Studying find out how to create an e book could be overwhelming. Not solely do you must write the content material, however you additionally have to design and format it right into a professional-looking doc that individuals will wish to obtain and skim.
You may already be aware of fiction or non-fiction ebooks, however what precisely is an e book within the advertising and marketing trade, and why do they ship such nice outcomes for entrepreneurs?
On this publish, you will study:
Let’s get began.
What’s an e book?
An e book, brief for ‘digital e book,’ is a digital type of a printed e book designed to be learn on units like computer systems, tablets, or smartphones. Ebooks are important advertising and marketing property with a number of digital ‘pages’ that delivers info to its reader. As well as, they’re typically packaged as PDF paperwork so readers can share them.
36 Free E-book Templates – Obtain Now
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Obtain HubSpot’s 36 free e book templates to create an e book on PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Adobe InDesign.
E-book Advantages
In 2021, e book gross sales elevated 38% for writer HarperCollins, following a development of elevated income earnings for the corporate. Though this can be a snapshot of 1 writer’s success, it speaks to a extra vital motion towards digital content material consumption amongst entrepreneurs.
Lead magnets are available many varieties, however the e book nonetheless reigns supreme. They provide the reader:
- In-depth digital content material in an setting largely overrun with fast headlines and soundbites
- Visible knowledge that compliments the editorial content material
- On-demand entry to the e book content material
What you are promoting advantages from publishing an e book, too. Turning a revenue, buying new clients, producing buzz, and turning into an trade thought chief are just some benefits of this kind of content material.
As an instance, nevertheless, that you’ve a improbable weblog stuffed with long-form content material. Why on the planet would you wish to provide your readers an e book? Is it even value your time?
Listed below are some benefits ebooks provide content material creators:
- In contrast to long-form printed publications bought in-store or shipped, an e book is instantly accessible everytime you’re able to learn.
- You may put it behind an opt-in or “gate,” incentivizing your web site customer to change into a lead if they need the knowledge.
- In some methods, ebooks have design capabilities like in-depth charts, graphs, and full-page pictures, which you’ll not be capable to obtain in your weblog.
- After the preliminary creation of the e book, you possibly can distribute the file a large number of occasions with no extra manufacturing price. Additionally they haven’t any related transport charges.
- You may embed hyperlinks to different media within the e book file, encouraging the reader to interact along with your content material additional.
Maybe extra importantly, ebooks provide a number of benefits on your viewers:
- Ebooks are extremely moveable and could be saved on many units with none related bodily cupboard space.
- The reader will get the selection to print the e book out in the event that they wish to eat the knowledge in a standard bodily format. In any other case, the digital format is environmentally pleasant.
- Ebooks are extra accessible, giving readers the flexibility to extend font sizes and/or learn aloud with text-to-speech.
- They’re additionally simply searchable if the reader is on the lookout for one thing particular.
Furthermore, with lead era being the highest aim for content material advertising and marketing, ebooks are a necessary a part of a profitable inbound advertising and marketing program.
On this publish, we’ll stroll you thru the ins and outs of making an e book by, effectively, creating an e book. And in case you’re frightened about your missing design expertise, we’ve bought you lined.
Received your free e book templates? Able to make an e book? Nice — let’s get to it.
What e book file format do you have to use?
Ebooks could be saved in considered one of a number of codecs. Relying in your end-user, although, you may discover a use for any of the next file sorts:
PDFs are probably essentially the most well-known file sort. The “PDF” extension stands for “Moveable Doc Format,” and is finest for ebooks that should be learn on a pc (digital entrepreneurs, you will wish to bear in mind this one). We’ll speak extra about find out how to save your e book as a PDF later on this article.
EPUB
This file sort stands for “Digital Publication,” and is a extra versatile e book format. By that, I imply EPUB ebooks can “reflow” their textual content to adapt to numerous cell units and tablets, permitting the e book’s textual content to maneuver on and off totally different pages based mostly on the machine’s measurement on which a consumer is studying the e book. They’re significantly useful for viewing on smaller screens, comparable to smartphones and the Nook from Barnes and Noble.
MOBI
The MOBI format originated from the Mobipocket Reader software program, which was bought by Amazon in 2005 however was later shut down in 2016. Nonetheless, the MOBI file extension stays a preferred e book format appropriate throughout the most important e-readers (besides the Nook).
