. The consequences of asking your mother first are that she will either lie through her teeth and tell you it's the bestest thing she's ever read in the whole wide world, which either bruises your ego cause you know she's lying, or it sets you up for a big disappointment when a real reader says your work is no BFD. The other option is that she throws your own book at you and goes through it like an editor who ran out of red ink. That can make an eager writer want to completely trash all the hard work they sweated and toiled over. And more often than not, the book was fine and it's just that your mother wanted to try and spare you some pain she perceived you might experience. She doesn't realize that you're going to experience a lot more pleasure with her honest opinion, but hey, any good mother would be like this. So make sure that whatever you do, you don't give your mother the first copy. Instead, try having your closest friend, a co-worker or even a few people from facebook or linkedin do it. They are much more likely to be objective.
4. Don't worry about the price - Price is an easy thing to adjust and not something you need to worry about at first. Even the most seasoned marketers know that pricing is experimental and subjective to each buyer. Some of your readers will feel like they are getting more value because the book costs more, while others will feel left out if the price is too high. The same can be said for the other side of the scale - many books priced under $5 are considered "too cheap to be good" by a handful of would-be readers, but I know clusters of ebook writers who easily clear $100,000 a year with low priced ebooks with high quality content in them. So for now, just price your ebook at the price you would be willing to pay for it if you saw it written by someone else.
5. Get a Writing Coach - The role of a writing coach is to be there when you feel blocked, uninspired or like you're shy of some well needed information. They are a priceless resource and most of them have forgotten more about writing than we'll ever learn. Now, don't get me wrong, you can certainly do the whole thing without a live coach by your side, that's the whole purpose behind the ebook writer's guide - to help you do it yourself. Though if you're crunched for time, research or inspiration, there's no solution like a savvy writer's coach.

I designed the ebook writer's guide to help encourage you to be bold and courageous and not to let a lack of experience or education hold you back. That's one of the greatest things about ebook writing, anyone who truly wishes to, can find their fame and fortune through ebook writing. It's not an exclusive club or some insanely difficult specialty.

I've been writing and publishing ebooks for more than 5 years, and recently I'm proud to say that I've helped more than 50 writers get their books started and finished by providing high quality research, outlines and ebook chapters. Doing it for $5 certainly won't make me rich, but the feeling I get from knowing that another person has expanded their opportunities, is definitely enough for me.

Now it's time to find out what is enough for you. Will it be a yearly income that comes from your ebooks? Or will it be an outrageously large fanbase of fiction loving fans? Will it be a business that has been bettered because of an infoproduct ebook created to let people know more? Or maybe it will just be for you, a book about something you love.

Whatever the reason, don't hold back! Get out into the world and share what you know, what you love and what you hate - we're all waiting to hear about it!