Friday 1 November 2013

Why My Self Publishing Diary is on Hold

By Colin Dunbar

I thought I would share why I've very quiet here, and why you also won't be seeing anything posted here for the foreseeable future (and I'm also asking for your help).

To be honest, my last post was very cryptic. It was done in haste, and I apologize for that.

Yes, this is my self publishing diary, and you do want to know things about self publishing; well in a way you are getting a look into the life of a self published author.

I'm about to share a part of my life with you, and trust that you find it interesting, and maybe a little enlightening...


As is my nature, I'm always reading and learning new things, and with my interest in writing, I have tended to read a lot on psychology, habits, etc. The reason is that I wanted to use this knowledge when I create characters for my stories.

In order to create interesting characters, I have done an enormous amount of reading on psychological disorders (bipolar, depression, narcissism, schizophrenia, etc.). But over the past 30+ years, I never came across Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).

And it's actually no surprise because it is not a common disorder. When I think of the 10 years of suffering that our daughter went through, it's no wonder...

In the Foreword of the book, The Essential Family Guide To Borderline Personality Disorder, the following is offered:

For almost a century, borderline disorder has been referred to as a "wastebasket diagnosis," reserved for those patients whose presenting symptoms are often so complex that they do not fall cleanly into a single diagnosis, thereby frustrating the clinician, the patient, and the family.

As this is not a "mainstream" disorder, we were ignorant for many years - actually, even the school counselors, psychologists, and GP's were in the dark. What was wrong with our daughter? Was she just being a teenage rebel? Was she craving attention? It was a living nightmare on all of us: me, my wife, and her brother. And for my daughter it was hell.

Also in The Essential Family Guide To Borderline Personality Disorder, author Randi Kreger shares this: "If you could snap your fingers and, by magic, experience what a BP feels, you would be overwhelmed by self-loathing, an intense fear of being abandoned, and a relentless sense of emptiness. Irritability and depression would be there, too, a steady drumbeat blocking out feelings of joy and even simple satisfaction. "BPD is a cancer that eats away at my body, mind, and soul," says one woman with the illness."

The biggest strain was the feeling of hopelessness. It is our daughter, and we cannot find out what is wrong - it took its toll on the entire family, and no wonder, as we learned in the book, The Essential Family Guide To Borderline Personality Disorder, many years later:

"Loving someone with BPD is a full-time job. Family members describe it as living on an emotional roller coaster or walking on eggshells. They feel alternately pursued and rejected, as if they're constantly being tested for something, but unsure of what it could be. Over time, people who are close to someone with BPD become so accustomed to living with abusive behavior they start to think it's normal. Family members frequently experience feelings of guilt, shame, depression, exhaustion, isolation, and helplessness."

We read something and it tends to have a certain effect on us: joy, excitement, fear, despair... but when we LIVE the things that we read, it is a whole different ball game. According to the American Psychiatric Association individual only needs to meet five of these nine criteria to qualify for a borderline diagnosis:

  1. strong reactions to fear of abandonment, whether real or imagined
  2. a history of troubled relationships with extremes in behavior and attitude
  3. poor sense of self
  4. impulsive and self-destructive behavior by at least two means (for example, substance abuse, self-mutilation, eating disorder)
  5. repeated suicidal tendencies
  6. intense and frequent moodiness and irritability
  7. an ongoing feeling of emptiness
  8. intense and uncontrollable anger
  9. persistent feelings of detachment
We "lived" BPD for 10 years, and then there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

After a consultation with the psychologist and psychiatrist, they both advised that Abigail be admitted for long-term treatment. This was to be the 1-year program at Healing Wings Rehab and Behavior Treatment Center, where BPD and drug abuse treatment is available.

The power of your gift will give Abigail freedom from the emotional pain that has had her trapped in the hell she has been living the past 10 years.

Give what you can today. We thank you for your generous support, from the bottom of our hearts.

http://igg.me/at/abbydunbar/x/4940889

Thank you for taking the time to read this post.

Wednesday 16 October 2013

A Special Request

Hello

Can I please ask you to help me get the news out for my special indiegogo campaign.  If you could share this link in your social networks, it will be sincerely appreciated.

indiegogo campaign

Many, many thanks.

May you experience only the best that can be.

Colin

Monday 2 September 2013

Goodies for Self Published Authors

By Colin Dunbar

Hello there

Well... I've really been quiet hey?