Whereas the format has some limitations, comparable to not supporting audio or video, it helps DRM, which protects copyrighted materials from being copied for distribution or seen illegally.
Newer Kindle codecs are based mostly on the unique MOBI file sorts.
AZW
That is an e book file sort designed for the Kindle, an e-reader machine by Amazon. Nonetheless, customers can even open this file format on smartphones, tablets, and computer systems.
ODF
ODF stands for OpenDocument Format, a file sort meant primarily for OpenOffice, a collection of open-source content material creation packages just like Microsoft Workplace.
IBA
IBA is the proprietary e book format for the Apple iBooks Writer app. This format does help video, sound, pictures, and interactive parts, however it’s only used for books written in iBooks. It isn’t appropriate with different e-readers.
Knowledge Visualization 101: Tips on how to Design Charts and Graphs [Free Download]
Tips on how to Write an E-book
- Select a subject that matches your viewers’s wants.
- Define every chapter of your e book.
- Break down every chapter as you write.
- Design your e book.
- Use the appropriate colours.
- Incorporate visuals.
- Spotlight quotes or stats.
- Place acceptable calls-to-action inside your e book.
- Convert it right into a PDF.
- Create a devoted touchdown web page on your e book.
- Promote your e book and observe its success.
Ebooks can enhance the visibility and credibility of your online business whereas positioning your model as a thought chief in your trade. Nonetheless, these ebooks can generally be laborious to put in writing, despite the fact that they provide many advantages.
Listed below are some confirmed ideas that will help you write glorious ebooks.
1. Select a subject that matches your viewers’s wants.
Keep in mind: The aim of your e book is to generate leads on your gross sales group, so choose a subject that may make it straightforward for a prospect to go from downloading your e book to having a dialog along with your gross sales group.
This implies your e book should not deviate a lot from the matters you cowl in your different content material distribution channels.
Relatively, it is your alternative to do a deep dive right into a topic you’ve got solely evenly lined till now, however one thing your viewers desires to study extra about.
For instance, in listening to gross sales and buyer calls right here at HubSpot, I’ve realized that creating ebooks is an enormous impediment for our viewers, who’re entrepreneurs themselves. So if I can present not solely this weblog publish however assets to make e book creation simpler, I am specializing in the appropriate matter that may naturally result in a gross sales dialog.
Listed below are some pattern e book titles to contemplate to get your artistic juices flowing.
- X Finest Practices for [Insert Industry/Topic]
- An Introduction to [Insert Industry/Topic]
- X Frequent Questions About [Insert Industry/Topic] Answered
- X [Insert Industry/Topic] Statistics For Higher Choice-Making
- Be taught From The Finest: X [Insert Industry/Topic] Consultants Share Insights
(Notice: Change “x” with an acceptable quantity.) It’s also possible to use our free Weblog Matter Generator device to develop extra concepts. Most weblog matters could be complete sufficient to function longer-form e book matters.
For this weblog publish, I’ll use the PowerPoint model of template two from our assortment of 5 free e book templates. By every part of this publish, I am going to present a side-by-side of the template slide and the way I personalized it.
Beneath, you will see my personalized cowl with my sales-relevant e book matter. For assist with writing compelling titles on your ebooks, try the ideas on this weblog publish.
2. Define every chapter of your e book.
The introduction to your e book ought to set the stage for the e book’s content material and draw the reader in.
What is going to you cowl in your e book? How will the reader profit from studying it? For tips about find out how to write an efficient introduction, try this publish.
Some e book creators say that an e book is solely a collection of weblog posts stitched collectively. Whereas I agree you must deal with every chapter as a person weblog publish, the chapters of your e book also needs to move fluidly from one to the opposite.
The easiest way to stipulate your e book is by considering of it as a crash course on the sales-relevant matter you chose. In my instance of making an e book, I do know I have to cowl find out how to:
- Write efficient copy
- Design an e book
- Optimize ebooks for lead era and promotion
Whereas my instance has a couple of chapters, take into account that your e book doesn’t should be prolonged.
Right here’s a golden rule to observe relating to e book size: Write what is required to teach your viewers about your chosen matter successfully.
