eBook Writing Tips: How to Create a PDF eBook & Market It

Is there a book inside of you? Start with a PDF eBook. Where does your interest lie? Fiction or self-help books? In this article I address both.

To create a PDF eBook either fiction or self-help, it's better you start typing in MS Word document.

If it's a fiction or self-help book you will type, it's better you write out a paper draft and then type it fast on MS Word document.

You just don't want to write an ordinary or average fiction or self-help book. Whether it is a paid or free book you will write to grab the attention of your adequate audience, it's best to write a brilliant, innovative book which your audience will like.

For fiction eBooks write some interesting story from your life experience. In that case you will not have to work hard to make up imaginary characters and come up with a plot. You just have to write the story as you know and type it on MS Word.

On the other hand, self-help books can be in the area of health and fitness, improving confidence or concentration power and the lot. There are lots of books in these niches and so you will have to come up with a killer title with superb, innovative content.

The eBook you write on self-help should give insightful solution(s) to a problem or two. It should be something new that helps to attract readers in your niche.

Fiction and self-help books should have copyright information, disclaimers, table of contents, page numbers, preface, introduction and upcoming chapters on your story in case of fiction or on the self-help title you have chosen for your self-help eBook.

After writing and typing are complete, proofread your chapters thoroughly three times. This gives you the edge in making your eBook free from grammatical/spelling errors.

Your eBook either fiction or self-help should have a glamorous e-cover as well which you can design on your own by getting appropriate images from the web and using matching/contrast colors for fonts of your book title and author's name. You can also choose suitable font styles. Or if you don't want to go through the pain, you can get professional help.

Once your MS Word document is in place and ready, convert it to PDF by using "Save As PDF" option. You can then upload your file to the landing page of your download URL at the backend. Next send the opt-in page URL to your subscribers for your new eBook and also promote it on your Facebook page and website. You are likely to attract a whole lot of subscribers who download your paid or free eBook. This way you not only attract subscribers but also gain publicity of your eBook(s). And once the word is out, more people will subscribe to your newsletters and buy and read your eBooks. Sounds good?

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10081444

Tips for Writing Impressive Web Content

It's a common mistake.

Even experienced web writers make it.

When writing your web copy, who do you think of?

Do you picture a potential customer reading your text? And do you think about what makes him - or her - click?

That's what most web writers do.

They treat their web visitors like human beings who like to read.

They treat their web visitors just like readers of printed text.

But that's wrong. Completely wrong. Because web copy is totally different than print copy.

Web copy is scanned. Or glanced at. Not read.

Want to write better web content?

Your web visitors are hunting for information or products. They make quick decisions without thinking.

So how can you persuade web visitors to take action if they don't read your text?

Let me explain...

Below follow 9 tips to write persuasive copy for the web.

Ready?

1. Treat your web visitors like wild animals
Your website visitors behave like wild animals (source: Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox).

They're hunting for information or a product to buy - just like a hungry panther hunts for his next meal.

When a panther sniffs a scent trail he quickly decides: will the scent trail lead to a good meal? And will it be an easy catch?

Your web visitors consider the same two things: Does your website offer what they're looking for? And can they find it easily?

A hungry panther doesn't like wasting time to catch a meal. And your web visitors don't want to browse around your website for several long minutes to find the product they're after. They want to find it quickly.

Just like the panther makes a fast decision whether to follow a scent trail or not, your web visitor decides quickly whether your site is useful or not. So if your site looks complicated with a lot of options to choose from, they click away to check out another website.

Web visitors quickly glance at your web page before guessing whether they're in the right place or not. They don't need to know for sure. They just want to make a quick decision.

If your web visitors only glance at your website, how do you get your message across?

2. Put your most important information first
Writing for the web is completely different from writing an essay or a paper.

An essay might go like this: First, explain what you're going to discuss. Then, present an overview of the literature. Next, discuss; and finally draw your conclusion. The most important point you make is in the conclusion - at the end of your essay!

On web pages you have to do the opposite: your most important points always come first.

