855-729-8178

855-729-8178

Lessons Learned Writing an eBook

Lessons Learned Writing an eBook

If you knew my background you would understand how monumental a task that it was for me to author a book even a smaller eBook. I never saw myself as an author but with the encouragement of my Mastermind group, with whom I would not have even knew where to start, it was a great learning experience. The hardest part is getting started. I would recommend a future author to start writing blogs first.  This one act will help you in writing an eBook.

By blogging it will prepare you for being an author of an eBook.  The best habit I started was to set a goal of writing one blog per week. Writing about different aspects you are experienced with or an expert at helps build writing confidence. By breaking subjects these into separate categories of blogs that are 600-800 words it will get the author into the habit of expressing ideas of subjects into words. This is a process and the first few will not be anywhere near perfect and that’s OK. This is all part of the learning curve. After weeks of practice you will start to see when combining these blogs your book will start to take shape. Not to mention marketing your blogs is a great way to market your business and your website while still helping others in your industry with new ideas.

If you are writing a blog per week by year end you will have 52 blogs of content. You will start to look at these blogs as chapter ideas for writing an eBook. As you write the chapter you will improve upon the blog as it takes shape into chapters. A good friend who was very instrumental in my process once told me “if you write enough blogs you will find you have written a book”; I find this to be a very true statement. This friend was also kind enough to edit and format my eBook for me as well. Special thanks to Mitch Comstock.

It wasn’t even necessary to have a book in mind when I started blogging. As a matter of fact most of my blog subjects were never used in my first book. When writing a blog you want to make it interesting and useful to your readers. You don’t want to write a 600 word commercial or promotion. You truly want to be viewed by your readers as useful and educational on aspects you are experienced in and they are interested in learning. Think of your blogs in this regard, if you were searching for help on a specific subject would you read your entire blog or click elsewhere after a few lines? Another important component to writing blogs is to have a compelling and searchable title. You could have great blog content but if you have a weak title, no one will ever find it.

If you have the basics of blogging under control writing an eBook will be a much easier process. For an idea of a book go back and read your blogs and break them into categories. You will begin to see chapters from the blogs you have written. Most likely the book will start to come to life in your mind as we have a tendency to write about the subjects that interest us most and that we are the most comfortable writing about. Then put them in order you feel they need to be covered as chapters in your book.  As you rewrite them into chapters will find you start improving upon them the second time as you are writing. Lastly upon finishing your eBook, have at least 3 qualified people to edit your book and if writing about an industry such as insurance, be sure to have it edited by a compliance officer as well. Good luck on your new adventure!

The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”– Agatha Christie

Image by adamr at www.freedigitalphotos.net

yourfriend4life.com

Tim Wilhoit is owner/principal of Your Friend 4 Life Insurance Agency in Nashville, TN. He is a family man, father of 3, entrepreneur, insurance agent, life insurance broker, salesman, sales trainer, recruiter, public speaker, blogger and team leader with over 26 years of experience in sales and marketing in the insurance and beverage industries.

10 Responses to Lessons Learned Writing an eBook

Leave a Reply