Quiet posting here, but I've actually been busy with my own writing - and I have some goodies for you.

I've also decided on the format of this blog. It would be great to hear what you think.

Self Publishing Diary Update


All my client work is done (for now) which meant I could spend time on my own writing.

If you've been following this blog for a while, you will recall my going public with my writing projects.

Here's an update on my progress...

MLBE: I have finalized the contents of this book, and have a printed copy of the manuscript ready for editing/reviewing. My target for MLBE is moved to end of September, and will be publishing it at CreateSpace, Kindle, and Smashwords.

IIY2: Not much was done on this. I did do a little writing, but nothing earth shattering.

DSPB: Ah, this is where I spent most of my time. Instead of publishing this straight as a book, I decided to publish it as a blog (blog-to-book) first, and then make it available as a book (with a load of bonuses). I made this decision to pay it forward, and share my experience. My target date for launching the blog is the first week of September, and will announce it here when it goes live.

What's it about?

Sorry, but that's a surprise (I can say if you're interested in self publishing your own book even slightly, you'll want to give it a read).

And that's it for my diary update.

Self Publishing News & Views

As self-published authors, we're always on the look out for ways to sell more books, and this article offers some ideas.

The 3 Pillars Of Selling More Books

Do you struggle with grammar? Or maybe you just want to polish up on grammar. Then this site (with handouts and videos) can be useful.

http://www.chompchomp.com/

I found this useful video by Joanna Penn where she talks about her decision to go back to print. Worth watching.

Self Publishing With Print On Demand. Why I'm Returning To Print Publishing


Getting endorsement for our books is something that we generally feel is difficult. Well, the way Kristen, from UltimateBookCoach.com explains in this video makes it simple, and a lot easier than expected.

How to Get Published - Get Endorsements for Your Self-Published Book


Ideas are a dime a dozen. People who put them into action are priceless. Unknown Author

Tuesday 30 July 2013

I goofed off... bite me

By Colin Dunbar

Yep, I goofed off and did a lot of reading...

21 Ways to Write & Publish Your Non-Fiction Book

How to Evaluate Your Book for SUCCESS! (workbook)

The Nonfiction Book Marketing Plan

Re-read parts of...
Focus - Leo Babauta

PagePlus X6 Reviews

A BUNCH of articles...

Self-Publishing Diary Update

A-ha... I did do some writing, and came up with what I think is a good idea.

All will be revealed in the next post.

What I found on the web...

I tried to link to a great video here, but Blogger kept messing me around... maybe next time.

Monday 22 July 2013

Self Publishing Diary Update. Or not.

By Colin Dunbar

The 9-to-5 job, clients' projects, and a family matter to attend to made me slip on posting here. Hopefully it'll change in the not-too-distant future and I'll have more time to spend on my blog. I did manage to brainstorm an idea... if it works, I'll share the news here.

Self Publishing Diary Update

Very little was done on my own writing the past few weeks. I did manage to update my Showcase of Self-Published Books page. It's great to see how many people are self publishing their own books.

What I found on the Web...

The Book Marketing Maze: 22 Wrong Turns & How To Avoid Them

Jonathan Gunson

4.  Waiting To Promote Your Book Until After It’s Published

The day it launches is way too late to start marketing your book.

Planting The Sales Tree

In the vast majority of cases, building connections with people who will help and pre-release promotional work needs to start well in advance if you want to see early sales.

Solution:  Start today. 

But, if you did leave it until after launch, then start today.  It’s never too late to plant that tree.  It’ll just take a little longer to grow.  But if you’re just starting to write your book, that’s the time to start your marketing program.  Many authors think that as soon as their book is published it’ll be a fully grown tree. 

But publishing is merely the beginning.

SIDEBAR
My son bought me Jonathan's Blogging for Authors mini course. I'm really excited
to start reading it. Jonathan is a bestselling author who knows his stuff.
SIDEBAR

 
 Joanna Penn on Publishing a Book



Monday 1 July 2013

A Different type of post

By Colin Dunbar

This post is a little different, and the article may seem as if it has nothing to do with self publishing. But when you read it, you'll see it's actually good advice for self published authors (all writers, actually). When I read A Resting Place, it resonated with me... I hope you find value in it as well.

Self Publishing Diary Update

I made no progress on any of my books. My week was filled with client work, and dealing with a family emergency.

A Resting Place
by Bob Perks

He was just passing through.

