We've been talking so much about the 5-stage plan of selling eBooks, that I feel we need to balance all of our goals and planning with some deep, thoughtful, and imaginative creativity! The theme of this blog is all about BALANCE, so what better way to balance the writer and the seller with some creative writing?
Also, November is the month for NaNoWriMo! If you are not familiar with this annual internet event, then please head to their website and check it out!
So, in light of all that is fun and crazy about banging out a novel in 30 days, I'm launching a FREE and open Creative Writing Class on this blog all month! We will cover every aspect of creative writing, from brainstorming through ideas to editing and preparing manuscripts to turn into fictional eBooks (or have them ready to submit to a literary agent, if you want to go that route!). I'll also touch each genre, too - horror, fantasy, sci fi, etc. - so I'm pleased as punch to have anyone join! Just comment at the end of each post and start the conversation.
Once the class is 'finished,' I'll post all daily courses up at the top of this blog so that anyone who drops by can read them and follow along. How fun!
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So, here's the overview for our class for November 2010:
November 1 - 6: The Basics
November 7 - 13: Characters
November 14 - 20: Plot and Obstacles
November 21 - 27: Rough Drafts
November 28 - 30: Editing
Free Fiction Fridays will continue as planned!!
As part of my Free Fiction Friday series, here's another piece I wrote in college and the first story I ever published. It's a Civil War tale.
What is SEO and why is it useful for a writer?
SEO stands for "search engine optimization" and I think of it as the keywords that others are searching for so they can land on my stuff! As online digital writers, we want to fill everything we write (blog posts, web pages, comments, online articles, eBooks, eBook descriptions, stories, etc.) with nice rich keyword-heavy content that relates to our personal brand.
We talked a lot about personal branding in the IDEA and CONTENT stages of our 5-stage plan, right? We've built up our personal brand based on what we write, from developing our logo to our eBook design.
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Now, it's time to shift gears from developing our visual brand to filling our textual brand - the stuff we write - with keywords.
Keywords are the cars and trucks of the internet, driving traffic to our website and our blog and our eBooks. The more relevant keywords we have in our text, the more readers we'll attract from all over the internet.
You've probably used thousands of keywords yourself, when searching Google, Yahoo, or another search engine. The most popular content comes from having popular keywords that many people search for.
For example, let's say we write a light romantic story. As part of the eBook description on our website, we could include a phrase like "romantic beach read" and also include those keywords in every eBook description on the platforms where we sell the stories.
When generating keywords for our eBooks and stories, we need to think of three main attributes: Reader Attributes, Genre Keywords, and Key Brand Values.
Reader Attributes are the words that describe our target reader. If you answered the questions about your target reader in the MARKETING post, then pull them out and start thinking about your target reader. What do they read? Who are they like?
Genre Keywords are the words that describe our particular genre, like romantic beach read, dramatic love story, horror story, tech articles, and others. Don't think only of the one genre you write in, but brainstorm where your eBook and story would be in a bookstore. If your target reader searched for your genre, what words would they use?
Key Brand Values are the words that describe what you, as the author, bring to the table. It's kind of like a mini-resume, where you describe your story with credentials. Keywords like great story, bestseller, popular story, and others help bring value and trust to your brand.
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Sample Reader Attributes Keywords
independent
creative
book reader
bibliophile
literary lover
book lover
clever
silly
sweet
romantic
Sample Genre Keywords
historical fiction
horror
romance
true love
happily ever after
modern romance
period romance
scary
coming of age
literary fiction
adventure
action-adventure
teen romance
teen drama
historical romance
Sample Key Brand Values
great story
well written
satisfying read
bestseller
popular author
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So, now that you've met SEO and learned about keywords, it's time to apply them to your own stuff!
Take out a sheet of paper, divide it into three columns, and label the first Reader Attributes, the second Genre Keywords, and the third Key Brand Values. List your own keyword phrases for your target reader. Take as much time as you need, and keep adding to these lists when you think of more keywords.
Once you've generated keywords, then add them to your content. Here are some ideas:
*Construct blog posts with keywords in the post title and keywords in the content.
*Write eBook descriptions using keywords.
*Add keywords to each of your web pages.
*Put keywords in your author bio.
*Put keywords in eBooks - introduction, chapter content, etc.
*Write online articles using keywords.
*Twitter using keywords.
*Use keywords on Facebook.
*Use keywords when commenting on other blog posts.
*Fiction writers use keywords when pitching, describing, and talking about stories.
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Keywords help drive traffic to your stuff, which makes more viewers, which makes more buyers, which makes more readers! SEO and keywords become part of our digital writer bag of tricks when we embrace them and use them wholeheartedly in our content.
Now that we've explored each of the 5 Stages (IDEA - CONTENT - PRODUCT - PLATFORM- MARKETING) and written out our business plan involving not just these stages, but the finances involved as well, it's time to set up the business in our personal home office space.
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THE SPACE:
Virginia Woolf pointed out that all a woman needed for creativity was a steady annual income and a room of her own. Might I add a solitary room of our own! We need a space to call our own, with a desk, a place for organized paperwork, some basic office supplies, a small bulletin board for inspiration and pertinent info, a bookshelf or bookcase for reading material, and a place for our computer.
Since I'm personally quite a casual writer, I like to write in bed or on the couch. My paperwork is kept in a few folders on my husband's desk in his office, and most of my information is stored electronically on my computer. I have a day planner and a small box for receipts.
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THE COMPUTER:
I find the greatest need for organization for a writer (especially an eBook writer) is on the computer. We need a digital calendar to keep track of our daily tasks, internet bookmarks for pertinent sites (including this one!), various Microsoft Word and Excel (or Open Office) documents, and plenty of folders to store creative texts, cover artwork pictures, eBook ideas, finished eBooks, and spreadsheets.
Put a folder on your computer desktop and label it "eBooks." Then put all of your files that you'll need inside this one folder. Keep your most current project on the desktop, along with its notes.
You can keep track of your tasks using Windows Calendar or Google Calendar. Set it up so that it reminds you daily of what you're doing!
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THE DESK:
What's the best place for you to write? If you already have a desk, then take an extra hour or two to organize it best for your eBook writing, with pictures for inspiration, a nice clean desktop, and files nearby at the ready.
I actually write in bed! So, everything you read on this blog (and in my eBooks ... and novels, too!) comes from the comfy cozy right-hand side of our queen sized bed. There's a window behind me that lets in light, my laptop balances on my knees, and I often have a small tray with a cup of coffee or tea. Books, files, folders, and dayplanners often burrow under the covers and my pug sleeps at my feet. She snores quietly while I work. It's heaven!
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THE PAPERWORK:
Well, every writer must have their files organized, but I tend to not be quite so into filing with file folders and such. I usually purchase colored pocket folders, label them, and keep them all stored in a box. It makes it easier to see which files belong in which folder - green for finances, red for ideas and brainstorming, yellow for marketing, and blue for people like graphic designers and web marketers.
However you choose to organize your files and papers, please try to at least have some sort of system that works for you. A writer's life can get cluttered very easily!
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THE HOMEY TOUCHES:
Whoever came up with the idea of using gray gray gray all around us at work must not have been a creative person themselves! I can't imagine working in such an environment, when elementary school classrooms and our own bedrooms are so much livelier! Be sure to hang inspirational pictures, have a funky lamp that you love, maybe a scented candle or potpourri to add scent to your workspace. Treat it like a place where you'd love to be, and it will help generate ideas and motivation.
