Writing Tips for your eBook – Making your eBook user friendly
§ The very first rule of writing an eBook is to enjoy what you write. It is very easy to be frustrated or have something known as the "Writer’s Block". Do not write at a stretch. Bear in mind that you are bound to make numerous mistakes while writing. These mistakes would reduce as you keep on revising and editing the eBook. There are going to be several rewrites before you actually have the final version of the eBook.
§ While writing an eBook, it is very crucial that you know and understand your target audience very well. The book should address all the concerns of your target audience. The language and style of the book should also focus on your target audience. For instance, a book for lawyers would consist of numerous law terms, whereas if the book is targeted for housewives, the language should be very casual and informal.
§ Refer to other popular eBooks to gain a better idea of the writing styles and language used. Bookmark good websites that have how-to information for writers about style, marketing, and different approaches to writing books. Good writers never stop learning – and the better you get, the more books you’ll sell.
§ Always read every section after you write it. You may feel the need to restructure a few sentences or include new ones when you read a whole section at a stretch.
§ Always use casual language that makes for simple reading, unless you are writing a very formal business book. Most readers understand casual language. Besides, you do not want your eBook to be taxing on your readers.
§ Personalize your eBook. Write it as if you are conversing with someone one to one. For instance, use words such as "you" and "we" instead of third person language.
§ Shorten sentences. Do not write long sentences with a considerable number of commas and other punctuations. A reader often loses continuity if he/she comes across long sentences. Also, reduce the size of your paragraphs. A paragraph consisting of 6 to 7 lines is ideal.
§ Use bullets whenever possible. Listing various points using bullets reduces the visual mess. Avoid using numbers, unless your topic is something like 10 tips for buying a home. Also, leave out a line between each point, as is done here. This again reduces visual clutter.
§ Use plenty of white space. Some readers will want to print your eBook out to read it. However, others will leave your eBook on their computer, and read it on-screen. That means that you need to be generous with white space. White space is good in any book, but it is especially important in an eBook. A long slab of dense black text on the screen is going to turn off readers - and a mouse-click will take them away from you.
§ Avoid duplicate sentences both in meaning as well as wording. Do not repeat a particular sentence over and over again. It makes sense to remove any unnecessary words. For instance, if you have a sentence which goes as "So how does one achieve this?" remove the unnecessary word "So". "How does one achieve this?" seems more polished and professional.
§ Do not write in extremely short breaks. Spend at least an hour or two at a stretch while writing. Mind you, as suggested earlier, writing for many hours at a stretch could compromise the quality of your work as well. Take some time off at regular intervals, ideally after every 2 hours.
§ Change color (but not too often). Occasional headings or sentences can be highlighted in red, for example. Use bold or italics for emphasis rather than underlining, though – internet users are used to thinking of underlined words as hyperlinks.
§ The first impression of your book is very crucial. Try to make your introductory pages as interesting as possible. Not that all the remaining pages should be boring, but often a good first impression can get a reader through some of the not so interesting but indispensable sections later on in the eBook.
§ Always ask friends and family to review sections you have written. Many a times they may be able to provide valuable insights for the betterment of your eBook. Besides, they may also be able to point out some mistakes you might have overlooked.
§ There is nothing wrong in adopting the writing style of a famous author. In fact this may very well improve your writing skills. Your skills will only be honed with practice – keep at it. Remember perseverance is the key!
§ Finally, bear in mind that you should employ whatever method that works the best for you. Others may advise against it but at the end of the day if you are not comfortable with your writing method, you are not going to be successful.
The Writer’s Block
All writers have experienced it at one time or another - the dreaded writer's block! Writer's block is that terrible menacing mental block that prevents you from writing. There you sit in front of the computer, gazing at the screen. You are unable to focus, unable to write. It has happened to the best of writers, whether it's a letter, an essay, a book report or an eBook that they are trying to write. When writer's block gets a hold of you, you can fight back. The first thing you must figure out is why you are having writer's block and then decide what you can do to sneak around it.
Why can't you write?
Writer's block is caused by many different things. Here is a list of reasons that could be causing you to be unable to write.
§ No interest in the topic. If you are so uninterested in the topic that you can't even write about it, why would anyone want to read it? Try changing the idea or the slant to something that you can become more interested in.
