Now, before you say: “I can’t write an eBook, because I never did a writing class, and I have nothing to write about”, listen here.
ANYONE with a passion about a subject that he or she likes can write. You just need to be persistent and determined and you will succeed.
If you know a lot about dogs, gardening, football or whatever you care about, you have… KNOWLEDGE! and knowledge is what it takes to write!
Sharing knowledge is a very profitable business on line, because info-products have proven to be the best selling item on the Web. Just as in the publishing world, non-fiction sells best.
People always have a need for information, and if you can provide it to them, by teaching them how to do things better, you will be rewarded.
It does not even have to be original – cooking recipes, quotes, jokes, local history – these are all things you can compile rather than apply original writing to. You can even write about a subject without being an expert, or without doing much study work. If you use newsgroups and discussion lists to ask other people what they do to succeed in their business, you can write from their ideas.
Believe me, in no time you’ll have a chapter or even an entire book to share with the world. So stop being lazy and get on the keyboard.
A word of WARNING: don’t just copy and paste other people’s words. This is NOT allowed, is unethical and could land you in court regards copyright. It’s better to write in your own unique style about how their tips and ideas have helped you, and if you like, you can give the people the credit they deserve, or list your research at the back as a bibliography.
The creative writing process
Really, you don’t have to go for the Pulitzer Prize, if you start writing. On the contrary!
Try to write as you speak. Be clear, and come right to the point when you make a statement.
Remember, it’s not about HOW you write, it’s about WHAT you have to say. People love to read clear lines, and if you use lots of white space between your paragraphs, you’ll keep the readers interested.
Don’t forget; use the KISS principle; Keep It Simple Silly.
Now that you have your idea, you’re ready to start doing the real stuff, that is writing. One more thing: before you start hitting those keys, ask yourself if there is an audience waiting for your book, or are you going to be your own reader?
Make sure there are people willing to read your eBook before you write it. Otherwise: DO NOT WRITE IT!
Here are some tips to keep in mind when you write:
Be original. Inject your personality into your writing style
Use short sentences
Use words that don’t force your readers to grab a dictionary to understand you
Put in some sort of illustration to prove your point If you should need more tips or advice concerning the creative process of writing, then the internet or your local library has loads of free information as well as being your main support tools for research, writing tools and advice.
What about the IT?
Well you can do eBooks with just word and pdf or you can go the whole hog and build in html you need no technical ability, just follow the instructions and yes its free. It doesn’t take a lot to start as a writer. All you need is a text processing program like MS Word, Notepad, or any HTML Editor, like FrontPage 98/2000 as most eBooks are compiled from HTML pages.
If you have no idea how to write HTML, you can download free guides such as http://www.pagetutor.com/ (You need a Windows PC with at least MS Internet Explorer 4.0 to use this software. Be sure to enable Java!)
If you’ve never created a web page before, this tutorial will guide you gently through the basics of HTML. If you already have experience in HTML, you’ll probably find this info a bit simple. However, the tutorial is free, and there are some useful tips in it, explaining how to upload your web pages to your server, and how to reduce your GIF images. A GIF optimizer that reduces the file size of your GIF images up to 75% is also included.
Here’s a list of FREE HTMLFREE HTML–-Editors: NotetabLight(FREE) http://www.notetab.com/
NoteTab Light makes text editing a breeze. Move quickly around a stack of large files with a simple interface. Format your text to your heart’s content.
FirstPage2000(FREE) http://www.evrsoft.com/
First Page 2000 is a professional HTML editing software which lets you create great websites fast! The visually appealing program comes bundled with over 450+ Javascripts and supports all the latest web languages.
Arachnophilia(FREE) http://www.arachnoid.com/arachnophilia/
Arachnophilia can import and automatically convert RTF documents, tables, and outlines from any Windows compliant application to HTML. It supports up to six Web browsers, automatic uploading of changed files; user-defined templates; global search and replace; and an interface with full drag-and-drop capabilities.