Creating and publishing eBooks is really not that hard. That is, certainly not the technical part of it. Of course, depending on the topic you want to write about you’ll need some proficiency in storytelling, knowledge about the topic, know how to summarize or how to setup a phrase and use proper grammar, or how to give a logical structure to a book, and so on.
But as for the technical part, well, all you need is a word processor (we use Microsoft Word, which natively creates DOCX file formats) and a software program like Calibre (another program we use, which is for free) to actually convert DOCX file formats to PDF, EPUB and/or MOBI files for either on-screen reading (in a web browser or through any PDF Reader) or for eReaders and eReader Apps.
Moreover, I’ve noticed that today an increasing number of readers only use or need a PDF formatted eBook to be able to read it on any possible device, which makes things even easier because most word processors have the option to convert your text to a PDF file. It would mean that you could opt to only publish PDF eBooks and skip the rest.
I must admit that you will need some word processing skills, so if you have never before worked with word processer software it will involve a process of learning how to work proficiently with it. In addition, there’s a small learning curve as for using Calibre (if you would want to publish EPUB formats).
Now, you will also need to think about book cover design, which, by the way, is an art in itself. You may be savvy yourself, or you can perhaps get help from someone who is. In my particular case, it’s always Helissa who does the graphical part. She uses the free program Canvas to create our eBook and video workshop covers.
Then your topic. I think that the most obvious things to write about is those things you know a lot about, that is, your specialties, experiences, your work, or hobbies, but if you are willing to do serious research and learn, you can basically write about almost anything.
Your style, your approach, the way you compile an eBook will partly determine your success. Yet, you will also need exposure and promotion, maybe first through your own channels (your website, social media, etc.), but you could also try to publish through digital eBook resellers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Draft2Digital. Mind that third-party eBook (re)sellers often have strict procedures as for the type of content and formats you are allowed to publish through them, relatively high commission rates, and often also limited pricing options.
At any rate, we don’t use the abovementioned retailers but work independently. That is, we create (the formats and style of) our eBooks just as we want to and advertise them through our own website TraditionalBodywork.com, our YouTube and Pinterest channels, and we use Gumroad to actually sell our eBooks and videos.
To be clear: we use Gumroad as a platform to handle the digital distribution and payment procedure. In fact, as for exposure and promotion we rely on visitors that come to our website through an Internet search engine, visit our social media, or come to us through reference links on other websites or third-party social media. Of course, we also use our email list of followers (subscribers) and previous buyers to send them a newsletter when we have new products to offer.
All by all, it’s actually not that difficult. The technical part of writing, creating, and publishing eBooks is rather about organizing yourself and having the willingness to learn how to use certain software tools. As for the content itself, I really feel it’s best to write from out your own experience and knowledge, or about topics that are closely related to the things you know and are interested in. I think that probably makes for the best products.
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