Writing my first eBook...Where to Start

Well as you can tell from the title I have started my first eBook.

I mentioned this on my Facebook Page and was asked how I went about it which is a good question for any new venture...where do you start? So I thought I'd share my own experience of it so far with you.

Before you start writing you of course need to know what you're writing about (kinda helps). This took me a while to figure out, I had a rough idea but couldn't quite decide on the angle I wanted to take. I found brainstorming useful, using a spider diagram and letting my mind wander. Highlight the things that really appeal to you and you can talk passionately about and have a good knowledge of.

People tend to work one of two ways, write first then give it a name or decide on a name and work your writing around that~ the same goes for writing music, go with whichever suits you best.

The title should be straight forward and make it clear what you're about. Clever titles which play on words are cool but they can also confuse. Also include a subtitle that really sums up and sells the book. This is a good thing to remember in any type of writing~ particularly for digital uses.

To write an eBook you need the right software. Ebooks are usually in PDF format and there are a number of ways to create PDF's. My favourite is to write your stuff in Microsoft Word and then convert it once you've got everything where and how you want it.

There's a number of clever PDF softwares out there and I like PDF995 I'm sure there are plenty of other ones out there that are better but this works well for me and it's free! Once installed you just go to print the page but instead of choosing a printer you choose PDF995 and it converts for you.

You can also download the Signature995 which adds on to the PDF995 and adds extra security to your ebook by making it impossible for people to copy or modify your PDF's. If you're an artisan this is a good way to create downloadable tutorials and patterns!

There are many great free eBook templates out there. Do a Google for 'free ebook templates, have a look around and choose one that looks best for what you're writing about.

After the front page it's a good idea to include a contents, copyright information and disclaimer. These don't have to take long or be complicated, there's some great tips from some expert ebook publishers on Dave Taylors website.

It might also be worth considering a little copyright notice in the footer of each page. As well as the page numbers.

Once all the necessary stuff is out of the way you can get on with the main part...the writing! Keep in mind it takes people longer to read on a screen than on paper, so keep it clear, well organised and keep waffling to a minimum (one thing I'm still battling with ;)).

OK so you've finished writing and editing now what? Well I'm not at this part yet myself so I can't really say, but I know from my research many people get an ISBN, some use their ebooks as a thank you for opting-in to their newsletter or following their site and some sell their books through a variety of ebook outlets or through their own sites. The possibilities are endless to be honest.

Two of the best and most popular online venues for selling ebooks have to be Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing and Apple's iTunes Book Publishers

As I progress with my own book I shall of course keep you updated with how it's going and any useful information I learn along the way but this is also a two-way thing. If you've written an ebook or are planning to I'd love to hear how you're getting on along with any tips and tricks that could be useful to the readers here at HP so please feel free to share them below!