How to Write an eBook & Make Money Fast

eBooks are the most popular when it comes to building credibility for a brand. Free eBooks are even more popular when we’re talking about lead magnets and giveaways on blogs and websites.

They make the most efficient and fastest way to get new subscribers to build your email list fast and leads every day.

But wait!

There is a catch. If your eBook doesn’t deliver the value as promised, it can leave the first and final wrong impression of your brand. You may almost lose a prospect forever.

And that’s why, I wrote this post when one of my clients asked if I have a guide to write a great ebook that drives hundreds of happy new subscribers to the email list and creates an outstanding impression of your brand.

I am breaking this post into neat steps from planning, creating to publishing like a pro. Let’s start with your guide on how to write an ebook and make money fast.

1.    Figure Out What Your Target Audience Needs

You either know your audience or you need to research and identify your best target audience. Once you identify, figure out what they desperately need, what will make them grab this information no matter, what will solve one or more of their real life problems.

Observe the content that is most sought after on searches, or most read on your blog, asked at Quora and similar forums, discussed at events and more. When you figure out what your audience needs, you can then narrow your ebook topic ideas and ultimately get your maximal lead magnet success.

For example, my target audience has coaches, consultants, bloggers and mostly solo entrepreneurs. And they can always use an eBook on a specific subject to grow and make better profits. I have written ebook about power blogging that has helped many to create regular cashflow. I have also written an ebook around Personal Branding that is useful for every business owner.

2.    Think of A Catchy Name or Title For The Ebook

So now that you have found out what your audience needs, it’s time to brainstorm on a catchy title for your ebook. Note that the title is the first thing your audience will notice. It should be powerful and useful enough to grab attention and create a willingness.

You might also want to consider using a subheading; it has been proven to be effective, though not necessary.

How To Do This:

• Always be simple and specific in the title’s sentence, ‘How To Write The Perfect Ebook For Lead Magnet’
• A short, self-explanatory title would do very well in catching the interest of your visitors.
• Consider using words like ‘perfect’, “easy” ‘ultimate’ ‘and amazing’ will give your marketing an edge.

Example:

31 Days Facebook Marketing Course to Get 10+ Leads Everyday

How to Have a Flat Belly in 4 Weeks

3.    Prepare an Outline

Before you start composing your ebook, it is best that you create an outline. An outline breaks up your ebook chapters, sub-chapters, along with accompanying notes of what will be detailed and covered in each chapter. Even though there may be some slight changes to it while writing, writing them in outlines give you a structure for your content, makes it easy for you to write and keeps you adhere to the topic.

For example, before I wrote this ebook post, I prepared this outline

Step 1 – Figure What Your target audience desparately NEED

Step 2 – Think of a Catchy Title/Name for the ebook

Step 3 – Prepare an Outline

Step 4 – Research latest stats about subject

Step 5 – Start writing free-flow following the outline

Step 6 – Get 2-3 Experts Contribute if Possible

Step 7 – Get 2-3 Good Infographics to Add

Step 8 – Edit & Proofread

Step 8 – Design Simple

Step 9 – Get reviewed by 5 trusted contacts

Step 10 – Publish

4.    Add Latest Statistics on the Subject

Statistics help to bring more credibility to your ebook content, and it helps to validate the written points. Facts and figures that are accurately cited from reputable sources are a plus, helping you add a better perspective to your topic. Usually, statistics are a small element, but it brings more truthfulness and authority to your piece.

How To Do This:

Google is the best. There are paid sites such as Statista that keeps latest stats and reports for almost every industry.

Did you know that according to optinmonster.com, the opt-in rate on your website can rise by almost 85% using ebooks alone as a lead magnet.

5.    Start Writing Free-flow following the outline

And now, you can get to writing your ebook. Write with clarity and simplicity, while following your outline. Consider each chapter as a mini book and write what you know first. This is what we call free-flow writing. This will make your ebook original and your writing style and experience add a personality to your ebook. Once you have written everything based on your knowledge and experience, then do a research to see what more you can add.

Why can’t I research first and then write?

We miss the originality in that approach. The outcome is more of a rephrased work someone else wrote first. So, I recommend writing what you know first and then improving it with researched information.

Main structural consistency for every chapter, as this will ease and establish natural transitions between chapters. This will help the reader stay connected with a clear progression from one to the other.

Bonus tip:

Create bullet point lists and tables wherever you can. This makes your reader enjoy a break from all text reading.

Warning:

Do not try to use overly sophisticated language, as this can confuse your readers.

6.    Get 2 – 3 Experts to Make a Contribution

This is optional but works well.

When you are looking to write the perfect ebook for a lead magnet, it is surely in your best interest to have some expert input into an ebook. This not only adds more authenticity and authority to your lead magnet ebook but also helps with promotions later when these experts share the ebook among their audience.

Identify 4-5 well-known experts in your industry and request them to send a note/opinion/experience about the subject.

7.    Get 2 or 3 Infographics to Add

The human brain processes images about 60,000 times faster than words.

Images bring life into your content, and this is where infographics come in. Infographics help to turn words that are easily skipped or unnoticed, into information that is visually stimulating and easily understood by readers.