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A writer's home office needn't be grand or expensive. Jane Austen did just fine with a little slanted writing box and a tea table; Emily Dickinson had a teeny 16" square side table. It's the output dearie, that matters - your raw, fresh, rough draft content that makes you a writer.
So, set up your little space and do be sure to close the door, turn on your favorite music and slip into the trance of writing. It's those moments we live for. And it's those moments we must welcome.
I. IDEA
A. Week 1: Visit a bookstore and check on Amazon Kindle and New York Times Bestseller Lists to see what's popular.
B. Week 2: Fill out eBook idea worksheet, pick an eBook topic to write about, and brainstorm ideas for personal author brand.
II. CONTENT
A. Week 3: Copy Book Structure module, create Productivity Schedule, and set up Rough Draft writing files.
B. Weeks 4-10: Write Rough Draft. Write quickly, and do not take any more time than necessary.
C. Week 11: Organize Rough Draft into chapters.
D. Week 12: Hire professional editor or start editing process yourself.
E. Weeks 13-14: Edit content, either yourself or professionally.
F. Week 15: Receive edited draft back, polish content.
G. Week 16: Print three review copies and review questions, find three reviewers.
H. Weeks 17-18: Give reviewed copies to reviewers, wait while they review, receive reviews back.
III. PRODUCT
A. Week 19: Download Kindle App for PC, read eBooks and take notes on what makes them good products.
B. Week 20: Brainstorm logo ideas, set up eBook costs spreadsheet, and find a photographer for headshots.
C. Week 21: Have author headshots taken, research graphic designers, and review their portfolios, pick graphic designer.
D. Week 22: Meet with graphic designer to sign contract and plan logo, receive headshots back from photographer.
E. Week 23: Graphic designer designs logo.
F. Week 24: Meet with graphic designer to discuss logo, approve or tweak, give author headshots to graphic designer to tweak (optional).
G. Week 25: Research printing places for marketing materials, receive finalized logo, talk to graphic designer about designing cover.
H. Week 26: Research and find cover designer (optional), upload logo and design business cards, finalize and pay for business cards.
I. Week 27: Graphic designer designs cover, upload logo and design letterhead, thank-you notes and address labels, finalize and pay.
J. Week 28: Receive finished cover, tweak or approve, give text to graphic designer to format (if using PDF) using text, fonts, and logo.
K. Weeks 29-30: Receive busines cards, letterhead, thank-you notes, and address labels from the printer.
L. Week 31: Receive finalized copy of eBook from graphic designer.\
IV. PLATFORM
A. Week 32: Research 5 potential platforms and answer questions about each, bookmark them.
B. Week 33: Create and fill out platform spreadsheet, decide to hire web designer or not.
C. Week 33: Purchase domain name, set up account at free blogging site, create accounts at platform sites.
D. Week 34: Purchase web hosting, translate eBook into different formats, add first entry to blog.
E. Week 35: Set up website with web pages, logo, photo, and other info, set up blog posting schedule.
F. Week 36: Upload eBook into first platform, set price for each eBook, write weekly blog entries.
G. Week 37: Upload eBook into second platform, set up Paypal or e-Junkie account, write weekly blog entries - continue writing blog entries each week.
H. Week 38: Upload eBook into third platform. Purchase eBooks from each platform, including own site.
I. Week 39: Upload eBook into fourth platform. Add purchasing info to personal website.
J. Week 40: Upload eBook into fifth platform. Create accounts for POD and audiobooks, if applicable.
K. Week 41: Upload eBook into sixth platform. Upload eBook into POD website.
L. Week 42: Upload eBook into seventh platform. Find website or place to record eBook. Purchase POD copy to review.
M. Week 43: Upload eBook into eighth platform. Record eBook for audiobook.
N. Week 44: Upload eBook into ninth platform. Review POD copy and purchase 20.
O. Week 45: Upload eBook into tenth platform. Put recorded eBook on website. Put POD information on website.
V. MARKETING
A. Week 46: Create specific marketing plan for each eBook, find eBook genre or genres, and post info about it on website, write 3-4 blog posts, comment on 4-6 sites.
B. Week 47: Fill in Target Market Info Sheet for each eBook, post eBook on at least one free site, write 3-4 blog posts, comment on 4-6 sites.
C. Week 48: Find 2-3 places to submit 'physical pieces' and write down submission guidelines, start posting regularly on Twitter and Facebook, write 3-4 blog posts, comment on 4-6 sites.
D. Week 49: Write and edit one submission, post on Twitter and Facebook, write 3-4 blog posts, comment on 4-6 sites.
E. Week 50: Submit 'physical piece' to online short story publisher or contest, find 1-2 online groups and join, post on Twitter and Facebook, write 3-4 blog posts, comment on 4-6 sites.
F. Week 51: Get business incorporated as sole proprietorship, set up Facebook business account, participate in online group, post on Twitter and Facebook, write 3-4 blog posts, comment on 4-6 sites.
G. Week 52: Post book review on own site or Amazon, add eBooks to Facebook business account, participate in online group, post on Twitter and Facebook, write 3-4 blog posts, comment on 4-6 sites.
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Fifty-two weeks. If you started next week, on Monday, November 1, you'd have one eBook written, published on a platform, and marketed by November 1, 2011. That's awesome, isn't it?
We've spent so much time talking about our five stages (idea - content - product - platform - marketing) that we have yet to mention money! That's definitely part of our overall master plan! We want to be able to make a comfortable living from our writing and selling, don't we?
Um, that's a loud YES!
In terms of finances we need to do three things:
1. Track expenses.
2. Track income.
3. Make a profit.
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TRACK EXPENSES:
We are not just writers, but business owners and we need to think professionally about our finances. We need to keep track of our expenses. This goes for every expense we've incurred on all the five stages. We separate expenses into two categories:
1. Fixed
2. Variable
Fixed expenses are the unchangeable costs that go into creating, producing, and distributing eBooks. The fee that our platforms require and our web hosting are fixed expenses. They stay the same.
Variable expenses are the lion's share of our expenses and will be the changeable costs like graphic and web designer fees, cover costs, marketing costs, POD costs, and audiobook costs.
Designing an expense sheet is a lot like creating a household budget. We must accommodate every single possible cost associated with eBooks. Also, keep track of all business-related receipts.
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TRACK INCOME:
Every sale we make must be tracked - both because it's fun to see how many books we sell, but also so we're heading in the right direction.
It's pretty easy to track income. Tally up the amount of sales at the end of each month, quarter, and year. Compare this year's sales to last year's and so forth.
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MAKE A PROFIT:
We must make a profit; otherwise, we'd be losing money every month and not be able to sustain ourselves. Our eBook costs must be offset by both our eBook price and the volume of sales.
Profit is what is left over after expenses have been subtracted from income. Don't be surprised if you don't make a profit for months - even up to a year or two! Most small businesses and endeavors don't make a profit when they first start out. But, of course, it is the eventual goal.
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FINANCES SPREADSHEET:
The easiest way to track expenses, income and profit is to create a spreadsheet. There are plenty of business finance spreadsheets to help you.
