Every successful non-fiction book, including e-books have a set structure. Readers enjoy easy-to-read maps to guide them through your book. They love consistency. It is disconcerting and unprofessional if you change formats throughout the book.
You must create an outline to structure your chapters and then fill in the blanks as you work on your book. The best non-fiction books have a set structure to house each chapter. Use repeating elements in each chapter. Your readers will love knowing generally what to expect in each chapter and reward you by reading your book from start to finish. Your consistency, your focused, themed copy will keep your reader reading to the end because it's easy to read.
You should organize your chapters before writing with a table of contents, chapter title, brief quote, introduction, list of supporting points, and a brief summary.
Selecting Your Saleable Topic
Choose a topic that people are hungry for information and you have a passion for. Either you already know a wealth of information about this topic or its one you want to find out more about.
Interested in helping people get financially fit? You could research the latest financial plans, get out of debt plans and/or budgeting plans to see if they work.
Develop at least 8-10 questions people want the answer to in getting financially fit.
Interview 10-15 people and you will have an interesting survey, interviews and testimonials to put into your solutions oriented ebook. Post it on the internet and put it in front of the stream of people looking for financial solutions each month.
Develop Your Table of Contents
Begin by developing topic areas for your table of contents. For example, the 8-10 major areas listed in my Creating a Website with Marketing WOW ebook began with this list of topics:
Giving Your Site a Purpose
Design Rules to Define Your Website
Website Dos & Don'ts
7 Keys to Winning Website Sales Copy
Search Engine Optimization Made Easy
Free to Profit Marketing Strategy TM
Correct These Website Mistakes and Prosper
The list of topics will become your chapters list or table of contents.
Divide each Chapter Topic into Questions list
The easiest method is to take each chapter topic and list questions your audience needs an answer to. Or if you have a wealth of information, you would simply list 5-8 points to support your chapter topic. A good organization tips is to include these as chapter notes right before the introduction.
That way your audience will have a preview of what's covered in each chapter. Also, when you are writing you will have a clear guideline as what you need to write next. The Chapter Outlines for the Creating a Website with Marketing WOW ebook developed like so:
Chapter Three
Stellar Web Copy Sells
Sizzle Your Web Copy to Sell Your Service/Product
Wow Website Notes:
Give Your Copy a Theme
Capture Interest with Headlines
Identify and Personalize Benefits
Help Visitors Visualize
Power Punch Your Words
Add Engagement tools
Make it Web Ready
Help Your Site Pass Inspection With Your Visitors
If you have any problems coming up with questions to support your chapter topics, visit the discussion forums and support groups in your targeted market.
Commit to a Regular Writing Schedule
You have gotten started. That's great. Now commit to a regular writing schedule of 30 minutes to one hour. To gain momentum, set a goal to answer at least 3 questions each day from your book.
You might be surprised to discover how fast you can accomplish your book and put it on the market for profit.
Avoid This Speed-Breaker
Many writers and business professionals are perfectionist, including me. But to maintain momentum and complete your book fast, you must avoid premature editing and over-editing. After getting the book out of your head to paper, use one of your regular writing sessions to self-edit your book. Your copy will be compelling and without doubt, if you don't use the stop and start method of editing.
Don't wait any longer. Get your e-book done and whiz past all the people that wonder if it can be done and the dream-killers that tell you it can't be done. Implement the above principles, organize your book and get it written faster than you ever dreamed.
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Earma Brown, 9 book author, web developer and small business owner
EBK: eBook It! Ten Tips to Profit From Your Passion. Helps small business owners, infopreneurs and writers who want to market effectively online! She also mentors other writers and business professionals through her bi-monthly ezine Passion to Profit With Ebooks & More. Send any email to passiontoprofit@clickeasyebooks.com and receive monthly free ebook or visit her on the web at Create Ebooks for more internet marketing tips.