How To Do This: If you find a particular aspect or chapter of your ebook that can be explained better visually, do it. Get a simple and beautiful infographic done. I usually delegate to my graphic design team but tools like Canva and Snappa has got some coolest templates that can create outstanding infographics within 10 minutes or so.

8.    Edit and Proofread

Here it comes – the most important and so-called difficult part. We end up writing a lot more than we thought. That includes a lot of fluff as well.

Once you’re done with your eBook writing (or you got it written by a ghostwriter), take one or two days break and read it again like your audience will read.

Be merciless and remove everything that appears unnecessary, that’s not adding any value to the ebook. Edit and replace phrases or vocabulary that sound too difficult, which creates friction in reading and understanding.

If you’re editing it right, chances are high that you may end up removing 15-25% of your ebook content.

I recommend Hemingwayapp.com and Grammarly to edit and proofread your content. Alternatively, you can also hire editors and proofreaders at sites like Upwork, Fiverr.

9.  Send your eBook to Your Five Trusted Contacts

It is always good to have feedback from actual readers before you launch your ebook. I send it to 5-7 of my critiques and I love the way they give feedback to make my ebooks shine.

Make the final edit, addition or trimming after their feedback.

10.  Get  a Simple Design

Most of us are obsessed with a great design and colorful looks. The point is – our readers come to us to get the information and content you’re claiming to provide. Design isn’t even on their mind.

Keep the simplest possible design that helps your content stand out. Use light colors

Use colors in the – chapter’s name and subheadings

Prefer dark gray or black in body text.

Avoid any color in the background. Prefer keeping it white or any lightest shade.

Add only a few images so the main focus stays on your actual information.

Design your first page or cover in a way it stands out. Use the colors, image or anything you wanted to use. Just make sure you ebook’s title is the first thing the reader notices.

You can use Canva to create ebook covers.

I prefer a simple word document converted to pdf with minimal graphics and imagery.

Tools you can use to design your ebook pages – Lucidpress, Venngage, Crello

11.  Publish

And we arrived!

This is the last step, and it is always the most interesting and fulfilling. Go ahead and publish your ebook! Simply head on to your site and customize a landing page for it, or an opt-in dialog box. On social media, you can promote it as an offer. Watch your leads roll in as you spread the word  about your fantastic new asset.

You can also list your ebook as a freebie on Amazon. You will be surprised to see your visibility and publicity. I published my eBook for free and it is available to Kindle user for free to download.

Consider reading:

How to publish your free eBook on Amazon & Amazon KDP Guidelines

It is even better if you can write a blog post by including an excerpt from your ebook in the blog post. Another alternative is to write a blog post on the same topic of your ebook, with a call-to-action at the end of the post, to bring in subscribers via email.

Also, you can send out an email about your ebook to those on your email list, with a link to an opt in form or a landing page.

Tip: On landing pages, ensure that you utilize testimonials, clear, simple, call-to-actions, and quality ad copy.

 

Important Things To Remember While Creating An Ebook

1.    Have A Purpose

It’s nice to want to write an ebook, but what is the main goal of the ebook? What information are you trying to relay to your customers? What value are you offering them? What problem his ebook will solve?

Before you start planning out your ebook, writing with a purpose is an important aspect to be considered. Use this purpose in your landing page and write about it. A purpose and intent give your ebook and landing page a personal touch.

2.    Create an Idea Your Audience Would Love

Just because YOU feel that your audience or market is in need of some important information, that doesn’t mean every individual in your market thinks that they do as well. One way to get this confirmed, is to send a topic or two to your email list in form of a poll, while asking them to indicate their preference. Or run a split test with opt-in forms and different titles and use the data to see which one gets you the most leads. You can use social media to have this poll. This step comes before you start writing the ebook.

3.    Choose The Right Ebook Format

The PDF format is the MOST accepted and widely used for lead magnets on blogs and websites. The other three most popular smart-device-friendly formats for sites like amazing, goodreads include:

l  MOBI

l  EPUB

l  HTML5

These are the most popular, because they can fit well on the screen of any device, be it mobile or computer. Ensure that your ebook is no different, so as not to give your readers undue stress.

4.    Manage and Allocate Your Time To Write Good Content

eBooks can be written as quick as 2 days but great ebooks take time. So give it a good time and allocate a few hours every day to write your books chapters.

eBooks can be as short as 10 pages and as long as 50 pages. Lead magnet ebooks do well between 8-15 pages.

Decide a timeframe and commit to the time you’ll give to write your ebook every day.

5.    Don’t Provide Too Many Details

The purpose of a lead magnet ebook is to win your audience’s trust and help them with something small. This is the representative of what you’re capable of. This is not your entire service. So write and provide only enough so they feel curious to know about your services. Don’t try to address each and every problem they have unless these ebooks are paid. Figure how much to provide. Seek help from business coaches and mentors if required.

Over to you

Writing an ebook for a lead magnet doesn’t have to be tiring or daunting. At the very least, if you’ve got a well structured and researched topic, sound promotion strategy, before long you’ll have formed the basis of a basic campaign, and eventually see some quality leads and opportunities rolling in.

If you need some more help in creating an ebook for a lead magnet, just drop your questions in comments. I will be happy to help.