Set aside a specific time during the week to update your finances spreadsheet. It is just as important, if not more so, to see what direction you're heading. You can also see if you're spending too much in one category or too little in another.
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FINANCE GOALS:
Goal: Create finances spreadsheet.
Timeframe: 20 minutes to create, 2-3 hours to fill in.
Week 1: Create finances spreadsheet.
We've explored each stage of our 5-stage plan, creating the overall vision of this step-by-step process from idea to finished eBook:
IDEA - CONTENT - PRODUCT - PLATFORM - MARKETING
We've also established that our goals for each of these 5 stages require a specific outcome and a timeframe.
So, let's create our goals for this final step:
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STAGE FIVE: MARKETING
Goal: Create specific marketing plan for each eBook by answering the following question: This eBook helps (this target audience) who want to (problem to solve) get (the solution I provide).
Timeframe: 1 hour for each eBook.
Goal: Hire online marketer/publicist to help promote eBooks (optional).
Timeframe: 1-2 hours to find online marketer, 2-4 hours for meeting, connect several times a week.
Goal: Find your eBook genre and put info about it on website.
Timeframe: 1 hour.
Goal: Fill in Target Market Info Sheet for each eBook.
Timeframe: 1 hour for each eBook.
Goal: Find free website like Scribd to post free eBook.
Timeframe: 1-2 hours to upload eBook in their format.
Goal: Stick to a blog posting schedule, writing 3 or 4 a week.
Timeframe: 2-4 hours each week to write, edit, and publish posts.
Goal: Comment on 4-6 relevant sites per week.
Timeframe: 1-3 hours per week.
Goal: Submit 2 'physical' pieces a month to online short story venues or contest.
Timeframe: 1 hour to find place to submit, 2-5 hours to write and edit piece, 20 minutes to submit.
Goal: Post at least one tweet on Twitter a day about what you're offering.
Timeframe: 10 minutes each day.
Goal: Post at least three times a week on Facebook about eBooks.
Timeframe: 15 minutes a week.
Goal: Set up business as sole proprietor with local city hall.
Timeframe: 1-2 hours.
Goal: Set up Facebook business account (optional).
Timeframe: 15 minutes to set up, 20-30 minutes to track and update each week.
Goal: Join 2-3 online groups - writers, readers, etc.
Timeframe: 1-2 hours to find groups, 10 minutes to join, 20 minutes to interact online each week.
Goal: Post 2-4 book reviews on your own site or Amazon.
Timeframe: 2-3 hours per month.
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OPTIONAL MARKETING GOALS:
These goals will fluctuate and change with your own situation, but I thought I'd include them here so they can help you as you grow and expand your writing business.
Goal: Hold an interview of a fellow eBook writer.
Timeframe: 1-2 hours to find writer, 2-3 hours to send out interview and receive questions back, 20 minutes to upload to site.
Goal: Set up email subscribing on your website and send out a monthly email (optional).
Timeframe: 20 minutes to set up, 1 hour a month to write email, 20 minutes to email to everyone on the list.
Goal: Set up a donations button instead of offering eBooks for purchases (optional).
Timeframe: 20 minutes.
Goal: Hold an annual online fundraiser instead of selling (optional).
Timeframe: 1 hour to create and set up, fundraiser lasts 1 week.
Goal: Donate percentage of sales to charity (optional).
Timeframe: 20 minutes to choose charity, 30 minutes to add message to website, send donations to charity once a month/quarter/year.
Goal: Teach online class (optional).
Timeframe: 2-3 hours to write syllabus and create class, 1-2 hours to set up class, can be four weeks, six weeks, etc., take payment
Goal: Participate in a webinar or conference (optional).
Timeframe: 1 hour to find webinar or conference, then join and participate.
Goal: Create personal video and post it on website.
Timeframe: 20 minutes to think of video topic, 1 hour to write short script, 1-2 hours to record video, 20 minutes to upload.
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GOALS SUMMARY:
Week 1: Create specific marketing plan for each eBook, find eBook genre or genres, and post info about it on website, write 3-4 blog posts, comment on 4-6 sites.
Week 2: Fill in Target Market Info Sheet for each eBook, post eBook on at least one free site, write 3-4 blog posts, comment on 4-6 sites.
Week 3: Find 2-3 places to submit 'physical pieces' and write down submission guidelines, start posting regularly on Twitter and Facebook, write 3-4 blog posts, comment on 4-6 sites.
Week 4: Write and edit one submission, post on Twitter and Facebook, write 3-4 blog posts, comment on 4-6 sites.
Week 5: Submit 'physical piece' to online short story publisher or contest, find 1-2 online groups and join, post on Twitter and Facebook, write 3-4 blog posts, comment on 4-6 sites.
Week 6: Get business incorporated as sole proprietorship, set up Facebook business account, participate in online group, post on Twitter and Facebook, write 3-4 blog posts, comment on 4-6 sites.
Week 7: Post book review on own site or Amazon, add eBooks to Facebook business account, participate in online group, post on Twitter and Facebook, write 3-4 blog posts, comment on 4-6 sites.
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Our goals for the final stage five: MARKETING are ongoing, as you can see! Sometimes it feels there aren't enough hours in the week to accomplish what we need, but thankfully we can pick and choose between tasks. We can try marketing ourselves, then hire a publicist later to help with the details and scheduling. It looks like we'll need all the help we can get!
Oh, and don't forget these five stages are cyclical! So, as soon as we've completed and started marketing one eBook, we must return to the idea stage to select our next eBook topic to write, edit, turn into a product, and market. It keeps continuing on and on for as long as we desire to be eBook writers.
For me, this is my life journey. This is the path I'm walking, so I embrace it whole-heartedly. I identify with the great writers of the past and present - Jane Austen, the Brontes, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Lewis Carroll, Ernest Hemingway, Stephen King, J. K. Rowling, etc. - and follow in their footsteps the best way I can in this modern Digital Age.
There is no one secret, as we have seen while exploring these five stages and their goals. There is only movement forward. Our plan, in its simplest form, is just to keep going. Move from one step to the next through the five stages, then repeat the cycle until we have a website stocked with eBooks, eBooks cluttering up the platforms we choose, and healthy financial amounts arriving in our checking accounts each month.
Speaking of finances, let's take a look at our financial overview and goals tomorrow!
Then, we can draft an entire master plan with all of the goal steps, enter it into our personal calendars ... and BEGIN!
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TARGET MARKET INFO SHEET:
I write:
My target reader is:
He/she loves:
Sites they visit:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Blogs they read/write:
1.
2.
3.
How can I market to these sites/blogs?
1. Post comments
2. Interact with readers
3. Visual ads
We've explored each stage of our 5-stage plan, creating the overall vision of this step-by-step process from idea to finished eBook:
IDEA - CONTENT - PRODUCT - PLATFORM - MARKETING
We've also established that our goals for each of these 5 stages require a specific outcome and a timeframe.
So, let's create our goals for this step:
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STAGE FOUR: PLATFORM
Goal: Research each potential platform for information and bookmark them.
Timeframe: 1 hour to browse each site, 30 minutes to answer questions about each site.
Goal: Create a platform chart as a spreadsheet. Include the name of the platform, website address, information, username and password, fees, costs, eBook formats, etc.
Timeframe: 1-2 hours to create, 30 minutes to update each week.