Sadly I'd only have a few minutes to speak with him. Still, like all the people God places in my path, what he had to say was important.

I came home from shopping at the grocery store to find a man sitting on my steps.

As I stopped in front of my home to let on coming traffic by, I kept looking at him.  I had no idea who he was or why he was there. I could clearly see that he appeared exhausted as he wiped the sweat off his brow. I would guess he was in his 50's.  Dressed in shorts and a Nike t-shirt and running shoes, I assumed he was exercising. But it was one of the hottest days so far this summer and the humidity was thick and heavy.

I slowly pulled into my driveway and as I approached where he was sitting, he looked up at me.

"I'm sorry," he said.  "I really needed to sit down."

"That's fine." I replied.  "Take your time."

I quickly parked my car and went in to get a bottle of water for him.

I startled him when I opened the front door.

"Here, please have some water," I offered.

"Thanks," he replied as he took a few slow sips.

"You know I admire the runners I see passing my house regularly.  But isn't this a really bad day to run?"

"I know that now." he said smiling. "I really just started this running thing.  I need to get in shape."

I walked down the steps and sat with him for a few minutes.  I asked about how long he runs, if he is also dieting, etc.

Then I asked him the real reason "why" he runs.

"I have come to discover that real runners don't do it just for the exercise. There is a place that running takes them.  A "zone" for a lack of better words," I said.

Then he set the bottle of water down and looked at me.

"That's remarkable. I really began this because I needed to stop, get away from all the stress in my life."

"That's funny.  You began running because you had to stop. You are in essence running away from the things that are causing you stress.  I love it!"

"At the end of a long day when I was sitting in my living room trying to sort things out in my mind I heard, "Stop.  Give a portion of your time to just listen, not think." 

"So running came to mind?" I asked.

"Yes.  I think people can do the same, gain the same results in that area by walking, too.  But, for now I am running."

Then he stood up, thanked me for the water and walked away.

Of course, I know this was more than coincidence. You see, I spend too much time thinking.  Even while watching a movie, going for a drive, or simply sitting on my porch, my mind keeps running.

I have no idea who that man was.  I have never seen him running before and something tells me I will never see him again.

What I did "see" was the message and it will stay with me like an old friend.  It is up to me to act upon it.

I believe the answers we seek are inside us.  People and events trigger the proper response, but we all too often ignore them.

We all know the answers to our challenges in life.  We need to stop giving life to our challenges and begin to bring life to the answers.

What lies dormant inside will astound you.

Permit me to share this quote with you:

"The resting place of the mind is the heart. The only thing the mind hears all day is clanging bells and noise and argument, and all it wants is quietude. The only place the mind will ever find peace is inside the silence of the heart. That's where you need to go."  Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love


You can't run from your challenges.  They will surely be there when you get back.

"Stop. Give a portion of your time to just listen, not think."

"I believe in you!"

Bob Perks is an inspirational author and speaker. You can receive his messages sent 2-3 times each week by visiting his website: www.BobPerks.com


What I found on the Web...

Now Open: Kindle Worlds Store and Self Service Submission


This is from the Amazon Press release...
"Kindle Worlds is a new publishing model that allows any writer to publish authorized stories inspired by popular Worlds and make them available for readers to purchase in the Kindle Store, and earn up to a 35% royalty while doing so."
B&N to Shut Down PubIt on 10 July

Quick-To-Market Ebooks Now Norm, Not Exception

Ebook Revenues Rising Abroad For American Publishers

How The Pomodoro Technique Can Help You Draft Your Book In Just 3 Weeks – While Still Having A Life

Monday 24 June 2013

Book Review, Self Publishing Diary Update & Other Stuff

By Colin Dunbar

There is no progress to report in my self publishing diary this week, but hopefully I have some useful stuff for you, including a book review of an awesome book.

All the goal setting, strategies, and focus go down the tubes when life throughs you a curve ball. When something like this happens, it seems one's instinct's become acute and take over, especially when it's a matter of life and death. (I may still put this in a book, one day).

Anyway, on to better things... good self publishing things.

Self Publishing Diary Update

What I decided to do is let you know what the projects are that I'm busy with. And then it's my intention to update the status of these here in my self publishing diary. For some of my books I'll only use a code (I like surprises and mystery).

