So You've Written An Ebook? Now What?

by Will Viharo

Not anyone can write a book. But these days, anyone who's written a book can also publish that book, either via the traditional route, with an agent and/or established press, or more popularly, via various DIY platforms. You'll soon discover that writing the book was the easy part. Marketing it is the true challenge... are you ready?

It's no secret ebooks are supplanting print media at a rapid rate, in the fiction and non-fiction fields, and aspiring authors, amateur and professional, are boarding the booming bandwagon.

Whether you've been fortunate enough to sell your book to a professional publisher, or you're boldly venturing down the lonesome but potentially lucrative self-publishing route, you're going to be responsible for the bulk of promotions. Especially if you're self-publishing. But in the latter case, with that perhaps daunting responsibility comes a certain creative freedom. That's the trade-off. From design to distribution, your book is your baby.

We will soon be offering a step-by-step course on how to take care of your baby in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

First, here is a quick rundown of things to begin considering as soon as you type “The End” on your digital manuscript, or even sooner:

• Investigate your choices of self-publishing platforms, include CreateSpace, Lulu, Smashwords, BookBaby, and more (a simple web search will pull up dozens of options), all of which provide instructions on how to format your ebook, as well as global distribution via Amazon, iBooks, etc. (for a price, of course).
  

• Decide whether you want to publish your book only as an ebook, or offer print versions as well.
  
• Determine your target audience in advance: young adults? Bored housewives? Attorneys on coffee breaks? The “shotgun” approach is way too risky, especially for novice authors without a recognizable “brand name.”
  

• Begin construction of your social media platform(s). Beyond your personal profile, creating a Facebook fan page for your ebook immediately designates it as a unique product.
  

• If you can afford it, hire an editor who can help you not only streamline the content but catch grammatical and typographical errors.
  

• You need a cover that will help sell the book and make it stand out in the crowd, so that might mean hiring an artist/designer as well.
  

Remember, the birth of your ebook is only the beginning of the sometimes tedious but often rewarding marketing process that will ensure it a long and healthy virtual “shelf life.”

We'll be offering more detailed explanations of each of these points, and more, in the near future. Meantime, follow our Facebook and Twitter pages to join the ongoing discussion, so you won't miss any important tips!

Photo by Maria Elena