Learn how to create an ebook. This deck covers topics including an overview of the ebook industry, how to validate demand for a subject, ways to write your ebook, formatting and editing, cover design, publishing titles on Amazon, and how to monetize. Slides from Dan Marques' class taught at Intelligent.ly's Boston campus.

1. presents
Publishing eBooks for
Traffic, Profit, and Fun
DAN MARQUES
@dmarques1

2. agenda
Get
to
Know
Each
Other
eBook
Opportunity
&
Why
publish
an
eBook?
Group
Ac<vity
–
Brainstorming
Ideas
How
to
Validate
Demand
for
a
poten<al
topic
Group
Ac<vity
–
Target
Titles
Wri<ng,
FormaJng,
&
Cover
Design
Group
Ac<vity
–
Crea<on
Plan
&
Mapping
it
Out
How
do
I
Publish
this
thing?
I’m
published!
What
Next?

3. about
me

4. about
me
Direct
Publishing
SaaS
Tools
Performance
Publishing

5. tell
me
about
you!
Who
are
you?
(Name)
Where
are
you
from?
(Company
&
Role)
Why
are
you
here?
What
are
you
hoping
to
learn?

6. eBook
Opportunity
eBooks
now
25-­‐30%
of
all
book
sales
in
US
and
growing
fast
(~$8
billion
market)
Amazon
60-­‐70%
of
U.S.
eBook
Market
B&N,
Apple,
Google
Play,
Smashwords
ProliferaQon
of
devices
and
plaTorms
makes
it
easier
for
authors
to
self-­‐publish
and
get
exposure
than
ever
#
of
published
ebooks
growing
exponenQally,
Smashwords:
2008
–
140
2011
–
92,000
2012
–
~260,000

7. eBook
Opportunity
Amazon
#1
Best
Seller
$2
Million/Week
Royal<es
$5
Million
Movie
Deal
Self-­‐Published

8. eBook
Opportunity
First
Self-­‐Published
Author
to
sell
1
million
ebooks
on
Amazon
(in
5
months)
Wrote
a
book
on
how
he
did
it
$0.99
Price
Point
Series
in
popular
category
Twi`er
/
Social
Media

9. eBook
Opportunity

10. eBook
Opportunity

11. eBook
Opportunity

12. Why
Publish
an
eBook?
Make
Internet
Monies
($$$)
Reputa<on
Building
Customer
Acquisi<on
/
Lead
Gen
SEO

13. Group
Ac<vity
–
Brainstorm
Ideas
Break
into
groups
Help
each
other
brainstorm
a
list
of
potenQal
eBook
topics
Need
ideas?
Hobbies
Interests
Professional
Experience
Hot
Topics
Fill
out
brainstorm
ideas
on
worksheet

14. How
to
Validate
Demand
Search
Volume?
(Measure
intent)
Google
Keyword
Tool
Amazon
Demand
(Compe11on
is
Good)
Amazon
Rank
System
Keywords
Quick
Load,
CompeQQon
(#,
relevancy)
Categories
#1-­‐20
(Below
100k)
#90-­‐100
(Above
100k)
CompeQtors
Rank
‘Also
Bought’
–
Relevancy,
#
of
results
Let’s
try
one!
Rank Sales
250K+ Not
Many
100-­‐250k Selling
1
every
few
days
50-­‐100k ~1/day
10-­‐49k Mul<ple/Day
Below
10K Exponen<al
(3k
=~30-­‐60/day)

15. Group
Ac<vity
–
Target
Titles
Use
Valida<ng
Demand
methods
to
narrow
down
2-­‐3
Poten<al
Topics
to
Pursue
For
those
2-­‐3
Poten<al
Topics
Iden<fy:
Target
Keywords
(2-­‐5)
Target
Categories
(2)
Target
Compe<tors
(1-­‐5)
Target
Persona(s)
–
Who
is
reading
this
book,
Why,
What
else
do
they
read,
How
do
you
provide
‘value’
(Solve
Pain,
Entertain)

16. Wri<ng
Target
Price
$2.99-­‐$9.99
(70%
Royalty)
$0.99
&
Outside
Above
Range
(30%
Royalty)
Target
Length
/
Format
based
on:
CompeQtors
Price,
for
$2.99
or
less:
~30
pages
for
Non-­‐FicQon
~100
pages
for
FicQon
250
words/page
AlternaQve
Formats