My Little Book of Encouragement (MLBE). It was the great Zig Ziglar who said, "People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing. That's why we recommend it daily." Very real, very true words. My Little Book of Encouragement is to help us keep up our motivation, and encourage us when things don't seem to go according to plan. This book is about 80% complete, and my publishing target is to have it available the end of July.

Invest In Yourself (2nd Edition) (IIY2). In 2004 I self published this book, offline. This is a memoir about my home business endeavors. The first edition ran up to 2003, and in the revised 2nd edition I've added the years 2004 up to 2012. The revised part of the book is about 25%, and my publishing target is end of December.

DSPB. This is a how-to book, and is my big project. I moved this book down on my priority list as it needs my undivided attention. It's about 60% complete, and I haven't set a launch date for it yet.

There are other books in different stages of completion, but these are the three I'm presently working on (and the only books I want to put my neck on the line for, publicly).

I will be updating my self publishing diary with all the details on the progress of these books: writing, where they'll be self published, promotion and marketing, sales - the whole kaboodle. I trust this is going to be helpful to you, and would love to hear anything you have to say, suggest, or ask.

How's that for public commitment? Now I'm accountable (Or I land up with egg on my face. Not good.)

Book Review: Sell Your Book Like Wildfire

If I had to describe Rob Eager's Sell Your Book Like Wildfire with one word, it would be: Awesome!

In the Preface, Rob shares the following: "This book was written to serve as your personal guide to help you sell more books." And I can, with a clear conscience, say Sell Your Book Like Wildfire IS my guide. I'm using Rob's book to plan my self-publishing journey. Period.

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1 Establish Your Expertise
Chapter 2 Light a Fire in Your Readers
Chapter 3 Make Your Mark with an Author Brand
Chapter 4 How to Build Book-Marketing Tools into Your Manuscript
Chapter 5 Start a Wild Fire with Your Author Website
Chapter 6 How to Capture More Media Interviews
Chapter 7 Turn Media Interviews Into Book Sales
Chapter 8 Feed the Beast: How to Use Amazon to Sell More Books
Chapter 9 The Skinny On Social Networking
Chapter 10 Working with a Publisher
Chapter 11 The Flammability Of Free: How To Drive Word Of Mouth
Chapter 12 Sell Books Through Public Speaking
Chapter 13 Create News Letters That Get Results
Chapter 14 Marketing Tips For Fiction

As you can see from the Table of Contents, Rob Eager covers all the essentials for an author to reach success, and sell your book like wildfire.

In Sell Your Book Like Wildfire, Rob covers the different elements, from your expertise as an author, to an author brand, to an author website - everything you need is in this book.

As Rob says, "I set out to try every strategy possible to sell my books. It wasn't easy, but within a couple of years I sold 13,000 copies on my own and built a nationwide following. I conducted more than 170 events across North America and spoke to more than 35,000 people.", you discover in the pages of Sell Your Book Like Wildfire, this book is written by someone who knows his stuff.

There is one section in this book that blew me away: Fifteen Ways to Build Marketing Tools Into Your Book (pages 59-66). I was astounded when I learned of these. Marketing tools IN your book... amazing.

If there was only ONE book I had to recommend to every self-published author (and traditional authors, for that matter), it would be Sell Your Book Like Wildfire. Get your copy now, and invest in your publishing future.




For my South African visitors, the book is available at kalahari:
sell your book like wildfire









Self-Published Authors Are Destroying Literature

Whoa, man... I read this article, and was going to respond with my own take on what this guy says, then I found the article at The Independent Publishing Magazine. Brilliant.

Self-Published Authors Are Destroying Literature

Open Letter Reply to Michael Kozlowski's Article - Self-Published Authors Are Destroying Literature

I would like to hear what your thoughts on this are.

Have you considered making your book available as an audio book?

Reach New Readers With The Magic Of Audiobooks

"Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value." ~ Albert Einstein

Sunday 16 June 2013

Great book for self-published authors (Red Hot Internet Publicity)

By Colin Dunbar

I'm kinda finding my feet with this self publishing diary, blogging thing. I certainly hope I'm offering something of value, and maybe even a little interesting. I'd really appreciate any feedback you want to share. In the next post I'll be sharing more on my progress on my own self publishing journey. Please enjoy.

Book review: Red Hot Internet Publicity by Penny C. Sensevieri

I couldn't wait for my copy of Red Hot Internet Publicity to arrive. The day I picked up my parcel at the post office, I wasted no time in ripping open the package.

