Has Anyone Written an E-book?

[redsoxmaniac]

I am toying with the idea of writing an e-book. I use a MacBook and I wonder if anyone has any suggestions for software. Also do you have any overall suggestions for the process; i.e. length, marketing etc. Did you run into any pitfalls in writing an e-book.

[Miss Rosie]

Originally Posted by redsoxmaniac

I am toying with the idea of writing an e-book. I use a MacBook and I wonder if anyone has any suggestions for software. Also do you have any overall suggestions for the process; i.e. length, marketing etc. Did you run into any pitfalls in writing an e-book.

I have four e-books out, three by small presses and one self-published. Here's what I can tell you.

1. Spelling, grammar and punctuation count. Edit like crazy.

2. Don't use Apple's "convert to PDF" print option, because it creates sloppy PDFs. Adobe has a rental program for their software that works pretty well, and if you publish through Lulu, theirs works, too. The process usually takes several tries, but it's worth it. Format counts, just like spelling, grammar and punctuation.

3. Figure out how you're going to deal with the e-commerce aspect before you actually have to do it. I use Lulu, mostly because it's easier.

4. Keep marketing costs down. I do it by getting short stories and essays published. All that costs is time. This method doesn't make me rich, but paying for ads and author pages had me running in the red, even though I sold more books. Create content, and make sure the person who takes it gives you a link. Sometimes you can get money and a link, which is my favorite option.

5. Don't expect to get rich quick. Small trickles are what usually happens.

6. Don't make it too long. I'm not trying to sell my 135,000 word novel as an e-book, but my novellas make an excellent length, and they run from 15,000 - 40,000 words.

Have fun!

[redsoxmaniac]

Thanks for the advice regarding the Apple pdf, word count and marketing. I appreciate it. Seems there are a lot of them out there.