Tweak Your Biz » Derbhile Graham http://tweakyourbiz.com Sat, 18 May 2013 12:00:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Publishing And Promoting Your Ebook http://tweakyourbiz.com/marketing/2013/05/14/publishing-and-promoting-your-ebook/ http://tweakyourbiz.com/marketing/2013/05/14/publishing-and-promoting-your-ebook/#comments Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:16 +0000 Derbhile Graham http://7.14992 It has never been so easy to publish and it has never been so easy to find the right audience for your words. In this post, you’ll find out about publishing platforms for ebooks and how to use social media to find an audience.

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You’ve worked hard on your ebook. Now it’s time for you to break the final frontier and show your work to the world. After all, it would be a shame if all the hard work you put in went to waste. It has never been so easy to publish and it has never been so easy to find the right audience for your words. In this post, you’ll find out about publishing platforms for ebooks and how to use social media to find an audience.

Publishing And Promoting Your Ebook

First, you need to find a publisher

There are two options for you to consider.

# 1. Free publishing platforms

If you have a limited budget and you’re a DIY-er who likes a challenge, this is the option for you. With these platforms, you’re in charge of every aspect of the process. You decide how big your book will be and you can also choose from a gallery of book covers. When you register your book, the website will give you an ISBN Number, which you need in order to sell your book. They will also make your book available to all types of e-readers – Kindle, Nook, Kobo etc. The most common ones are CreateSpace, Lulu and Smashwords.

# 2. Self-Publishing packages

For some people, the thought of organising every aspect of a book is daunting. It also takes a lot of time. If you want to save time and produce a book that looks slick and professional, there are lots of companies offering self-publishing packages.These companies may be local printers, or companies that specialise in offering services to self-published authors.

They will design a cover, edit the book, lay it out and make it available for e-readers. With those companies, you’ll usually have to order your own ISBNs. ISBNs are numbers assigned to books which are used to process sales. You need them to register your book with Amazon and other book retail sites. You're given 10 ISBNs' there's no option to just have one. But it does mean you'll have ISBNs to spare for future editions of your book, as well as print editions.

With both of these options, you can also produce hard-copy books for people who prefer dead trees. The free platforms offer books on a print on demand basis, while the self-publishing companies may do a limited print run.

Now to find an audience

If your book is good enough, it will gather its own momentum and gather an audience. Your job as an author is to make it as easy as possible for that audience to find you. When it comes to spreading the word about your book, social media is your friend. Here are a few ways for you to harness that tool.

Blog tours

A blog tour is a virtual book tour. Over a period of one or two weeks, you get your fellow bloggers to feature your book. They can interview you or review the book; it’s their choice. There are two options for finding bloggers. Some bloggers dedicate themselves to reviewing books and you make a submission to them if you want them to review you, much like traditional media reviewers. Or you can get people in our network who you know have an interest in your book to join your blog tour.

Social media for book lovers

There are websites that allow you to post up a small sample of your work to when the reader’s appetite. The most reputable of these is Scribd. People can comment and share the work using Facebook, Twitter etc. Goodreads is a haven for book lovers. Get your book listed on that and your followers can review the books and pass the word around among their friends.

Social media profiles

Create a profile for your book on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, just as you would for your business. Use them to give away copies of your book, or just give tantalising hints of what to come. Share the process you used for creating the book. Let people know what you’re doing to promote it. And last but not least, put up pictures of the cover and of events that you’ve organised to promote the book.

Now all that’s left to say is good luck.

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How To Structure Your Ebook http://tweakyourbiz.com/marketing/2013/04/03/how-to-structure-your-ebook/ http://tweakyourbiz.com/marketing/2013/04/03/how-to-structure-your-ebook/#comments Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:00:46 +0000 Derbhile Graham http://7.14579 So you’ve decided to write an ebook. Well done. Now comes the hard bit – actually starting it. At this stage of the game, it’s easy to feel you’re drowning under the weight of all you want to say. With so much material, how are you supposed to even make a start?

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This is a follow on from last month's post, The 5 Ws of Ebooks

So you’ve decided to write an ebook. Well done. Now comes the hard bit – actually starting it. At this stage of the game, it’s easy to feel you’re drowning under the weight of all you want to say. With so much material, how are you supposed to even make a start?