§ Not having enough information on the topic. If you are trying to write about something that you know nothing (or very little) about, chances are you will have little success. Try to do some additional research or talk to others who are knowledgeable on the topic. The more you learn on the topic, the easier it will be for you to write about it.
§ To tired to concentrate. If you are like many freelance writers, you go to work at your day job and are so drained that you are too tired to write. Writing takes time and concentration. If you have too many responsibilities set aside a scheduled time that is only for writing. No interruptions, no phone calls.
§ Your idea is under-developed. Sometimes writers get so excited about an idea that they want to start writing it at once. However, if you haven't thoroughly researched your idea, you may find that you aren't able to develop the idea as you had planned. This goes hand in hand with the other reason we discussed above - Not having enough information on the topic. Do more research so that you are able to better develop the story.
What can you do to get around writer's block, or stop it altogether?
You may not be able to stop it altogether. From time to time, everyone experiences circumstances that preoccupy their minds or cause them to lose their focus and concentration. But, there are some things that you can do to get around writer's block when it tries to grab a hold of you.
§ Create an Outline. We discussed the importance of outlines earlier. These are great to use when you are going through writer's block. Instead of composing long sentences or ideas, jot down two or three major ideas. Label the major ideas Idea 1, Idea 2, and Idea 3. Place Idea 1 at the top of the page, Idea 2 in the center and Idea 3 toward the bottom. Next, list two or three things that come to mind about each idea. Use these ideas to develop your sentences and paragraphs.
§ Write every day! Writers need a schedule for writing. Just as a star athlete has to practice to stay adept at his craft, so must a writer. Try to write something everyday, even if it is not for the eBook.
§ Work on several different topics within the book simultaneously. Sometimes, writers will get burned out while working on a single section. If you find that you can't focus on the topic, try switching to another topic. Often it is helpful to put the idea aside for a while, when you come back to it, you may have a different perspective.
§ Practice Freewriting. Freewriting is writing about whatever comes to mind; anything at all. Start writing about your topic and continue to write ideas for five or ten minutes, or until you can't think of anything else to say about your topic.
§ Freewriting is sort of like talking to yourself, but doing it in writing. Just keep the ideas flowing, even if you can't think of anything to write about. Pick an object on your desk and write about it.
§ The worst thing you can do is to give into the writer's block. Finding out what your obstacles are and how to work around them will keep you writing. And when all else fails, you can always resort to writing a to-do list of some sort.
Key aspects of designing an eBook
Using Graphics and Clip Art
A dilemma most people face while writing an eBook is whether to insert graphics in the eBook. Graphics can be illustrative and visually appealing to readers. Thus, many are tempted to include as many graphics and clip art in their eBooks as possible. However, such a move can completely backfire. Graphics increase the size of the eBook. The more graphics you use the larger the file size. This implies that it will take longer to download the eBook. Clip Art images may take less space as compared to pictures.
You may feel the need to use graphics and clip art to enhance your eBook, however, these should be used sparingly. You should also familiarize yourself with graphic types. BMP (bitmap) graphic files are popular Microsoft Windows type files. They are larger in size that GIF or JPG (or JPEG) files. So the preference is to use GIF or JPG when possible. There are also animated files called Animated GIF. You can simulate motion with this type of file. Most paint programs can convert between file types. BMP and JPG cannot be converted to Animated GIFs only regular GIF files.
Another method to reduce file size is to decrease the number of colors contained in the graphics file. You may find a palette of millions of colors available for use when 256 colors are enough to keep the image clear enough for presentation.
2.4.2 eBook formatting solutions
Ebooks can be created in different formats (.PDF, .doc and so on). I have given a brief description along with the pros and cons for each format. This should help you in selecting the right format for your Ebook.
Adobe Acrobat (PDF)
Advantages
A major advantage of the Adobe Acrobat PDF format is that files can be read on many different computer operating systems, and will generally look about the same on each. The file can include images, and there is even some limited support for audio or video clips. Links can be included both within the document and from the document to the World Wide Web. Text can be searched for words of interest. You can add your own bookmarks. You can also disable security settings related to links and bookmarks so that other users cannot edit or delete these links and bookmarks. Page views are scalable, so you make the view as large as you need to have legible text. The pages can be printed if that capacity hasn't been disabled by security settings. You need the Free Acrobat Reader software from Adobe to read these files -- versions are available for Windows, Macintosh and Linux/Unix systems. Many systems come with this reader already loaded and ready to run. It also works as a browser 'plug-in' running within your web browser.