Goal: Decide whether you want to set up a website yourself or hire web designer.
Timeframe: 20 minutes.
Goal: Hire website designer (if applicable).
Timeframe: 1-3 hours to browse online portfolios, 1-2 weeks to set up meeting and payment info, 2-3 weeks to design site.
Goal: Purchase your own name as a domain name.
Timeframe: 1 hour to purchase, 2-3 days to implement.
Goal: Find and purchase 6 months of web hosting (or 1 year if better package is offered).
Timeframe: 20 minutes to find web host, 20 minutes to purchase, 2-3 days to implement.
Goal: Start a blog under domain name - create account at Blogger, Wordpress, or Typepad.
Timeframe: 10 minutes to create account, 1-3 hours to attach account to hosting.
Goal: Upload author photograph and logo to blog/website.
Timeframe: 10 minutes.
Goal: Create personal web pages - Home, About, eBooks, Free Stuff, Reviews/Testimonials
Timeframe: 3-5 hours to flesh out each page.
Goal: Set price for each eBook, if not already done so.
Timeframe: 20 minutes per book.
Goal: Provide a way to sell eBooks from site through PayPal, e-Junkie, etc.
Timeframe: 20 minutes to set up account, 2-3 days to implement.
Goal: Download Calibre and translate eBook into different formats.
Timeframe: 10 minutes to download, 1-2 hours to translate.
Goal: Find first platform and upload eBook to platform.
Timeframe: 20 minutes to choose platform, 2-4 hours to upload eBook and complete process, 2-3 days to implement.
Goal: Find second platform and upload eBook.
Timeframe: 20 minutes to choose platform, 2-4 to upload and complete process, 2-3 days to implement.
Goal: Find third platform and upload eBook. Repeat with as many platforms as possible.
Timeframe: 20 minutes to choose platform, 2-4 to upload and complete process, 2-3 days to implement.
Goal: Purchase copy from own site and document process.
Timeframe: 20 minutes.
Goal: Purchase eBook copy from each platform and document process.
Timeframe: 10 minutes to purchase from each.
Goal: Add purchasing instructions to website for each platform.
Timeframe: 1 hour.
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OPTIONAL GOALS:
You can create different versions of the same eBook by branching out to POD and audiobooks. Incorporate these goals if you wish.
Goal: Submit eBook to POD online publisher (Lulu, CreateSpace, etc.)
Timeframe: 1 hour to set up account, 2-4 hours to upload eBook and finish process, 20 minutes to purchase copy, 2-3 weeks to wait for physical copy.
Goal: Promote POD copies on website.
Timeframe: 1-3 hours to create web page and upload information.
Goal: Purchase 20 copies of POD version to have on hand for sales.
Timeframe: 20 minutes to purchase, 2-3 weeks to ship.
Goal: Record eBook to sell as audiobook.
Timeframe: 1 hour to find recording place, 4-6 hours to do recording, 2-3 hours to transfer format and upload to website or platform to sell.
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GOALS SUMMARY:
Week 1: Research 5 potential platforms and answer questions about each, bookmark them.
Week 2: Create and fill out platform spreadsheet, decide to hire web designer or not.
Week 3: Purchase domain name, set up account at free blogging site, create accounts at platform sites.
Week 4: Purchase web hosting, translate eBook into different formats, add first entry to blog.
Week 5: Set up website with web pages, logo, photo, and other info, set up blog posting schedule.
Week 6: Upload eBook into first platform, set price for each eBook, write weekly blog entries.
Week 7: Upload eBook into second platform, set up Paypal or e-Junkie account, write weekly blog entries - continue writing blog entries each week.
Week 8: Upload eBook into third platform. Purchase eBooks from each platform, including own site.
Week 9: Upload eBook into fourth platform. Add purchasing info to personal website.
Week 10: Upload eBook into fifth platform. Create accounts for POD and audiobooks, if applicable.
Week 11: Upload eBook into sixth platform. Upload eBook into POD website.
Week 12: Upload eBook into seventh platform. Find website or place to record eBook. Purchase POD copy to review.
Week 13: Upload eBook into eighth platform. Record eBook for audiobook.
Week 14: Upload eBook into ninth platform. Review POD copy and purchase 20.
Week 15: Upload eBook into tenth platform. Put recorded eBook on website. Put POD information on website.
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As you can see, the PLATFORM stage goals have several different variants: you can either set up a website yourself if you're technically savvy or hire a website designer, and you can offer your eBooks as POD or audiobooks. You are the author of the original content, so it's up to you to decide what you would like to do with what you've written.
It pays off to spread yourself nice and wide to attract as many fish into your reading net as possible. You'll get more sales and be able to reach your target audience that much easier.
As part of my Free Fiction Friday series, here's another story. I wrote this in fifth grade and it was my first fairytale and still one of my favorites.
We've explored each stage of our 5-stage plan, creating the overall vision of this step-by-step process from idea to finished eBook:
IDEA - CONTENT - PRODUCT - PLATFORM - MARKETING
We've also established that our goals for each of these 5 stages require a specific outcome and a timeframe.
So, let's create our goals for this step:
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STAGE THREE: PRODUCT
Goal: Download Kindle App for PC and read eBooks to study them as products.
Timeframe: 10 minutes to download, 2-3 hours to read and evaluate.
Goal: Brainstorm what personal logo might look like.
Timeframe: 30 minutes.
Goal: Set up eBook costs spreadsheet, to keep track of costs.
Timeframe: 30 minutes.
Goal: Have professional author headshot photos taken.
Timeframe: 30 minutes to find photographer (I went to the Picture People in the mall), 1-2 hours for appointment, 1 week to receive photos.
Goal: Hire professional graphic designer.
Timeframe: 1 hour to research, 1-2 hours to review portfolios, 2-3 hours for discussions with designer and sign contract.
Goal: Graphic designer designs initial logo.
Timeframe: 1-2 weeks, 1-2 hours to review and discuss, time for final tweaking.
Goal: Get business cards, letterhead, thank-you notes, address labels, etc.
Timeframe: 1 hour to find printer, 2-3 hours to upload logo and tweak design for each, 1 hour to finalize, pay, and print, 2-3 weeks for mailing.
Goal: Design eBook cover. May hire separate cover designer, so talk to graphic designer first.
Timeframe: 2-3 hours to meet and go over cover design, 1-2 weeks for design, 2-3 hours to upload and tweak for PDF format or Adobe InDesign.
Goal: Design eBook with graphic designer.
Timeframe: 2-3 hours to meet and go over text/fonts/images/etc., 1-2 weeks for uploading design into eBook PDF format (if using PDF), 1-2 hours to finalize.
Goal: Set a price for eBook.
Timeframe: 30 minutes.
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GOALS SUMMARY:
Week 1: Download Kindle App for PC, read eBooks and take notes on what makes them good products.
Week 2: Brainstorm logo ideas, set up eBook costs spreadsheet, and find a photographer for headshots.
Week 3: Have author headshots taken, research graphic designers, and review their portfolios, pick graphic designer.
Week 4: Meet with graphic designer to sign contract and plan logo, receive headshots back from photographer.
Week 5: Graphic designer designs logo.
Week 6: Meet with graphic designer to discuss logo, approve or tweak, give author headshots to graphic designer to tweak (optional).
Week 7: Research printing places for marketing materials, receive finalized logo, talk to graphic designer about designing cover.
