Are you considing an eBook as one of your products, possibly even your first? Well if the answer is yes you need to be considering your eBook creation process and I’ll tell you now why you should think about outsourcing it.
Tap Into This ‘Sky Rocketing’ Market
Sales of eBooks have rocketed over the last few years and are set to continue to explode even further and faster in the coming years. I was reading an article somewhere recently that from memory identified eBook sales have jumped 20% in the last year alone – that’s incredible and an excellent reason to get stuck into this lucrative market
But How Do I Do it?
Right listen up lots of folk outsource their eBook creation. Because EBooks are books that are sold as files, normally downloads many people like them because they’re more convenient than physical books. Plus, with all of the new mobile devices on the market like Kindle that are designed for reading on the move, they’re getting more popular than ever. They can be downloaded, sent through email and read anywhere.
But here’s the best bit
For us as information publishers it’s the absolute ideal product as there’s no print costs as are associated with normal printed books and therefore small overall publishing costs which means yes you’ve guessed it, really terrific profit margin potential
So at this point you’re thinking “great lets get stuck in there” but it still comes back to creating the eBook and ensuring it’s a saleable product that is crafted in such a manner that people will pay hard earned cash to buy, read and consider great value.
Don’t Overlook The Basics
It must offer value, and the best sellers generally are those crafted around a subject matter that people within specific niches are searching for and want answers to their problems, information on how to undertake certain tasks etc. So it could be “The Ultimate Guide to Building You Garden Henhouse”
So ok you’ve discovered through your comprehensive market research that there’s a burning need for an eBook on yes you’ve guessed it “The Ultimate Guide to Building You Garden Henhouse”. Now it could be you know nothing about keeping hens in your back garden let alone how to build a henhouse – but guess what that’s where outsourcing can help, read on….
Why Outsource?
People outsource eBook creation mainly because there’s much more to writing an eBook than simply writing articles or web content. Many involve lots of research and organization, as well as graphics and formatting in an easily downloadable format.
But the real key is getting the experience & knowledge from a ghostwriter that you don’t possess yourself. Therefore if you had to create from scratch you’d be on the job forever – so by outsourcing you get the job done, to a high standard quickly and efficiently – it’s not rocket science.
If you want to outsource your eBook creation, here are some things that you should consider.
Finding A Great Writer
First of all, you need a good writer. It should be someone with experience writing eBooks. Although any good writer can research a topic well enough to write about it, it’s much better if they actually have some expertise in your niche. This is not essential though. If you find a writer that you like but they don’t know your niche, you can hire them to write a smaller project for you first. Once you know that they’ve got the skills you need, hire them for your eBook. Obviously an eBook is a huge investment in time and money, bit different to outsourcing some articles so it’s good to make sure that the writer you choose has all the necessary skills to undertake the job.
Help Your Writer
You could trust your writer completely and tell them to just run with whatever ideas you’ve put forward but I wouldn’t advise it at all because the chances are you’ll be disappointed, and here’s why….
It’s a much better idea to manage the creation of the eBook at least a little. It might help to get exactly what you want out of the project if you supply the writer with guidelines, ideas and a well constructed brief or outline. You should tell them what you’d like each chapter to cover.
Also a good idea is to show them as an example an eBook that you like and ask them to produce something along those or similar lines. The point is to assist them just enough to help them create the material you want without bossing them about and infringing on their own creative streak.
Ideas From Your Writer
Likewise, you can benefit greatly from your writer’s input. When doing a big project you should have detailed discussions with your writer either on email, telephone (Skype is great for this and freee) and see what input they have. They may have a fresh, original take on your topic. You should also touch base with them from time to time in order to discuss and see drafts. Set milestones and keep an eye on the work as it develops; this way, you can give them feedback, offer help & input to the project before its gets too far down the road and you discover you’re not happy with it.
Hire An Independent Editor
Another good idea is to hire an independent editor to edit the finished eBook. The writer may have done an excellent job of writing the material, but it’s useful sometimes to have a fresh pair of eyes to do the editing. If someone who doesn’t really know about the project is hired to proof read it, they may notice mistakes or have feedback to make it read better as an example…
You should also show them the original outline or brief so that they can determine if the end product sticks to the point and the brief. You may also find it useful to outsource someone else to do the graphics and layout. Not all writers are good or have their skill at completing these areas.
So there you have it- don’t be held back just because you know nothing about a niche or the subject – find a hot niche, determine people’s needs and problems and flesh out an eBook brief to satisfy them – simple you’ve got an idea for an eBook but you lack the writing skills to do it yourself, don’t worry – you don’t have to out source it – you’re in business.
Tony