Book out, I followed the normal routine of fanning the pages and smelling the paper/ink of my new book.

That night I began reading Red Hot Internet Publicity...

The book is divided into five Parts:

Part One: Red Hot Search Engine Optimization
Part Two: Your Website
Part Three: Red Hot Social Media
Part Four: Red Hot Blogging
Part Five: Driving Even More Traffic

As you can see, Red Hot Internet Publicity covers the main elements for doing business on the Web.


In the Foreword (by Joan Stewart), she says: "If marketing online was a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle, Penny would be the one you'd want sitting next to you at the kitchen table. She's an author, a business owner, a publicist and a marketing expert who helped create 11 best-sellers in 22 months." And as I absorbed page after page, I never doubted Penny's experience and knowledge with respect to marketing a business online. This author knows her stuff.

If you've been online for some time, and feel you know it all, consider Joan's words: "Red Hot [Internet Publicity} is also a valuable reminder for experts like me who have been doing Internet marketing for 15 years." (my emphasis)

Joan closes off her Foreword with: "If you know the types of people who are ideal buyers for your book or consumers for your business, but you don't know how to use the technology to find them, you're in luck. Red Hot shows you how."

A neat little feature in the book are the Red Hot Tips. Short, valuable snippets of relevant tips, sprinkled throughout the book.

What I got from this book

Although Red Hot Internet Publicity offers a lot of information, it's not a how-to book. To be honest, such a book would be a monstrous volume, so it's not actually a negative.

I found Part Four and Part Five the most valuable. These are the topics I regularly research.

In the Chapter, WORDS ON YOUR WEBSITE, pages 50 to 54 offer very good advice about the text on your website. Very useful.

I bought this book because I read that it was for authors, and even though it's not for authors ONLY, I still found tremendous value in the book. Especially pages 56 to 58 (Media Room Tips) is very useful for the self-published author.

With what I just said, if you are a new self-published author (or considering self-publishing), you will find Red Hot Internet Publicity valuable. This is especially true if you're just starting out on the Web.

I certainly am pleased to have this book on my book shelf, and can without a doubt recommend it to anyone wishing to do business on the Web. Penny C. Sensevieri has done a superb job with Red Hot Internet Publicity.


Red Hot Internet Publicity

For my South African visitors, this book is available at kalahari.com

Self Published Books

Do you agree that most self-published ebooks are terrible?  In my experience, there are a lot of self-published ebooks that do look terrible, and difficult to read, but if it's most... The Overwhelming Majority of Self-Published Books are Terrible




4 Lessons for Independent Authors: A Recap of BookExpo America 2013

The following is an extract from this article. A neat article.

2. Write your business plan before you write your book

Many of the successful authors I talked to had similar advice: figure out the business/marketing details first.

Who is your audience? How will you find them?
What will they get from your book?
What will set your book apart from similar titles to make it an essential purchase?
What is the marketing hook?
What is the elevator pitch? Can you summarize your book in 3 sentences while conveying the
depth of its content?
Will it be part of a series?
What is your writing schedule and deadlines? How will you measure your progress?
What are my weaknesses, and how can I get assistance in those areas?
How can I build my platform WHILE I write this book?

By answering these and many more questions, you’ll have a clear vision that will not only guide you through the writing process, but fuel you with enough energy to begin the book in the first place (if you decide it’s worth your time). 4 Lessons for Independent Authors


Price Fixing for Ebooks?


Can prices be fixed for ebooks? Real (paper) books? How can prices be fixed for any literary or creative work? How do you feel about this?

"Amazon created the modern eBook market: Kindle was introduced in 2007. Amazon immediately grabbed over 90% of the market. Kindle proprietary files created a “walled garden” and shut others out. Once they got publishers on board, they started to demand more. Amazon played hardball with publishers and punished them by pulling titles for sale and charging below-cost for best-sellers." It’s an Apple and Amazon World


#############

Self-Published eBooks Account for 12% of the Entire Digital Market
#############

Are you a fiction author? This article may be useful...

7 Bestseller Book Marketing Strategies For Fiction Writers

#############
"Throughout life people will make you mad, disrespect you and treat you bad. Let God deal with the things they do, cause hate in your heart will consume you too." ~ Will Smith
#############

Mini Survey

Will you help me with a mini survey, please?