Week 8: Research and find cover designer (optional), upload logo and design business cards, finalize and pay for business cards.
Week 9: Graphic designer designs cover, upload logo and design letterhead, thank-you notes and address labels, finalize and pay.
Week 10: Receive finished cover, tweak or approve, give text to graphic designer to format (if using PDF) using text, fonts, and logo.
Weeks 11-12: Receive busines cards, letterhead, thank-you notes, and address labels from the printer.
Week 13: Receive finalized copy of eBook from graphic designer.
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While the goals of stage two: Content were dependent on how quickly we finished the rough draft of our eBooks, the stage three: PRODUCT timeframe depends on the graphic designer we're working with, plus the optional cover designer, author headshot photographer, and marketing materials printer.
Every eBook does need a beautifully designed cover - it's the first visual message your readers receive about your professional commitment.
However, we want to translate our eBooks to different formats, so don't forget to keep a plain text version of the finished content to upload into Amazon Kindle's Digital Text Platform and other eReading devices. If we want to offer the eBook for free on our own website, we can certainly create a PDF version - which does need some graphic pizazz.
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EBOOK STRUCTURE MODULE:
Cover
Copyright page
Title page w/ Publisher info
Acknowledgements/Dedication
Contents
Preface/Prologue
Chapters - bulk of the book
Epilogue
Bibliography
Appendix
Index
Back Cover
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EBOOK COSTS:
Editing:
Author Headshots:
Graphic Designer fees:
Logo:
Book Designer fees: (optional)
Book Cover:
Book Design:
Business Cards:
Letterhead:
Thank-You Notes:
Address Labels:
Website Domain Name:
Web Hosting:
Website Designer: (optional)
We've explored each stage of our 5-stage plan, creating the overall vision of this step-by-step process from idea to finished eBook:
IDEA - CONTENT - PRODUCT - PLATFORM - MARKETING
We've also established that our goals for each of these 5 stages require a specific outcome and a timeframe.
So, let's create our goals for this step:
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STAGE TWO: CONTENT
Goal: Copy the Book Structure module and keep it handy while constructing eBooks.
Timeframe: 10 minutes.
Goal: Create a Productivity Schedule that works for you.
Timeframe: 20 minutes to create, use it every day.
Goal: Set up Rough Draft - create Story Notes file, Speedpad file, and Finished Book file.
Timeframe: 10 minutes.
Goal: Write Rough Draft.
Timeframe: 1 hour a day until finished (40-50 pg. eBook takes 6-8 weeks, novel takes 1-2 years).
Goal: Organize Rough Draft into chapters.
Timeframe: 2-3 hours.
Goal: Hire professional editor.
Timeframe: 1 hour to find editor, 2-3 weeks to receive back edited content.
Goal: Edit eBook yourself.
Timeframe: 1 hour a day until finished.
Goal: Polish eBook content.
Timeframe: 1-2 hours to make any final changes.
Goal: Print three copies for reviews.
Timeframe: 20 minutes.
Goal: Print review questions.
Timeframe: 10 minutes.
Goal: Find three readers to review and give them a copy.
Timeframe: 1 hour to find reveiwers, 1-2 weeks to receive reviewed copies.
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GOALS SUMMARY:
Week 1: Copy Book Structure module, create Productivity Schedule, and set up Rough Draft writing files.
Weeks 2-8: Write Rough Draft. Write quickly, and do not take any more time than necessary.
Week 9: Organize Rough Draft into chapters.
Week 10: Hire professional editor or start editing process yourself.
Weeks 11-12: Edit content, either yourself or professionally.
Week 13: Receive edited draft back, polish content.
Week 14: Print three review copies and review questions, find three reviewers.
Weeks 15-16: Give reviewed copies to reviewers, wait while they review, receive reviews back.
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Our goals for stage two: CONTENT are in place and we've mapped out a week-by-week strategy to reach those goals.
The time it takes to complete and edit a rough draft of your eBook will vary. It depends on what you're writing about, but most regular nonfiction eBooks come in three distinct lengths:
1. Short - manifesto. Less than 20 pages. Usually given away for free. Expresses one key idea and often has a call to action. Short fiction and poetry collections fall in this category, too.
2. Medium - how-to, self-help, cookbook, etc. Usually non-fiction, between 40 and 100 pages. Teaches reader how to do something, with multiple steps and chapters. Straightforward style. Novellas and short story collections are sometimes medium length.
3. Long - novels, memoirs, screenplays, etc. Usually fiction, between 150 and 400 pages. Entertaining and escapist reading, with many chapters and characters. Expansive nonfiction (everything you wanted to know about ____) can be long.
Once you've decided on the length and written your CONTENT, then it's just a matter of editing and reviewing. Write as quickly as you can and remember:
Rough draft content is the eBook writer's currency!
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BOOK STRUCTURE MODULE:
Cover
Copyright page
Title page w/ Publisher info
Acknowledgements/Dedication
Contents
Preface/Prologue
Chapters - bulk of the book
Epilogue
Bibliography
Appendix
Index
Back Cover
------------------------------------
NONFICTION REVIEW SHEET QUESTIONS:
Make a list of facts that you've learned from this book:
What was the main question in this book, and how was it answered?
What was the author's purpose in writing the book?
Who would be the best reader for this book?
Is there anything missing that you would have wanted to read about?
What chapter was the best-written?
What chapter needed improvements?
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FICTION REVIEW SHEET QUESTIONS:
Describe the main character in your own words:
How did the main character grow and change in this story?
Describe the plot in your own words:
How was the pacing of the narrative?
Did a character do something in this book you did not like?
If you could continue the story, how would you?
How does the title relate to the story?
What is your opinion on the beginning?
The middle?
The end?
What chapter was the best-written?
What chapter needed improvements?
Who would be this book's target reader?
We've explored each stage of our 5-stage plan, creating the overall vision of this step-by-step process from idea to finished eBook:
IDEA - CONTENT - PRODUCT - PLATFORM - MARKETING
We've also established that our goals for each of these 5 stages require a specific outcome and a timeframe.
So, let's create our goals:
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STAGE ONE: IDEA
Goal: Visit a bookstore to make notes about the books.
Timeframe: Takes 2 hours.
Goal: Bookmark Amazon Kindle and New York Times Bestseller lists, and check each week to see what's popular.
Timeframe: 10 minutes to set up, 20 minutes each week.
Goal: Fill out eBook idea worksheet.
Timeframe: 10 minutes to write down questions, 1-2 hours to fill out.
Goal: Pick an eBook topic to write about.
Timeframe: 30 minutes to narrow down idea, 1 hour to brainstorm and expand on idea.
Goal: Brainstorm ideas for personal author brand.
Timeframe: 30 minutes to take notes.
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GOALS SUMMARY:
Week 1: Visit a bookstore and check on Amazon Kindle and New York Times Bestseller Lists to see what's popular.
Week 2: Fill out eBook idea worksheet, pick an eBook topic to write about, and brainstorm ideas for personal author brand.
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So, we have our goals and the timeframe in place for completing stage one: IDEA. We'll continue setting goals for each stage, and then keep moving forward on our eBook creation.
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EBOOK IDEA WORKSHEET:
What skills and abilities do I have that I can write about?
What eBook topic ideas appeal to me?
