How to Write a User-Friendly eBook

Right now, someone, somewhere will be embarking on the writing of an eBook.  Why?  Some do it to make some money; it’s one of the easiest ways to start an online business.

Others do it to share information they may have for those in similar financial, social or medical situations; maybe you want to share how you beat cancer or how you got out of debt.
Whatever your reason, there are some basic rules to consider that will make the final product more professional and.  So, let look at some of them.

Anyone that embarks on writing an eBook will undoubtedly have read many as well.  You will know from this that you must write in an appealing way that maintains the reader’s attention. After all, you want them to read ALL your eBook don’t you?  Plus, you’ll want them to come back for more if you are building an online business.

There are many tricks you can use to keep your readers’ attention.

Anecdotes give practical examples of what you are trying to explain.  These give readers confidence that what you are saying really does work.  They are also a great way of explaining complicated topics.

Images are also a powerful tool.  They can make topics clearer and they will stick in a reader’s mind longer than 5000 words of text.  They also break the eBook up and give the reader “markers” to parts that interest them.

Note-boxes or sidebars are also good for summarizing a point or providing additional information.  Like images, they break the text up and make the reading experience more enjoyable.

Write in a conversational style so the reader feels that you are talking just to them.  This way they feel that they are the only one benefiting from your information and that makes it more valuable to them.

Don’t write long sentences or paragraphs.  They become difficult to read and detract from the experience.  Your eBook is more likely to be put down and not picked up again.

You should also change the length of your paragraphs and sentences so you don’t send your readers to sleep. Blocks of text that are all the same length will lose the reader’s attention and you’ll be lucky of they are awake by Page 10!

We mentioned earlier the use of images as a way of breaking up text.  It may be that you can’t use images to any great extent; but there are other tricks.

A very powerful one is the use of numbered and bulleted lists. Even with the most basic of word-processing programs you can include different types of bullets and even use custom pictures as bullet icons.  These make your topic easier for the reader to absorb and also to give them a mental break from blocks of text.

Finally, think about the design of your eBook. Select a font that's easy to read, and stick to it. You may be tempted to change fonts as a way of trying to make it more interesting.  Don’t.  All it does is confuse your readers and they will switch-off.

I recommend either one and a half or double line spacing.  Spacing the lines too far apart make it difficult for the reader to track where they are.   Too close makes it dull.

Also, choose a font size that is in proportion to the line spacing you are using.  You can get away with a larger font (say 14 point) with 1.5 line spacing but 8 point will look weird.  Experiment with different combinations to find one that suits you but remember - what looks OK on the screen may look dreadful in print.  Think about how your readers are probably going to read the final eBook (most print PDF eBooks – the idea of the paperless world is myth!).

Lastly, add page numbers and a header to each page with the title of your eBook.  I’ve lost count of the number of times I have been infuriated by the number of eBooks that don’t have page numbers.  Also, adding a title in the header is a good way of reminding the reader what they are reading and who wrote it.  Don’t overcrowd headers and footers but use them wisely to give branding to the eBook (your company name or web address if you sell online).

Most importantly, don't forget to do a proper spelling and grammar check. You can even go to somewhere like elance.com and get someone to proof read it for you (for a fee).  It’s worth it to end up with a credible eBook.

Like it or not, you and your topic will be judged by the standard of spelling and punctuation.  Don’t shortcut on quality for fear of some criticism.  It’s better to find out before it is published.

That's it! By following the simple steps above you have just written your eBook.  All that is left for you to do is publish it online and get visitors to your website so they can read it.  But those topics are a whole new ball-game and best left for another day.

How Do You Write an Ebook?

There is only one way to climb a mountain - step by step.

Now think of writing your ebook in the same light. You must create it step by step, and one day, you will take that last step and find yourself standing on the summit with your head in the clouds.

The first thing you have to do, as if you actually were a mountain climber, is to get organized. Instead of climbing gear, however, you must organize your thoughts. There are some steps you should take before you begin. Once you've gone through the following list, you will be ready to actually begin writing your ebook.