If you were buying a how-to book on how to do something on your computer, which format would you prefer?

a. Hard copy (paper book)
b. Kindle ebook
c. ePub (used on Tablet or Smartphone)

Many thanks for your time.

Sunday 9 June 2013

Design and Format An Ebook like a Pro! – Part 2



By Colin Dunbar


As promised here is the second part on how to design and format a PDF ebook like a Pro.


Page Layout


Your page layout should be designed for visual appeal, but always be careful not to overdo it. Make use of white space - a page with cramped text and random images is more difficult to read (and understand). When designing your page, constantly think of your target reader. For example, if your e-book covers a business subject, your reader will very likely be pushed for time, and will want to find and read the information quickly. So use tables and graphs where possible. On the other hand, if you have an e-book for young kids, your font can be a little bigger, and you can use double line spacing. Use colorful graphics, too.

In her book, The Non-Designer's Design Book, Robin Williams offers the following: "Very often in beginners' designs, the words and phrases and graphics are strung all over the place, filling corners and taking up lots of room so there won't be any empty space. There seems to be a fear of empty space. When pieces of a design are scattered all over, the page appears unorganized and the information may not be instantly accessible to the reader."


Language

This is not limited to e-books, but with on-screen reading, it is a little more important.


With non-fiction, easy-to-understand language is paramount. If your reader has difficulty understanding the text, they will not enjoy your e-book, and there will be no word-of-mouth promotion.

Even though it's a guide for writing web pages, SiteSell have a great free ebook that can be a great help with writing clearly: Make Your ContentPREsell!


Margins, Headers, and Footers


Margins should not be too narrow (the default 25.4 mm or 1 inch is suitable for most e-books); too narrow and the text on the page becomes very wide, making it harder to read.

Having a header graphic in a page header is a sure sign of an amateur. Your header can display your site's URL, or the title of your e-book. Nothing wrong with having a blank header either. Footers should only have your page number - there's no need to include a copyright notice in the footer, as the copyright notice will be a page in the front of your e-book.


Tables and Graphs

 
If your subject warrants it, look at where you can put information in tables. This is a neat way to make it easier for your reader to see the information, and remember it.

Using color in your tables makes it visually appealing, and when creating your tables, don't cram too much information into your rows and columns.

Example styled table

Similarly, if it's possible, think of creating graphs. Again, data in a graph is easier to grasp than a block of text.

Numbered and Bullet Lists


Bullet list example

Numbered and bullet lists aid readability.

Be careful though. Lengthy lists can detract rather than enhance.

When you have a long list, split it up into 2, 3 or 4 sections or columns - that way the shorter lists are easier to read.


In Closing

Even an e-book needs to look professionally designed. It is a monetization model, after all, and a good one at that.

It's really about how serious you are about your book (whether e-book or hard copy), and how serious you want to be taken as an author. If it's just a fun thing (not for monetization), then overall design has less importance. But, if you are serious about your book, then having your book professionally designed is worth the effort/cost. It can be the difference between successful and just mediocre results - maybe even the difference between lots of sales and dozens of refunds.

Imagine for a moment, what you would think if you purchased a hard copy book that has plain text with the title and author's name... no page numbers, or table of contents or perhaps, depending on the type of book, no alphabetical index. What would your reaction be? Amateur? Junk? Waste of money? Would you buy it?


If your reader finds your e-book very user-friendly, there's a slim chance that they'll ask for a refund, and, as I mentioned earlier, they will be more inclined to recommend it to others.


I have no doubt that you will have spent a lot of time writing your book, and making sure all the facts are accurate, so why throw it away with a poor e-book design?



Last, but certainly not least... Create a quality e-cover for your e-book. Remember, this is the first thing your prospective customers will see. Make it attractive and polished-looking, and your visitors will easily click through to the sales page, or the order page.


Are you thinking, "But, I've written an e-book that I'm going to be giving away for free. Why should I have my e-book designed?"


What's the purpose of giving away free e-books?

Unless you do it for fun, the reason is to promote your business or service. As such, you need to ask yourself what impression does my reader get of my business?

First impressions count.


It's almost more important to have free e-books professionally designed when we think of the damage that could be caused to our business, and the loss of possible future business.

Special thanks to Michelle Houser of www.love-your-dog-food.com for permission to use screenshots from her e-book.

While designing an e-book is fairly straightforward, it will take time and experience with the word processing program you use (Word, InDesign, etc.). If you don't have the time to design your e-book, you can hire a book designer.