What can I write about that readers want to read?
What's my personal brand?
How can I apply my personal brand to my writing?
My eBook Topic Is:
We're moving through a five-stage process that transforms us from writers to professional digital authors with multiple eBooks selling on multiple platforms and making us a tidy income.
We are different from traditional authors in that we wear many hats - creator, writer, editor, brand developer, small business owner, web master, blog author, book reviewer, marketer, publicist, and salesman. We work with professional editors, graphics designers, cover designers, web designers, web marketers, and others to deliver a product from ideas in our head to the reader.
Here is the five-stage path we're following:
IDEA - CONTENT - PRODUCT - PLATFORM - MARKETING
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THE PLAN BECOMES REAL:
Now that you've met each of the five stages, we can start setting goals based on each of these stages. If you remember in our beginning post, we came up with a master overview breakdown:
1. Create a plan. In much the same way a potential business owner starts off with a business plan, we need to create a professional-digital-writer plan.
2. Break the plan into steps. What comes first? What goes next? Move from abstract to tangible.
3. Transform the plan-steps into goals. What are we striving for? What's the BIG VIEW at the top of the mountain we're dying to see?
4. Put those plan-steps and goals into our daily schedule. What can I do on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays that meet my Friday goals?
It may be hard to believe, but we've only been following steps 1 and 2! Now it's time to move to step 3 and transform our plan-steps into goals.
It may seem as if we've been creating goals this whole time, but that's not true. We've just been exploring each stage in our overall vision from idea to marketing. Goals are comprised of doable action steps we can take in the real world, day after day, week after week, until these five stages are completed.
As we read in the blog posts about each step, there are many smaller actions to take. We can transform those smaller actions into goals by establishing two things:
1. A Specific Outcome
2. A Timeframe
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A SPECIFIC OUTCOME
What is our objective, with each step? What do we want to accomplish that is tangible and can be completed in the real world of schedules and dayplanners? How can we transform our planning into reality?
A TIMEFRAME
Every step we take towards our goals must be able to both fit in our scheduled amount of time, and be completed in a timely manner. We just can't vaguely think we'll get step 1 done at some point this month: we gain control by scheduling.
HINT: While I'm setting the timeframe to accomplish my goals, I love to use Egg Timer, a simple website where you just type in the amount of time you need and the timer starts. It's great to use!
Tomorrow we'll start going through the goals set up for each stage. It takes a lot more room than just one blog post!
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YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF PLANNING!
It may seem like we'll NEVER get through planning before we start our eBooks and see those golden dollars flow into our bank accounts month after month.
But, as they say, those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Planning takes a lot of time, effort, and deep thinking because we want to set ourselves up for success. And, believe it or not, success comes from a successful plan, not from doing this by the seat of our pants. If we just set out with no direction, we may waste time, miss an important step, or get discouraged because we don't seem to be making any progress.
So, let's avoid that and keep planning until our goals are set up and in place in our dayplanners and calendars. That way, we can stick to this plan day after day, week after week, and make our own success.
I know we can do it!
We're veering from the traditional publishing plan (idea - manuscript - query - agent - editor - bookstore - reader) and following our own 5-stage digital author plan:
IDEA - CONTENT - PRODUCT - PLATFORM - MARKETING
-------------------------------------------
We've found a number of fantastic PLATFORMS for our work, including national brands like Amazon, Google, and iTunes, and also created our own blog/site for readers to get to know us better and purchase from us. Now it's time to find those readers - through MARKETING! Marketing is not a bad word nor a bad practice. It's simply finding your target audience, getting your target audience to trust you, and then having them purchase your eBooks. They want what you write! So, let's go find them and entice them to come visit ... and read!
--------------------------------------------
OUR MARKETING PLAN:
Traditional writers rely on their agents, editors, book publicists, and book marketers to put their books in catalogs, bookstores, and online for their target readers.
Digital eBook writers, on the other hand, have the distinct advantage of providing their stuff on internationally-known platforms, in different formats for different eReaders, and marketing it ourselves.
Yet, this can all get very confusing, very muddled, and very disorganized quickly. What we need is a marketing plan specific to each eBook.
We will evaluate what we've written in order to showcase it in its best light. We have to stand behind our products with enthusiasm and believe in them enough to have others read what we've written.
Take a sheet of paper and write down this sentence:
This eBook helps (this target audience) who want to (problem to solve) get (the solution I provide).
In a nutshell, this is the basis for our marketing plan for this eBook. You may want to hire an online marketer/publicist to help you promote your eBooks and tailor your marketing plan. Their expertise and input will help you make more sales.
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THE TARGET READER:
Every eBook genre has target readers. Kids read kids' books, cooks read cookbooks, entrepreneurs read business books, and so on. There are romance, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and literary readers that read those genres. We need to reach our target reader through marketing to their target genre.
First, fit your eBook into a genre, if you've not already done so. Your eBook platform should have different genre categories, so that's where your eBook is displayed. On your own website, explain to readers right on your home page what your genre is and what you write. That way, if a horror reader lands on your site and you write fantasy, they know their genre probably won't be there.
Second, list online places where your target reader would be. Find the websites where they go, and the blogs they write and read. Find at least ten places where you know your target reader hangs out and list ways you can market to that site.
I write:
My target reader is:
He/she loves:
Sites they visit:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Blogs they read/write:
1.
2.
3.
How can I market to these sites/blogs?
1. Post comments
2. Interact with readers
3. Visual ads
Keep brainstorming ways to reach and appeal to your target reader. The more you know about them, the better you can tailor your eBook to what they're looking for, whether it's entertainment, escapism, or information.
---------------------------------------------
GIVING BEFORE SELLING:
We want our target reader to trust us, since trust is needed before they purchase. The internet, frankly, is full of scammers. Everybody wants everybody else's money, so internet shoppers are a bit wary.
When I walk into a store, I can pick up a product, hold it, touch it, sample it, try it on, and imagine myself using it. But the target reader only has a cover and a blurb to go by with our eBooks.
So ... it's best to give away as much of our stuff as possible. I've mentioned this several times throughout the stages, but it's an integral part of establishing your reputation as a writer.
Provide a section of your website or blog devoted to free stuff, give eBooks away, post them on Scribd and other sites, and be generous.
A lot of marketing is give-and-take. Share your time with others. Read others' stuff, too, and provide free reviews and testimonials for their sites. Offer to exchange links, exchange marketing, and promote each other. Finding fellow digital writers in the same boat may create new readers, too! The more people you can help by giving away your stuff and your time, the more it comes back to you ... and in big ways!
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OWN YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE:
The more visible you are in the online community, the more readers will remember your name and associate your books with that name. Be active and don't disappear or drop off the radar. Establish your online presence and take steps each week to do something to keep your name in the headlines.
Here are some easy ways to stay in the public eye:
1. POSTING
Post, post, and post some more. Write lots of blog posts. Do not fail your readers - stay visible and keep posting. Offer guest posting and also encourage others to post on your blog.
2. COMMENTING
Comment on others' sites and blogs. Participate in the virtual conversation. Offer thoughtful comments - don't bash or burn bridges.
3. SUBMITTING
Submit your stuff to online places, contests, and other venues. Even if you're an eBook writer and provide finished copies of your work to sell, you can still submit stuff.