An example: you're looking for a new red three-seater sofa. When you arrive at a website you want to see it sells sofas. And secondly, you want a search box so you know you can quickly find out what the red three-seater sofas are like.

Or say you're looking for a copywriter for your website. Maybe you're looking for someone local, so you need to see a copywriter is based in Manchester which is nearby. Or maybe your copywriter needs to understand medical terminology, so you like to see a headline like copywriting for the medical industry.

Information that's most important to your web visitors is often a simple statement of what you do. Once they understand what you do, they might want to know some important details. And then - maybe they'd like to know some background information.

Journalists call this way of writing the inverted pyramid. In newspaper articles the most newsworthy information comes first before details and background information. Even if you only read the first paragraph of a newspaper story you still understand the big picture.

It's the same on your website. Your customers want to know the big picture first. Basically: What do you do? Or what can you do for them?

3. Don't try to be clever or creative
On the web it's rare that a reader hangs on to every word you write. He doesn't have time. He's in a hurry because he could check out several other scent trails - websites - instead of wasting time trying to figure out what you do.

Simple statements often work best.

[W]hen I look at a Web page it should be self-evident. Obvious. Self-explanatory. ~ Steve Krug.

Clever phrasing requires people to think. And asking people to think, doesn't work on the web because web visitors are hunting - they don't have time to think. So keep your web copy as simple as possible.

Write as if you're writing for a 12-year old because that makes your copy easy-to-follow. And be careful with jokes unless you're absolutely sure your target audience will get them.

4. Write for scanners
How many people read web pages?

Hardly anybody!

[What most web visitors do] is glance at each new page, scan some of the text, and click on the first link that catches their interest or vaguely resembles the thing they're looking for. - Steve Krug

Research suggests that only 16% of people read web pages word-for-word. Most people scan. (source: Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox).

How can you write for scanners? A check list:

Does your headline communicate what you're about?
Does your image caption communicate a sales message?
Do your sub headlines summarize your key points?
Do easy-to-scan bullet points reduce wordiness?
Your web visitor is hunting for information or products. Ensure he can understand your most important information by just glancing at your web page.

5. Use familiar words
As Web readers, we are hunter-gatherers once again - only this time, instead of scanning the horizon for prey, we scan pages for carewords. When we see these words, we click, we act. ~ Gerry McGovern

Imagine you want to fly to Bangkok for a holiday and you're looking for a cheap flight. What will you search for: a cost-effective flight, a low-fare, or a cheap flight to Bangkok?

Nobody searches for cost-effective flights. As Google's Keyword Tool shows cheap is what people are looking for:

Keyword search results showing cheap is far more popular than low fare and cost effective
Most people search for cheap flights
Carewords are the words people are looking for. We often like to make ourselves sound better than we are. We try to embellish what we do. We try to sound scientific, fancy or special. But your web visitor is looking for familiar words - carewords - because they're the scent trail that tells him he's in the right place.

6. Write for lazy people
Just like the lazy panther looks for an easy catch for his dinner, your web visitor doesn't want to make an effort to read your text.

Make your copy easy to read:

Use short paragraphs - four sentences max
Use short sentences - twelve on average
Skip unnecessary words
Avoid jargon and gobbledygook
Avoid the passive tense
Avoid needless repetition
Address your web visitors directly-use the word you
Shorten your text
How short should your text be? Steve Krug recommends you get rid of half the words on each page, and then get rid of half of what's left. That maybe an overly demanding target, but give it a go. Set yourself a challenge and make your text as short as possible.

7. Expect people to arrive anywhere on your website
People usually read a book from chapter one, via chapter two to three and four etc.

Now, imagine people pick up a book and start reading somewhere completely at random. Possibly at the beginning of the last chapter, maybe in the middle of chapter three, or at the last page of chapter one.

That's what the web is like. Most web visitors will not start reading at your home page. They may arrive on any of your web pages.

If you don't know where people arrive on your website, go to Google Analytics >> Site Content >> Landing Pages. You can see exactly how many web visitors arrived on each web page.
If each web page can be an entry page what does that mean?