Beginning Steps to Writing an ebook

First, figure out your ebook's working title. Jot down a few different titles, and eventually, you'll find that one that will grow on you. Titles help you to focus your writing on your topic; they guide you in anticipating and answering your reader's queries. Many non-fiction books also have subtitles. Aim for clarity in your titles, but cleverness always helps to sell books, as long as it's not too cute. For example,
Remedies for Insomnia: twenty different ways to count sheep. Or: Get off that couch: fifteen exercise plans to whip you into shape.

Next, write out a thesis statement. Your thesis is a sentence or two stating exactly what problem you are addressing and how your book will solve that problem. All chapters spring forth from your thesis statement. Once you've got your thesis statement fine-tuned, you've built your foundation. From that foundation, your book will grow, chapter by chapter.

Your thesis will keep you focused while you write your ebook. Remember: all chapters must support your thesis statement. If they don't, they don't belong in your book.

For example, your thesis statement could read:
We've all experienced insomnia at times in our lives, but there are twenty proven techniques and methods to give you back a good night's sleep.

Once you have your thesis, before you start to write, make sure there is a good reason to write your book. Ask yourself some questions:

* Does your book present useful information and is that information currently relevant?

* Will you book positively affect the lives of your readers?

* Is your book dynamic and will it keep the reader's attention?

* Does you book answer questions that are meaningful and significant?

If you can answer yes to these questions, you can feel confident about the potential of your ebook.

Another important step is to figure out who your target audience is. It is this group of people you will be writing to, and this group will dictate many elements of your book, such as style, tone, diction, and even length. Figure out the age range of your readers, their general gender, what they are most interested in, and even the socio-economic group they primarily come from. Are they people who read fashion magazines or book reviews? Do they write letters in longhand or spend hours every day online. The more you can pin down your target audience, the easier it will be to write your book for them.

Next, make a list of the reasons you are writing your ebook. Do you want to promote your business? Do you want to bring quality traffic to your website? Do you want to enhance your reputation?

Then write down your goals in terms of publishing. Do you want to sell it as a product on your website, or do you want to offer it as a free gift for filling out a survey or for ordering a product? Do you want to use the chapters to create an e-course, or use your ebook to attract affiliates around the world? The more you know upfront, the easier the actual writing will be.

Decide on the format of your chapters. In non-fiction, keep the format from chapter to chapter fairly consistent. Perhaps you plan to use an introduction to your chapter topic, and then divide it into four subhead topics. Or you may plan to divide it into five parts, each one beginning with a relevant anecdote.

How to make your ebook "user friendly"

You must figure out how to keep your writing engaging. Often anecdotes, testimonials, little stories, photos, graphs, advice, and tips will keep the reader turning the pages. Sidebars are useful for quick, accessible information, and they break up the density of the page.

Write with a casual, conversational tone rather than a formal tone such as textbook diction. Reader's respond to the feeling that you are having a conversation with them. Break up the length and structure of your sentences so you don’t hypnotize your readers into sleep. Sentences that are all the same length and structure tend to be a good aid for insomnia!

Good writing takes practice. It takes lots and lots of practice. Make a schedule to write at least a page a day. Read books and magazines about the process of writing, and jot down tips that jump out at you. The art of writing is a lifetime process; the more you write (and read), the better your writing will become. The better your writing becomes, the bigger your sales figures.

In an ebook that is read on the screen, be aware that you must give your reader's eye a break. You can do this by utilizing white space. In art classes, white space is usually referred to as "negative space." Reader's eyes need to rest in the cool white oasis you create on your page. If your page is too dense, your reader will quit out of it as soon as their eyes begin to tear.

Make use of lists, both bulleted and numbered. This makes your information easy to absorb, and gives the reader a mental break from dissecting your paragraphs one after the other.

Finally, decide on an easy-to-read design. Find a font that's easy on the eyes, and stick to that font family. Using dozens of fonts will only tire your readers out before they've gotten past your introduction. Use at least one and a half line spacing, and text large enough to be read easily on the screen, but small enough so that the whole page can be seen on a computer screen. You will have to experiment with this to find the right combination.

Of course, don't forget to run a spell and grammar check. You are judged by something as minor as correct punctuation, so don’t mess up a great book by tossing out semicolons randomly, or stringing sentences together with commas. (By the way, that's called a "comma splice.")

Last of all, create an index and a bibliography. That's it! You've written a book! Now all you have to do is publish your ebook online, and wait for download request from your website visitors.