4. SOCIAL NETWORKING
Set up Facebook and Twitter accounts, then link them. You can also set up a Facebook business page to market your eBooks. Build up your networks by following and commenting on others' material.
5. GROUPS
Join online writers' groups, readers' groups, and other groups. Be an active participant - show up and provide your input, plus take in the input of others to keep the group going.
6. REVIEWS
I mentioned this earlier in this post, but it's pretty easy to post book reviews. You can do so on your Amazon account or on your site. Establish your reputation as a thoughtful and insightful critic and soon others will begin to trust your opinion.
7. INTERVIEWS
Offer to hold interviews with fellow eBook writers on your site. You help feature someone, and they get to share their work! It's a win-win situation for you both.
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SUBSCRIPTIONS:
One great marketing trick that works well is exclusivity. Those who are in the know get access to exclusive content not available for others. You can use this with your own eBooks by creating subscriptions. Readers can either subscribe to an email list with free offers, or you could make your website a subscription site.
To provide email subscriptions, think of what you would like as a customer. If you signed up on an email list, what would you like to receive? What would be the content? How often would you like the email delivered? Use the answers to those questions to draft your emails, then send them out to dedicated readers and those who subscribe to your site.
Do the same thing for your subscription-based website. What would you specifically offer that your target reader is looking for? Advance copies of your eBooks? More free content? Discounts? eBook bundles? A special podcast?
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FUNDRAISING and DONATIONS:
Fundraising for eBooks? Isn't that just for nonprofits?
Not at all! Fundraising is a great way to receive pay for your eBooks without actually selling them. Robin Sloan is a successful digital writer who uses fundraising to his advantage. Month after month he provides free stories on his website. Then, once a year he holds a week-long fundraiser, where his readers can donate an amount of money. He makes quite a bit of cash from these annual fundraisers, and has gladly discovered his readers love donating for what they've been reading all year. People like to pay for quality stuff.
Set up a donations button from Paypal on your website and ask for donations. "Like what you see? Donate $3 for a cup of coffee!" Or, hold an annual fundraiser like Robin and invite your readers to donate for their annual reading. It may be an alternative to selling that helps you.
Another way to establish trust and your online reputation with readers is to donate a percentage of your sales to charity. Pick a charity that is close to your heart or one that is close to your readers' hearts. Then, either a portion or all proceeds from that eBook can go to the charity. You'll make money for the charity and also make sales, too.
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TEACH and SHARE:
Most of these marketing tips will help establish your reptuation as a great writer and trustworthy eBook seller. In return, take your knowledge and your newfound expert status and teach others.
Teaching and sharing knowledge through coaching, webinars, and conferences is a way of marketing, because you're marketing yourself. Readers trust eBook writers who love to share their secrets and are generous with their knowledge.
Set up an online class where you teach writing, teach your eBook topic, or teach others how to market. Participate in a webinar or conference as well. The more you appear to be in the know, the more readers will see you as a great writer and purchase your eBooks with confidence and enthusiasm.
---------------------------------
ENTHUSIASTIC READERS:
Marketing is, in essence, about instilling the same level of enthusiasm that you have for your eBooks into someone else. Enthusiasm comes from confidence and trust, and leads to sales. If I'm enthusiastic about a fabulous meal I had at a restaurant, I'm going to recommend it to others! My experience was so great, I'm willing to spread the word with the people I meet.
Conversely, a negative experience can really harm your chances to be a successful eBook writer. Eliminate as many negative experiences and, if you encounter one, be as generous and respectful as possible for the customer.
Make it as simple and fun as possible for your customers to like you! The selling process should be easy, the eBook graphics and visual representation should be spot-on awesome, the content should be both accessible and informative, and your online presence should be humble, generous, respectable and mature. All of these factors add up to enthusiastic readers and customers. And they, in return, will come back and want more from you!
-----------------------------------------
Marketing begins with you. Cultivate enthusiasm for your eBooks, find their target readers, and pitch your stuff. Think of what you would want if an eBook writer was trying to reach you as a customer, and then provide a great selling experience. Build trust by giving away free stuff and sharing your knowledge. Own your online presence through posting, commenting, submitting, and social networking. The more out there you are, the more readers will come to know you and purchase from you.
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What We're Doing:
Marketing our eBooks by maintaining an online presence, being generous, using fundraising or donations, building trust, and instilling product enthusiasm in our customers. We don't want our readers to just be satisfied - we want them to love what we offer and want more.
What You Can Do:
*Develop a marketing plan specific to each eBook.
*Find your target reader, the sites they visit, and the blogs they read and write. Write down ways you can pitch your eBooks to these readers.
*Own your online presence by posting, commenting, submitting, social networking, joining groups, conducting interviews, and being visible.
*Create subscriptions to emails, podcasts, or your whole website. Offer exclusive content and products to subscribers.
*Set up your website to accept donations or fundraising.
*Teach and share your knowledge, by hosting online classes, joining webinars or conferences, and coaching.
We're veering from the traditional publishing plan (idea - manuscript - query - agent - editor - bookstore - reader) and following our own 5-stage digital author plan:
IDEA - CONTENT - PRODUCT - PLATFORM - MARKETING
-------------------------------------------
The intensive work it's taken to transform our plain text into an eBook, complete with our own logo, author photograph, and marketing materials completes the PRODUCT stage ... so now we're ready to take it to our readers by finding a PLATFORM. Just like a theatre stage showcases the play for the audience, a platform showcases our eBooks and features them directly in front of the viewing reader. Luckily, we're living in a miniature golden age for digital writers: the Kindle, Nook, Sony eReader and Kobo ereader devices are portable libraries for our readers. We can hop on the back of iTunes, display our stuff on Google Books, or even create our own site. Platforms are everywhere!
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WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS?
Before we chose a topic for our eBook, we scoured bestseller lists to discover what was popular. Before we wrote our content, we looked at a finished published book. And before we created a product out of our content, we read eBooks to compare their layouts and graphics. See a pattern here? We look at what's out there, and then custom-tailor it for our particular needs.
We'll do the same thing with platforms, by seeing what is available and then dabbling in these digital places. Specializing in only one virtual location may work against us. Amazon may seem to be the all-encompassing one-stop shopping spree for eBooks ... but what about Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes, or your own site? Why not scope each one of them out and then add our jewels to the treasure chest?
J. A. Konrath, a very successful fiction eBook author, is doing exactly that. His stuff is in a bunch of places, and he's selling thousands of copies a month by spreading himself far and wide.
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THE PLATFORM CHART:
Traditional authors set up a submission chart for their query letters and book proposals: Where is it going? Who has it? When did I submit? When can I expect a reply? They track their progress.
As digital authors, we're going to set up a platform chart. We're not submitting our work to just one platform or just one place. We're spreading our stuff nice and wide so that it pops up in as many places as possible. We want PC and Mac users to easily click and buy. We want Internet Explorer, Safari, and Mozilla Firefox users to have no problem viewing and reading our stuff. Our content may not be suitable for everyone, but our platform strategy will reach as much of our target audience as possible.
It takes planning and coordination to keep track of our rampant eBooks, so we must stay organized.
Create a spreadsheet with the platform name, website, information, your username and password, fees, costs, eBook formats, and so forth. It makes it much easier! You may also want to set aside a special folder in your browser's bookmarks section just for platform websites.