Each page should be easy to scan
Each page should clarify to people where they are; and what your site is about
Each page should have a call to action telling people where to go next-to read another blog post, sign up for your email newsletter, check out a detailed product description or testimonial, request a quote or add a product to a shopping cart
Don't rely on your navigation bar to tell people what to do next. Include a button or link to guide people to take the next step. On each page.

8. Make it easy for hunters to find you
Potential customers are hunting for information or products.

How can you help them find you?

Lure potential customers to your website by providing useful information. That's how writing for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) basically works:

Answer the questions potential customers are asking
Discuss one key topic for each page
Include links to relevant pages on your own website or to other websites
Use phrases and words your potential customers are looking for
Above all: Be helpful.

9. Make a visual impression
Web copy and web design should work together.

You can't write your words, you can't compose your sentences, you can create your bullet points, without considering how your web page will look.

The visual appeal of your website impacts the readability of your text; and influences whether web visitors can quickly get what you're about.

How to increase the visual appeal of your web copy:

Replace text by photographs or videos
Consider different font sizes - think about people scanning large text first
Emphasize quotes of customers (or experts) to add credibility
Play around with highlights, bold text, CAPS, or italics
Break a long headline into a headline with a sub headline
Change paragraphs into bullet points
Most importantly: de-clutter. Reduce noise and add white space. Not only will it make your website easier to read, it will also increase your perceived trust (source: Social Triggers).

The truth about writing persuasive web copy
I'd love to tell you that writing persuasive web copy is easy.

But the truth is that writing simple, useful copy is hard.

Don't treat your web visitors like academics who love reading challenging and complicated texts. Don't treat your web visitors like lawyers poring over small print. Don't be wordy. And don't show off your extensive vocabulary.

Instead make your text as simple as possible.

Don't try to be everything to everybody. Know who you are and what you do.

If your positioning is clear, it's much easier to stand out on the web and be found. If your message is clear, it's much easier to create persuasive web copy.

Be clear. Be specific. Be bold.

Want to improve your writing skills further?
Join the 16-Part Snackable Writing Course (it's free!):

Discover the Power of the Subtle Nod and other persuasive tricks
Learn how to cure sentence bloat and avoid irritating your readers
Receive 16 simple tips to write more seductive content and win more business

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10000442

4 Ways Write Your Online Content Faster

Content is the currency of any online business. Content attracts new clients, helps get you noticed on search engine results pages, and helps build a loyal following.

But content takes time to create! Although you should never rush your online content, there are some ways to ensure you create it as quickly as possible without sacrificing quality.

1. Don't Constantly Edit

The first time you draft a new piece of content, let the words flow without editing as you go. Write your entire first draft before you look for any spelling mistakes or potential changes. Most people tend to edit as they go along, and again at the end. This is a waste of time and will often halt the creative "flow".

2. Eliminate Distractions

When you know it's time to write your content, make a point to eliminate distractions. This might seem obvious, but are you really doing it? Many people tend to keep their Facebook, Twitter, email, and so on open on their browser while they're writing.

Even if you don't check them, notification sounds affect our concentration. Find a quiet place where you can concentrate, and only have sites that are relevant to your post's research open on your internet browser when you write. If necessary, install a browser plugin that blocks distracting sites (there are many free options available).

3. Make A Plan

Do some basic planning before you begin writing. While some writers are talented enough to write fluently as they go along, others may get stuck halfway and have a hard time continuing. Before you write your content, type out a basic outline listing each basic point from beginning to end. Use this draft as your guide, and improvise if you need to along the way.

4. Write Shorter Content

If possible, keep your content shorter! This doesn't mean deliberately writing short posts that don't provide any value. Instead, it means saying what you need to say but in as few words as possible. As long as your readers can get what they need to your post, and feel as though you are delivering value, then there's no difference between a 500 or 1000-word post! Many readers will lose interest anyway when you don't keep to the point!

Lastly, remember that you will simply get faster with practice, and especially when you "batch" your content creation process to create many posts at once. So keep on writing and creating content!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10209409

Ann Handley on Writing

How to Create High-Impact Content in the Age of Distraction

We've got competition. It's called the Internet. And it's changing the way people read - or don't read - our content. It's more difficult than ever to create content with impact for audiences suffering information overload.

