Self Publishing With Microsoft Word
eBook Writing With Microsoft Word!
Writing And Publishing An eBook Without Spending A Dime!
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What you will learn from this article.
Where to get ideas for writing an eBook.
How to use Microsoft Word to maintain curiosity.
Covering the basic eBook layout.
Sell or give your eBook away for free.
Focus on attention-grabbing structure.
Why eBooks are important with writing.
Where to get ideas for writing an eBook.
Before we get to the part about getting ideas to write an eBook. First, know that with the 2 options of eBook distribution covered here. There is one major difference between the two options.
Publishing An eBook — This means you cannot include any links, affiliate links or otherwise. Because the publisher I will introduce to you will not allow that. You will be published in over 40 major online bookstores, including Amazon, 100% free!
Giving Away An eBook For Free — These are eBooks where you can include links, even affiliate links in the footer area for instance. Those are the basic differences between the two distribution options.
As for where to get ideas about writing an eBook. Well, whether you know it or not, your head is already exploding with ideas. You just don’t know it yet, but I can assure you, it’s in there somewhere.
From telling stories to writing more tutorial kinds of eBooks, as I do. When you dig deep enough you will discover a river of ideas. For instance, one of my good friends and most responsive readers, Stephen Providenti recently decided to write an eBook on jokes.
Do you know many jokes? Well, there’s your idea right there. Have you been writing articles for the last few years? Well, there’s your idea right there. Have you been working as a tradesman for years? Well, again, there’s your idea right there.
My point is that you have done things in life, and you have had experiences. Perhaps like me, you spent what feels like an eternity on the internet, and failed many times. Well, need I say it again? There’s your idea right there!
How to use Microsoft Word to maintain curiosity.
If you are not all that familiar with Microsoft Word, (or PowerPoint works just as well) then you need to educate yourself. Personally, I mostly use the options “Home”, and “Insert” mostly, as can be seen in the illustration below.
The “Home” section is where you can change things like text size, or font. You can add numbered points or bullet points. Change the text colour, and also add highlighted areas in different colours. The home section covers more tools related to writing.
But the “Insert” part of Microsoft Word, I like to call the “Kitchen”, and for good reason. Making your content spicier and juicier through curios design options can be found in the kitchen.
But this will only be a basic walkthrough of some of the tools you can use with Microsoft Word. I leave the rest up to you to figure out, you will be astonished at what you can do with Microsoft Word once you understand how to use it properly.
Like with any other tool you use, or any platform for that matter. Getting to know your way around the tool or platform is how you get the most out of it. Knowledge is everything, especially in this case.
When you do add coloured blocks to your text, as you will see I have done this in upcoming illustrations. Then you obviously want to send the colour block behind the text.
Left double-click your mouse on the colour block area. Then right-click once and a popup menu will display. Move your cursor to the little arrow to the right of the “Send To Back” option.
Then simply choose the “Send Behind Text” option. And there you have your text area you want to focus attention on, in a coloured block area. The text block colour can also be selected from the kitchen (Insert) area.
It is from this same insert area, or as I like to call it the kitchen, where you add a footer and a header section to your eBook. The header section is usually the author's name, date, and eBook title.
While the footer area is often the page number. And in the case of giving away the eBook for free as a lead magnet. The footer area is where you want to include your affiliate offer. But you will see that demonstrated in just a moment.
Covering the basic eBook layout.
The following basic eBook layout is just one I personally use, and have had no problem publishing it on the first try. Therefore, I think it is safe to assume that this kind of layout is acceptable to publishers.
Book Cover Image.
Note To The Reader.
Table Of Contents (Chapters).
Author Introduction.
Book Chapters.
Affiliate Disclosures (Where Applicable).
Disclaimer And Terms Of Use Agreement.
As illustrated below, and also the eBook I am currently working on. A strategy where I turn my Medium stories into an eBook. AKA — Content recycling or repurposing. You can see 3 of the basic layout suggestions.
The eBook Cover.
Note To The Reader.
Table Of Contents.
As for the content to be used in the “Note To The Reader”, I leave that research up to you. Because that was how I figured out what should be included in this note. Each note to the reader area will be different, based on the kind of eBook you plan on writing.