A good structure acts as a roadmap through your book. It helps you to channel and shape your ideas and prevents them from running away with you. It takes a lot of the fear factor out of writing and will see you through to the end. Follow this structure and you’ll boost your chances of producing a successful ebooks.

ebooks

First of all, you’ve got to...

Know what to say

What do you want people to have learned by the time they’ve come to the end of your book? That’s the central message you’ll hang your book on. If your area of expertise is quite broad, choose an angle within that topic to concentrate on. That’ll help you narrow down the information you use. If you still don’t know what to say, think of what you’re passionate about and let your passion be your guide.

Once you’ve figured out what to say you’ve got to...

Decide how to say it

What form will your words take? Your writing style is just as important as your content. Think about how you speak and about how you deliver presentations? If you’ve a bang-bang bullet-point style of presentation, you could go for an advice manual format, with lots of step by step guides and take homes at the end of each chapter. If you’re pressed for time, you could gather some of your best blogs and ebooks and compile them into an ebook.

If you’re more of a storyteller, you could mix your advice with anecdotes that illustrate your point, about inspirational people you’ve known, or interesting case studies of work you’ve done with clients. You could also go for an academic approach, drawing on the latest research and trends.

Now it’s time to start drawing up..

Your chapter structure

Your chapter structure will break your main point down into manageable chunks. Write an outline which indicates what subjects you will cover in each chapter. While you’ll have an overall message, each chapter will also make its own point. Begin by describing your aims and what people will expect. In the middle, you’ll get into the meat of your ideas and outline how your readers can act on them. And conclude by summarising what you’ve said.

And last but not least...

How long will it be?

You’re busy. You don’t want to feel that you’ll be writing forever. The good thing about an ebook is that it doesn’t have to be long. A lot of people do up ebooks to hand out as freebies to their customers that are only 10-15 pages long. So it should be possible for you to turn it around quickly.

Now it’s time to...

Get Writing.

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The 5 Ws Of Ebooks http://tweakyourbiz.com/marketing/2013/02/21/the-5-ws-of-ebooks/ http://tweakyourbiz.com/marketing/2013/02/21/the-5-ws-of-ebooks/#comments Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:03:43 +0000 Derbhile Graham http://7.14143 I’ve created The 5 Ws of Writing an Ebook, to take you step by step through the process of putting your ebook together. We’ll begin with that classic question that’s fanned many a flame of genius.

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The E in ebooks should stand for easy. With their portability, clear layout and accessible length, they’re easy to read. And the good news for you as a person in business with something to say is that they’re easy to write. It’s just like any other aspect of your business: you create a product, you put it in place, you identify your audience and you promote it to them on the channels they use.

I’ve created The 5 Ws of Writing an Ebook, to take you step by step through the process of putting your ebook together. We’ll begin with that classic question that’s fanned many a flame of genius.

ebooks

Why?

Anyone can hand out a business card – giving people an ebook makes a real splash. They give you an opportunity to promote your brand and the products and services that you offer to your customers. Ebooks also give you a chance to share your expertise with your customers. Your generosity and the value of the information you’ve given them will enhance your reputation. And if you’re a frustrated writer, they can make your writing dreams a reality.

What?

Before you start writing, you need to know what to say. Every book has an angle, an element that makes it stand out. Knowing what you want to write will help you structure your book and to decide what to leave in and leave out. This will prevent you from drowning in a sea of information. You’ll also need to consider what kind of ebook you want to write. Will you concentrate on giving tips, or will you share experiences from your own career that you think will be helpful to people?

Who?

Before you begin your ebook, you’ll need to know who will read it. Do you want to aim it at people in your sector, to build your reputation as an expert in the field? Or do you want to target a particular group of customers? Just like when you’re developing a product, you’ll need to consider factors like age, income bracket and level of social media usage, so you can decide how to market the book.

Which brings us to:

How?