Once we've created the spreadsheet, we'll update it every time we upload a new eBook or sell a copy. We can track our progress over time, seeing which platforms perform better. We can ask easily discover why Amazon is better than iTunes or vice versa. We can be informed about our own marketing strategy.
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YOUR OWN PLATFORM:
We also want to provide a cohesive watering hole for enthusastic readers to connect with us, learn more about our stuff, and possibly purchase directly from us. We can create our own platform.
There are plenty of books to help you set up a website, or you could make it easy on yourself and hire a website designer. Register your own name (or pen name) as the domain name, purchase web hosting, and carve out your own virtual real estate. Add your logo, author photograph, particular fonts, and other custom graphics to make it your personal brand.
Basic web pages include:
*HOME
Author photo, logo, and a paragraph introducing yourself. Lots of links to other pages within the site.
*ABOUT
What do you write about? Provide a brief bio and personal reasons for writing your genre.
*EBOOKS
Upload pictures of your eBook covers, link to Paypal or Google Checkout, and provide descriptions. Create your own virtual book catalog.
*FREE STUFF
In the beginning (and, for that matter, throughout your digital writing career), the majority of your stuff will be given away for free. Blog content, online articles, fiction, poetry, recipes - whatever it is that you write, you must be willing to provide your reader with plenty of examples. Trusting the customer with your free content makes them feel like they trust you. It's a karmic trick of the Internet that the more you give away, the more sales you get.
*REVIEWS/TESTIMONIALS
This is where you get to post all the lovely reviews you received from your readers back in the Content stage! Highlight the best of what they've said and also include review snippets next to the actual eBooks.
Obviously, you don't have to stick to this particular site format. You can set up a blog at Blogger or WordPress and fill it with content before an actual website. You can also turn a blog into your main site.
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EBOOK STORES:
Brick-and-mortar bookstores stock traditional books, whereas digital eBook stores stock eBooks. Smashwords is one of the more popular, as are eBook Mall, Book Locker, and the Sony eReader Store. Read about their submission guidelines, format requirements and the fee percentage.
You may have to do some number-crunching to decide whether these places are worth paying the store fee vs. your own payment. Take a look at what they offer, and if you write what their readers are predominantly looking for, you may sell a number of copies.
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EBOOK FORMATS:
As you browse through eBook platforms, you will undoubtedly notice different platforms require different software versions of your eBook. Some take PDF, some take .ePub, some take Microsoft Word, some take Rich Text Format, and so on.
In order to appeal to the widest amount of readers, you will need to translate your eBook's content in different formats. Calibre is a free software program you can download that easily switches between formats. That way, you can easily upload the format to match the platform.
Also, keep your eBook content (especially fiction) in a plain format, like .txt, .rtf, or .doc extensions. That way, when you upload your content, the platform can translate it into their particular format.
For eBook covers, keep the graphics files in both .jpg and .png formats; that will make it easier to upload the covers, too. Work with your graphic designer to adhere to the platform's cover size and pixel-size specifications.
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PRICING AND PURCHASING:
Each eBook platform will charge a certain percentage of the sales as a fee. Put each platform's fee amount in your platform spreadsheet, so that you know how much will be deducted from each purchase - and what will be left over for you!
Based on the platform's fees, set your eBook price. You may have already set it, as I suggested in the PRODUCT stage. You may also decide to give your eBooks away for free until you build a following of readers. That is great!
Once you have set the price and uploaded the particular eBook format into your platform, follow any additional instructions to set up purchasing. You may have to link your account to Paypal or provide bank account information. It depends on the platform.
When your eBook goes live on the platform, purchase a copy. How easy was it to purchase? How long was the download wait? You may want to provide a walk-through for each platform, to post on your website or blog to make it easier for customers to purchase.
If you are also running your own platform site, then purchase a copy from your own site. Was it easy? Tweak the process if necessary and provide complete and thorough instructions for customers who use both PCs and Macs. We do not want to discourage customers from purchasing!
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PRINT-ON-DEMAND:
I've tried print-on-demand through both Lulu and Amazon's CreateSpace, and I'm more a fan of instant eBook downloads. But, there may be times when you want a physical copy of your completed eBooks. You may want to provide a nice photo of them on your website, give them away as gifts or promo offers, or merely line your own bookshelves - hey, you're an author, too!
POD is different than eBooks, and not just in a physical way. POD requires many more specifications than Kindle or other ereaders: the book must adhere to a specific typeset format, and the covers have to be a specific size. You may need to rework your eBook cover with your graphic/cover designer.
POD books also require an ISBN, whereas eBooks don't necessarily. Some POD sites, like Amazon's CreateSpace, provide ISBNS. Name yourself as the publisher since you are!
Some POD sites, like Amazon's CreateSpace, reach quite a wide audience. Other sites, like Lulu, feature their own platforms where readers can purchase books specifically.
The best way for an eBook writer to take advantage of POD is to promote it on your own website or blog. Set up the printed copy as separate from your eBooks and make it easy to buy. Keep ten to twenty copies of the POD version on hand for these particular sales, so that you can ship them yourself through the post office, FedEx, or UPS. Some readers do like to have a physical book in their hands, so you can provide that for those customers.
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AUDIOBOOKS and PODCASTS:
Transform your eBooks into audiobooks and podcasts! Like with POD, this is another way to sell the same content from an eBook. Your eBooks will be a different version which you can either sell from a platform or from your own site.
Audiobooks can be sold on iTunes and other audio sites. Have your eBook content edited and ready to go, then get the equipment (microphone, audio recorder, etc.), save your file in .mp3 format, and publish it.
Podcasts can be a weekly or monthly series of short fiction pieces, featured recipes, essays, or whatever else you write. You can either post them for free or sell them through a podcast site.
The more platforms we can find - and the more versions of our stuff - the more sales we can make. Audiobooks and podcasts are worth looking into!
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Finding different platforms for your work is like working with twenty major bookstores for promotion! It's almost unbelievable how many places your eBook can appear - at very little cost to you. Each eBook you write can be sold in digital, physical, and audio form. Once you start thinking of your work as a product, the potential for growth becomes enormous. Explore each platform option, be patient while you change your eBooks to different formats, keep track of the information on a spreadsheet, and don't be afraid to try new online avenues, like featuring your eBooks on someone else's website, bundling eBooks together into packages, or giving them away for free. Digital platforms are almost better than bookstores!
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What We're Doing:
Showcasing our finished product eBooks on internet platforms to reach the widest number of customers. We're using as many platforms - Amazon, Google, iTunes, etc. - as possible, instead of specializing in just one.
What You Can Do:
*Research the platform market. Does the bestseller list change from platform to platform? Take a look at the available market.
*Create a Platform Spreadsheet - include the platform's name, website, your username and password, fee charge, eBook formats, etc.
*Set up your own website or blog. Register your name as the domain and purchase web hosting. Add your author photo, logo, eBooks, and purchasing information.
*Purchase eBooks from different platforms and your own site to judge how easy it is to do it.
*Translate your eBook into different formats using Calibre or other software, to make it easier to upload into the platform.
*As an option, consider making audiobooks and podcasts of your eBooks.
*Try print-on-demand as another option to feature on a POD platform or your own site.
Continuing with my Free Fiction Friday series, here's another story. This is a short story I wrote in college about a slave auction.
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