Here's the backstory: Clickbait may have been around for over a century (at least according to this take), but its new supercharged identity is entirely Internet-enabled. The minute someone figured out that loads of clicks meant greater online ad revenue, getting traffic became a key priority - outweighing telling the truth, delivering meaningful insight, or adding any sort of value.

Clickbait works by pandering to our worst impulses: immediate gratification with very little work. We compulsively click headlines like "Don't ever eat this one food" despite rationally knowing the actual piece will be sensationalism at best and completely off-topic at worst.

And the worst bit is we're all in this together.

As Derek Thompson writes in The Atlantic,

"Media companies are desperately trying to get your attention and the headline tropes you see the most tend to be the headlines readers click the most. We are all in this together, one perpetual spin cycle of perfect responses, all-explaining graphs, and amazing truths, and you know exactly what's going to happen next."

As writers, clickbait makes our job very difficult by spamming the playing field till people have useless content seeping out of their pores. In such a milieu, it's incredibly difficult to write high-impact content that's also ethical and adds value. But there are ways to do it.

Know Your Audience

Don't write general stuff that tries to appeal to the widest possible audience. Instead, write for specific audiences. Who are they? Where are they? What unites them? And, most importantly - what do they want to read? Once you have an audience in mind, try and understand what their pain points are. A pain point is basically something your audience is searching for a solution to. Once you know what answers people want, you can serve up relevant content that people actually read.

Take this very site, for example. It's not meant for everyone between the ages of three and three hundred. It's not meant for zookeepers and race car drivers alike. Rather, it's a place for writers to talk about writing, and the challenges associated with the creative process. Content that talks about writing, and offers value to writers, will do well here.

Go Very Specific

Ever put in the first word of a search in Google and read what comes up on the autocomplete? That alone tells you that a) people are wonderful, diverse beings who often ask Google rather weird things and b) many search queries are very, very specific.

So, what if you wrote something about a very specific topic that people were searching for?

Here's an example: There are a million people running gardening blogs writing about bougainvillea. If you write a generic piece about that lovely plant, your article will be utterly lost in the crevices of the Internet, drowned out by thousands of others.

But if you wrote a specific remedy that protects bougainvillea against a specific blighting fungus, you'll get a loyal coterie of gardeners battling that problem to hang onto your every word. What's more, they'll come back and read other gardening articles, too.

Going very specific also works well with Google rankings - meaning your content shows up higher, and attracts more eyeballs.

Give People What They can Handle

Readers want different things. Some are really time-poor, and only want to skim-read. Others want a bit more. And still others want an in-depth analysis. The best way to create impact is to give all these readers exactly what they want.

How? By using the handy bite, snack and meal approach. It's a food metaphor where your menu (or article) has dishes that satisfy all levels of hunger, leaving the choice up to the customer (or reader).

• The Bite

Just a taste. For the readers who just want the bottom line and fast, summarize

everything you're saying in a heading and blurb carrying your key message.

• The Snack

A little light something. For readers that have a little more time but are unlikely to throw themselves into an article the length of "War and Peace," create a paragraph with your main talking points.

• The Meal

A main course for readers with an appetite. Offer up a full and hearty meal to those hungry for your words, going into a bit of detail, offering supporting evidence and adding as much value as you can. But remember, keep things simple, because simplicity in writing often creates better impact.

Just as a restaurant menu carries all these options together, so must your content have all three options in the same place - with a heading and blurb on top, the main argument presented in-depth, and a little summary at the end. Then, let the reader choose.

Creating high impact may not be the easiest thing in the world, given the cacophony our readers are surrounded by. But, it can be done. Happy writing!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9973351

eBook Writing Tips: How to Create a PDF eBook & Market It

Is there a book inside of you? Start with a PDF eBook. Where does your interest lie? Fiction or self-help books? In this article I address both.

To create a PDF eBook either fiction or self-help, it's better you start typing in MS Word document.

If it's a fiction or self-help book you will type, it's better you write out a paper draft and then type it fast on MS Word document.