17. Wri<ng
Write
it
Yourself
Tips:
Plan
Chunks,
Outline,
Dragon
Naturally
Speaking
Outsource
oDesk,
TextBroker,
WritersAccess,
Craigslist
Tips:
Separate
research,
Provide
detailed
instruc<ons/outline/resources,
s<ck
with
U.S.
Writers
Pricing:
$0.04-­‐0.06
/word
($10-­‐15/page)
for
average
quality
if
you
search
around
30
Page
Non-­‐FicQon
$300-­‐$450
$0.10-­‐$0.15
–
Very
high
quality

18. Wri<ng
Alterna<ves
Re-­‐Use
ExisQng
Content
Own
or
Partner
with
others
No
‘free’
content
or
risk
“Amazon
Slap”
Interviews
/
FAQ
Quiz
Format
Curated
CollecQon:
Blog
Posts
ArQcles
Short
Stories

19. FormaJng
&
Edi<ng
Keep
it
Simple
Format
for
simplest
device
in
mind
(Basic
Kindle)
Word
or
HTML
easiest
(Basic
formaJng)
Kindle
Publisher
provides
conversion
tool
(be
sure
to
preview)
No
page
#s
Addi<onal
Resources
on
worksheet
(Smashwords
Guide)
Can
outsource
Fiverr
/
oDesk
/
Smashwords
List
(Resources)–
Edi<ng/Proofreading,
eBook
FormaJng
$5-­‐$35

20. Cover
Design
Very
Important
First
thing
someone
sees
Look
at
compeQQon
Images
are
your
friend
(search.creaQvecommons.org)
Guidelines/Tips
(See
Resources)
OpQons:
Self
/
Friend
Fiverr,
oDesk,
Smashwords
List
(Provided)
$5-­‐$100

21. Group
Ac<vity
–
Crea<on
Plan
For
one
of
your
target
Qtles,
work
with
your
group
to
develop
your
creaQon
plan:
Topic
Price
Length
/
Format
Method/Budget/Timeline
For:
WriQng
Formapng
/
EdiQng
Cover
Image
Target
PublicaQon
Date

22. How
do
I
publish
this
thing?
Kindle
Publishing
Walkthrough
(and
Op<miza<on
Tricks)
Let’s
Publish!
h`p://kdp.amazon.com

23. I’m
Published!
What
Next?
Make
Internet
Monies
($$$)
Get
reviews
/
likes
/
tags
Publish
More
eBooks!
Expand
into
a
series
Expand
Distribu<on
(Apple,
B&N,
Smashwords)
Print
on
Demand
(CreateSpace)
KDP
Select
Program
(Free
Days)
Op<miza<on
(Cover,
Price,
KWs,
Descrip<on,
Title)
Author
Page
Marke<ng
/
PR
for
eBook

24. I’m
Published!
What
Next?
Reputa<on
Building
Gin
copies
(via
Amazon)
to
vendors,
customers,
leads,
etc.
Promote
on
personal
social
media
channels
Get
reviews
from
thought
leaders
Use
excerpts
for
blogs,
interviews,
etc.
Print
on
Demand
some
copies
(CreateSpace)

25. I’m
Published!
What
Next?
Customer
Acquisi<on
Use
as
email
capture
tool
Free
copy
of
my
eBook
–
normally
$9.99
on
Amazon
Lead
Gen
within
Book
Like
what
you
read,
get
exclusive
content
/
free
consul<ng
at
www.book<tle.com
For
more
great
content
–
follow
us
on
twi`er,
read
our
blog,
etc.
Order
Incen<ve
Every
order
receives
a
free
copy
of
my
eBook,
a
$10
value!
Convert
to
PDF
and
send
directly
to
save
money,
use
Amazon
for
value
pegging

26. I’m
Published!
What
Next?
SEO
Link
Building
Tool
Blogger
Reviews
Free
Excerpts
(with
Link)
Smashwords,
Scribd,
Blogs,
Author
review
sites
Download
(sample
or
full)
on
partner
sites
in
exchange
for
link
SEO
Real
Estate
Tool
Amazon
page
occupy
space
on
SERPs
Include
target
keywords
in
Qtle,
descripQon,
reviews,
keywords,
tags
Build
Links
to
page

27. Wrap
Up
Addi<onal
Resources
on
Worksheet
Happy
to
help
along
the
way:
Daniel.Gomes.Marques@gmail.com
@dmarques1
Q&A

28. Course Title
Course Title
INSTRUCTOR NAME