Disadvantages
If the file is poorly formatted, it may require a large amount of horizontal scrolling to read text that has been greatly enlarged. Attempting to read these files using the Adobe eBook reader software can cause similar problems. The existence of two PDF formats, one for Acrobat Reader and one for Adobe eBook has lead to confusion. Files tend to be larger than with simpler formats, especially if images were not properly optimized beforehand. The largest drawback to this format for authors is the high cost of the Acrobat software from Adobe, though there are cheaper, less versatile options for creating PDF files available from other sources.
Adobe eBook (PDF)
Advantages
These files are similar to Adobe Acrobat files, but are formatted for a smaller screen and use CoolType fonts that are more easily read on LCD screens. Software versions are available for Windows and Macintosh systems. Adobe also has a delivery system called 'Adobe Content Server' that allows publishers and libraries to securely distribute EBooks over the web.
Disadvantages
It requires Internet Explorer 4 or higher on a PC, Internet Explorer 4.5 or higher on Macintosh. No version is yet available for Macintosh OS X operating system. It requires expensive software to create EBooks, and even more expensive 'Content Server' for those who want a distribution system.
HTML
Advantages
Due to the World Wide Web, this has become a universal format, with many formatting options, though not the detailed control one finds in word processing documents. Depending on the browser used to view the files, HTML supports graphics, animation, sound, JavaScript, flash and other multi-media features. Linking, both within the document and to other files on the Internet, is a strong point. Basically, HTML EBooks are like web sites on a floppy disk, CD or your hard drive.
Disadvantages
There are no security features built into HTML, so a user can copy and modify your eBook and pass it off as the original. (Web site security is built-in from the server side, and should not be confused with HTML documents, which are inherently un-secured.)
Instant eBook (and other proprietary executables)
Advantages
These EBooks are executable files that mimic many of the features of HTML, but are secure from tampering by the average user. They may contain all the graphics, links and other features of HTML, including web links. It is very easy to navigate. Most of these can support printing if the author chooses to allow that.
Disadvantages
Being executable files, these can harbor viruses. Many require you to have Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher on your computer. Most will only run on Windows computers.
Microsoft Reader
Advantages
Can be read on Windows PC, Windows Tablet and Pocket PC devices Simple to use, this format supports Clear Type fonts which make on-screen reading easier. Supports searching, highlighting, bookmarks, notes, changing font size, and text-to-speech - The reader program is free.
Disadvantages
Does not support printing - Works on Windows operating systems only
Microsoft Word
Advantages
All of the features of a powerful word processor document are available in this format. Due to its ubiquity it has become a defacto standard for documents. Using it for EBooks allows all of the detailed control over formatting you expect from a word processor, including graphics.
Disadvantages
This is another insecure format that anyone with Microsoft Word can alter. It will not work on Unix/Linux systems, and only on those Macintosh systems that have Microsoft Word installed. The other disadvantage is that if images are inserted by copy paste in a word document, the file size can become very large.
Plain Text
Advantages
The most universally used format, plain text EBooks can be imported into word processors on all computers. The file size is small.
Disadvantages
There is no security built into this system, so books can be copied or changed without the author's knowledge or permission. There are few formatting controls, and those vary from one system to another and so are not universal, such as line breaks. There are no provisions for bold fonts, varied font sizes or colors, images or sound support, etc.
Using an ISBN for your eBook
After creating your eBook, you should order a unique ISBN (International Standard Book Number). This is a 10 digit number that uniquely identifies your product. ISBN is especially useful when selling your eBook online or even to bookstores.
ISBN is a unique number. It cannot be reused again, even if it for an edited version of the same eBook. This implies that once you update your eBook, before marketing the updated version you need to get another unique ISBN. Besides, if your eBook has different formats such as HTML and PDF, you would need a separate ISBN for each of the formats.
Having an ISBN is not mandatory. However, it can greatly simplify your selling process and thus, is highly recommended.
ISBN can be ordered online at http://www.isbn.org. One caveat though, you need to buy a minimum of 10 ISBNs. More information on ISBN is available on the site mentioned above.