You will also notice the table of contents, added by using the options available in the kitchen (Insert) area of Microsoft Word. Anything you want to “insert” in your Word document is done from here.
Links to shapes and even images are all inserted into your Word document from the insert area. As I said a while back, get to know your way around any tool or site to be able to use it to its full potential.
Bringing us to the conclusion of the suggested basic eBook structure, next you must decide whether to give your eBook away for free. Or choose to publish and sell your eBook in over 40 major online bookstores.
Sell or give your eBook away for free.
Personally, I go with both. While my eBooks are for sale with publishers like BookRix and sites like Teespring. I also give these same eBooks away for free but only to selected audiences.
Giving away your eBook for free is also known as a “lead magnet”, offering your visitor something in return to perform a certain task. Like subscribing to Medium, or to your email list for instance.
But you can also choose to sell your eBook, by publishing it 100% free with a publisher called BookRix. They take care of publishing your eBook in over 40 major online bookstores, including.
Amazon.
Kobo.
Google Books.
Weltbild.
Rakuten.
Barnes & Noble.
Thalia.
Baker & Taylor.
Apple Books.
Google Play.
But these are just 10 of the over 40 major online bookstores where BookRix will publish your eBook for free. However, they do take a 30% cut from your book sales, once your book starts selling, and believe me, it will! Which I think is rather fair.
With Teespring for instance (Now Just “Spring”), you can simply upload your eBook in PDF format, but with BookRix you cannot. BookRix will require a bit more effort from your side.
Because they provide you with their own book editor on-site. This is where you will copy and paste your content from your Word document. Then from there follow the steps and make the suggested changes, if any.
It is just another tool, the BookRix editor, simply get to know your way around it and you will do just fine. But as mentioned earlier, you cannot publish eBooks in major online bookstores that contain affiliate links.
With free eBooks you can make money online with affiliate marketing for example, but when you sell your eBooks. Well, then that is how you make money, with book sales.
Focus on attention-grabbing structure.
Besides the structure, your eBook content must solve a problem or satisfy a need. But we’re not going to get into the content part of your eBook, that will depend on your level of knowledge about what you decide to write about.
The basic structure, however, remains the same. But just as a tip in case you are not sure what to write about. Have you considered repurposing your content and turning your Medium stories into an eBook?
How many articles have you written on various sites? Are you still unsure what to write about? Just a thought…
Being an affiliate marketer and fascinated to the point of obsession with ways to make money online. Naturally, I like writing eBooks on topics that solve problems within the digital marketing niche. Yes, you guessed it, content marketing strategies.
There is not a single marketer alive, not looking for fresh content marketing strategies and ways to drive buyer traffic. As for content structure, that said, I think I might have that one covered.
As illustrated below, the fourth section of my suggested eBook layout. The “introduction” or “about” section of the author. I consider it rather important to introduce yourself to your reader.
With this particular eBook as illustrated above, I start the first chapter with a summary of my online journey. Thus far, I’m looking at 21 chapters. Which are 21 of my Medium stories that I am recycling.
Presentation and design are of paramount importance because it is also part of the first impression. You need to make your visitor want to see more by addressing a need and offering a solution.
But presentation and design strategies are covered in more detail in another Medium story. Therefore, I suggest you also read the Medium story below.
Why eBooks are important with writing.
eBooks are important for various reasons, like gaining recognition and building trust for instance. Having published eBooks also means you have your own digital products online.
Having your own digital products online is the next step in online marketing. Publishing eBooks are just a much easier “packaging” option, especially when you’re just getting started.
One of the major things all super successful marketers have in common, they all have their own digital products online. From eBooks, you can grow into launching your own products with affiliate networks like Clickbank and Warrior Plus.
Once you have your own eBooks, you can give away something unique, not just another PLR product. I have nothing against PLR products, please don’t get me wrong. Having your own unique content just puts you on a whole new level of “professional”.
Writing and publishing an eBook is really not that difficult if you are prepared to put in the work. As a matter of fact, when you know your way around the free tools available. Then you can publish your first eBook in a matter of days!
How to write, publish, and sell your own outrageously profitable eBook in as little as 7 days! Even if you can’t write, can’t type, and failed high school English class! — Source
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