If you are a blogger or site publisher, you've probably already thought of "monetizing" your knowledge on the internet outside the content of your blog / corporate website. Whether you're passionate about economics, modeling, or why not Reiki, one of the most original ways of "monetize" your contributions may be through the creation of an e-book. By compiling and organizing your content, analysis, advice, and then supplementing some updates, you can easily create an electronic document having a commercial value. So where to start?
Create and monetize an e-book: being an "authority" in the matter
In all cases, the monetization of an e-book needs to be clearly identified as a contribution on the internet, either because you edit a site that is an authority in a particular field, either because it is itself a recognized as web contributor. The first element is crucial, since the web site will be the download location for the end product. The authority of the site or the writer (the history and relevance of content) are both practical (based on existing content) and commercial needs (author's credibility).
The Content
Some themes are naturally more easily selled than others: finance, management, marketing, personal development, etc.. In all cases, the final product must offer exclusive content-oriented individual counseling and must rely on several types of references (link to official sites, tables, surveys, expert testimony, opinion of the community, etc.).
In all cases, here are the stages in creating your ebook:
- Planify of the electronic document: Marking out the topic. It should be neither too broad nor too specific. Identify previously published ebooks for your competitors to differentiate yourself. It is also important to differentiate from the free content available.
- Write an editorial (tone, style, target, length of articles / chapters). You will have to conform to obtain a consistent final product.
- Identify and compile articles you have published in connection with the subject. (The number of content already available determines the "profitability" of the ebook if you do not have much time)
- Make a plan and make use of the existing contents.
- Update the content available (eg data) and add missing content according to the plan. Note: the content you can add duplicate and feed your blog to avoid overload of work.
- Choose a title sufficiently strong and evocative. Ex: "100 Tips for ... "How to win .... ? .
The layout of the ebook
The final version of the ebook, must comply with a set of formatting rules(related to the readability of digital formats), and will include:
- A consistent graphical chart (font types, line spacing, size of titles, headings)
- A summary/table of contents (or both). Please note, the summary may be used as an incentive.
- Clearly delineated chapters, which correspond to the summary
- Illustrations/tables/footnotes
- The front page (coverage) should be worked particularly well.
Proofreading by a third party is be essential.
Which format to choose?
PDF format: suitable for playback on PC
Traditionally, ebooks created by small publishers are widely distributed in PDF format. This format is intended to be read by Acrobat Reader, which is compatible with Mac, Windows and Linux. It can be read on supports that provide optimal reading experience (eg: full screen mode), but is not suitable for most mobile devices.
Other proprietary formats: suitable for mobile terminals
E-reader: this format is adapted to mobile platforms (iPhone, Android, Palm). Other types of formats for mobile platforms: AZW Amazon MOBI MobiPocket, Microsoft LIT, Palm eReader PNPD and Sony BBeB.
Epub: open format multi-platform
EPUB open format is a new "standard" for electronic books, praised by the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF). This format is designed for optimal layout regardless of the playing media. Different applications can create ePub files from other formats (including PDF)(Calibre software).
Note: the choice of the format depends heavily on your target audience (general public, mobile users, etc..).
Related FAQ:Create and monetize an ebook: promotion and dissemination