When you’ve finished your work of genius, you’ll need to decide how to spread the word about your book. The best thing to do is use a mix of channels. Start with the people you know. Let them be your ambassadors. Then pick the social media channel that’s most relevant to your book. And don’t neglect traditional media.  People love to hear the latest news on their local radio station or in their local newspaper. But no matter what you do, the important thing to remember is that a book will create its own buzz. If your book is good enough, people will talk about it.

Where?

When you’ve finished your ebook, you’re only halfway there. You’ll need to decide where to publish it. You’ve got three options. You can put it directly on Amazon yourself. You can use a specialist Internet publishing platform like Lulu, CreateSpace or Smashwords. They’ll format the book and place it in a number of ebook stores, like Kobo, Nook and Amazon. Or you can go for a combination print/ebook deal. A lot of printers and self publishing companies offer these.

When?

You’re a busy person and it’s going to take a bit of juggling to figure out what times of the day you’ll be able to write. But it can be done. Snatch a half-hour before the rest of your household gets up. Write while you’re on the bus or train to work. Record your favourite programmes and write some of your ebook instead. Aim for a target of 300 words a day. That’s doable for even the busiest person.

This will be the first post in a monthly series called Ebooks: Telling the Story of Your Business. The next post will cover the nitty gritty of content, in other words, what to write.

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Making The Most Of Your Copywriter http://tweakyourbiz.com/marketing/2013/01/08/making-the-most-of-your-copywriter/ http://tweakyourbiz.com/marketing/2013/01/08/making-the-most-of-your-copywriter/#comments Tue, 08 Jan 2013 13:34:30 +0000 Derbhile Graham http://7.13670 Hiring a copywriter can be quite a challenge for a business. It’s not simply a case of handing over a few press releases or your website plan. Copywriters take a partnership approach, working with you every step of the way to create sparkling copy. Follow this three step plan and you’ll get the results you’re looking for from your copywriter.

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In my four years in business as a copywriter, I’ve realised that a lot of businesses think purchasing copywriting services is like purchasing a phone or a piece of clothing. They think that all they have to do is hand me a sheaf of old press releases or the plan given to them by their website developer and boom, sparkling copy will arrive in their inbox a week later.

Like any service, copywriting works best when both the copywriter and business owner take a partnership approach. In this post, I’ll show you how the copywriting process works and how you can use this process to get the results you’re looking for.

Copywriter

Step One: Gathering Raw Material

A copywriter’s goal is to tell the story of your business. And you are your story. To gather the raw material for their copy, the copywriter will need to talk to you about why you’re in business, what you do and how you do it. They’ll also clarify what your expectations of your copy are, so they can deliver the results you want. Make time to meet them, either in person or over Skype.

Don’t hide behind generic promotional material. If you want copy that helps your business stand out, it’s worth investing a little time. People worry about giving the ‘right’ answer, but all you have to do is show your passion for your business – it’s the copywriter’s job to give shape to that passion.

Step Two: Giving Feedback

Copywriting is a creative process. Copywriters don’t expect to get the copy right first time. They know that a few drafts will be needed to clarify the message you want to convey and clear up any misunderstanding. This can create conflict with business owners, who expect themselves and their staff to get it right first time, otherwise they won’t survive and thrive.

So if you don’t feel the first draft of copy is quite right, don’t shut them down straight away. Talk to them about what you’d like them to change. Any copywriter worth their salt will incorporate your feedback and persevere until the copy chimes with your goals.

Step Three: Delivering Results.

You’re in business. You want results. But a copywriter would be lying if they told you that they could get you 25% extra customers just by using certain words in their copy. In copywriting, results are more intangible. Copywriters take a long-lens view of the results they achieve. The content they create forms the cornerstone for online and traditional media marketing campaigns. And if the content the copywriter creates is in line with your story and your goals, it will achieve results – just not straight away.

So why is it worth hiring a copywriter?

Every business wants to stand out. Good copy will help you do that. If you put thought into your copy, you’ll get an immediate head start over your competitors. Good copy helps you deliver your message consistently, to the people who will most benefit from your business. If copy is compelling enough, your potential customers will buy into it. If you work with your copywriter every step of the way, they’ll deliver what every business owner wants – more customers.

How do you make the most of your Copywriter? 

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