Writing an E-book | Part Three

Before you start to write, ask yourself some additional questions:

• Does the book present useful information and is the topic relevant?
• Will your book positively affect the lives of your readers?
• Is the concept dynamic and will it keep the reader engaged?

If you can answer yes to these questions, then your e-book has potential for success.

A key ingredient for success is the ability to determine who makes up your target audience. This is to whom you are addressing the book, and knowing who they are will dictate many elements of your book such as style, tone, and length. What is the age range of your readers, their general gender, what areas of interest do they tend to have? Are they from a specific socio-economic group? The more you know about your target audience, the better you can write for them.

Now list the primary reason you are writing your e-book. Is it to promote a business? Do you want to drive traffic to a company website? Is it for the purpose of building your reputation? Write down your publishing goals. How will you sell the book — as a standalone product on your website? Or will it be offered as a gift for filling out an online survey or for ordering a product?

You may want to break up the book into sections and offer it as an e-course, or use it to attract business affiliates. The more you can determine before beginning to compose the book, the easier the actual writing will be.

It’s important to decide on the format of your chapters. In non-fiction, keep the format from chapter to chapter fairly consistent. You might employ a short introduction to each chapter, and then divide the content into four subhead topics. Or you may write each chapter as four or five separate sections, each one beginning with a relevant anecdote.

Read More: Writing an E-book | Part Four