You just don't want to write an ordinary or average fiction or self-help book. Whether it is a paid or free book you will write to grab the attention of your adequate audience, it's best to write a brilliant, innovative book which your audience will like.

For fiction eBooks write some interesting story from your life experience. In that case you will not have to work hard to make up imaginary characters and come up with a plot. You just have to write the story as you know and type it on MS Word.

On the other hand, self-help books can be in the area of health and fitness, improving confidence or concentration power and the lot. There are lots of books in these niches and so you will have to come up with a killer title with superb, innovative content.

The eBook you write on self-help should give insightful solution(s) to a problem or two. It should be something new that helps to attract readers in your niche.

Fiction and self-help books should have copyright information, disclaimers, table of contents, page numbers, preface, introduction and upcoming chapters on your story in case of fiction or on the self-help title you have chosen for your self-help eBook.

After writing and typing are complete, proofread your chapters thoroughly three times. This gives you the edge in making your eBook free from grammatical/spelling errors.

Your eBook either fiction or self-help should have a glamorous e-cover as well which you can design on your own by getting appropriate images from the web and using matching/contrast colors for fonts of your book title and author's name. You can also choose suitable font styles. Or if you don't want to go through the pain, you can get professional help.

Once your MS Word document is in place and ready, convert it to PDF by using "Save As PDF" option. You can then upload your file to the landing page of your download URL at the backend. Next send the opt-in page URL to your subscribers for your new eBook and also promote it on your Facebook page and website. You are likely to attract a whole lot of subscribers who download your paid or free eBook. This way you not only attract subscribers but also gain publicity of your eBook(s). And once the word is out, more people will subscribe to your newsletters and buy and read your eBooks. Sounds good?

Rosina S Khan has authored this article. For a wealth of free resources based on stunning fiction stories, amazing self-help eBooks, commendable articles, quality scholar papers, valuable blogs and terrific academic guides, all authored by her, and much more, visit: http://rosinaskhan.weebly.com. You will be glad that you did.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10081444

Ann Handley on Producing Quality Content

How to Write Posts That Will Get Read and Shared

Social media marketing and content marketing go hand-in-hand. In fact, a lot of your social media efforts will likely boil down to creating blog posts and articles and then sharing those with your audience.

However, in order for your content to get read and shared, you need to ensure that you are approaching it in the right way and that you have the right idea about what works on Facebook and Twitter and what doesn't.

And by 'working', what we really mean is that you're creating content that will get shared and that will get read.

Let's take a look at how you go about doing this:

The Importance of Uniqueness

Companies that have no clue bout social media will create content that is derivative and dull.

How many times have you seen articles on 'How to Get Abs'? Or on 'How to Pick Up Women'?

These are things that everyone wants to achieve but the articles are written in a way that is highly generic and that doesn't seem to offer anything new.

On the other hand, you have those 'clickbait' articles that go the other way. They are either incredibly hyperbolic, or they create some kind of mystery so that people will be tempted to click.

They might be 'The One Amazing Trick That Will Give You INCREDIBLE Abs Overnight' or 'You'll NEVER Believe the One Herb That Men Are Using to Get Women Into Bed!'.

These titles work because they grab attention and offer something completely new... but rarely does the actual content deliver on its promise.

Instead then, try to use the same strategy while actually offering something good.

How about: 'How Cardio Acceleration Burns 73% More Fat' or 'How Expert Pick Up Artists Apply Cognitive Behavioral Therapy To Amazing Effect'.

These articles include technical sounding terms that people haven't heard of and that suggests something new - thus making them likely to click. At the same time though, these are actual meaty subjects that you can write about and deliver on your promise.

Your Reader 'Persona'

At the same time, always have in mind your 'reader persona'.

This is a fictional profile of the type of person your content is aimed at. If you get this right, then there should be a certain section of your audience for whom the content is perfect. This makes them far more likely to share as a way to express themselves - because your content reflects their personality - and it means that their friends are more likely to share it with them, knowing that they're like it.

Remember that at its core, social media is a communication tool. If your content facilitates communication and expression, then it will succeed!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9960506

Writing World Class Copy & Content