Steps to writing an e-book

Title: First, figure out your e-book’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.

Thesis: 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.

Target Audience: 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. The more you can pin down your target audience, the easier it will be to write your book for them.

Reasons: Next, make a list of the reasons you are writing your e-book.

Publishing Goals: 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 e-book to attract affiliates around the world? The more you know upfront, the easier the actual writing will be.

User Friendly: Write with a casual, conversational tone rather than a formal tone such as textbook diction. Readers respond to the feeling that you are having a conversation with them.

Decide on the format of your chapters. In non-fiction, keep the format from chapter to chapter fairly consistent.

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.

In case of an e-book that is read on a screen, 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.

Error Check: Of course, don't forget to run a spell and grammar check. You are judged by something as minor as correct punctuation.

Last of all, create an index and a bibliography.

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. 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.