In case your e book requires 5 pages, nice! If it requires 30 pages, so be it. Simply do not waste phrases considering you want to write a prolonged e book.
Let’s now transfer on to the precise copy you are writing.
3. Break down every chapter as you write.
Get writing! Right here, you possibly can method every chapter the way in which you may write an extended weblog publish — by compartmentalizing every chapter into smaller sections or bullet factors, as proven within the image under.
This helps you write merely and clearly, reasonably than utilizing refined language to convey every level. It is the simplest method to educate readers and assist them perceive the brand new materials you’re offering.
You should definitely keep a constant construction throughout every chapter, as effectively. This helps you determine pure transitions between every chapter so there is a clear development from one chapter to the subsequent (merely stitching weblog posts collectively can rob you of this high quality).
These practices ought to maintain true for all of your different advertising and marketing efforts, comparable to e mail advertising and marketing, call-to-action creation, and touchdown web page improvement. “Readability trumps persuasion,” as Dr. Flint McGlaughlin of MECLABS typically says.
Wish to be sure you’re maintaining your e book thrilling for readers? Listed below are some key ideas to remember:
- Use key phrases within the title that emphasize the worth of your provide. Examples embody adjectives like “wonderful,” “superior,” or “final.”
- Hold your format constant, so that you create a psychological mannequin for readers and improve their understanding of the fabric.
- When acceptable, use formatting — like bulleted lists, daring textual content, italics, and font measurement modifications — to attract individuals’s eyes to your most necessary content material or emphasize particular factors you need readers to recollect.
4. Design your e book.
Our downloadable e book templates are provided in each PowerPoint and InDesign. For this instance, we’ll present you find out how to do it in PowerPoint, since extra individuals have entry to that software program. (In case you want a refresher, right here’s a beginner-friendly information on find out how to use PowerPoint.)
We solely have one “chapter web page” within the template (slide three). To create extra chapter pages, or any pages actually, merely right-click the slide and select Duplicate Slide. This can make a duplicate of your slide and can help you drag it to its correct place in your e book by way of the sidebar or Slide Sorter part of PowerPoint. You may then customise it for any subsequent chapters.
5. Use the appropriate colours.
Ideally, our free e book templates would magically match your model colours. However they in all probability do not; that is the place you get to really personalize your work. Nonetheless, as a result of ebooks provide extra actual property for coloration than your brand or web site, it is good to contemplate secondary colours inside your model’s coloration palette. Ebooks are the place this coloration scheme can actually shine.
To learn to add your model’s colours to PowerPoint, try this weblog publish. That method, you possibly can customise the colour scheme in our e book templates to match your model!
6. Incorporate visuals.
Photographs and graphics in ebooks are laborious to get proper. The important thing to creating them match effectively is to consider them as complementary to your writing. Whether or not you add them throughout or after you’ve completed writing your e book’s copy, your visuals ought to serve to focus on an necessary level you’re making or deconstruct the which means of an idea in an easy-to-understand, visible method.
Photographs shouldn’t simply be there to make the e book straightforward on the eyes. Relatively, they need to be used to boost the reader’s understanding of the fabric you’re protecting. In case you need assistance gathering visuals, we now have three units of free inventory images that may enable you to alongside the way in which:
And in case you’re compiling a data-heavy e book, you may wish to obtain our free knowledge visualization e book for tips on designing compelling charts and graphs on your content material.
7. Spotlight quotes or stats.
One other method to improve your e book is by highlighting quotes or stats inside your design. Simply make certain the quote or stat you are utilizing genuinely provides worth to the content material.
Whether or not you are emphasizing a quote or including a visible, hold all of your content material throughout the similar margins. In case your copy is persistently one-inch indented in your web page from each the left and proper sides, hold your designed parts aligned utilizing that very same spacing.
8. Place acceptable calls to motion inside your e book.
Now that your content material is written and designed, it is time to optimize it for lead era, reconversion, and promotion.
Take into consideration how you bought right here — you clicked on a call-to-action (CTA) in an e mail, on a social media publish, or elsewhere. A CTA is a hyperlink or visible object that entices the customer to click on and arrive at a touchdown web page that may get them additional engaged along with your firm.
Since your e book readers have in all probability transformed into results in get their arms in your e book, use the CTAs inside your e book to reconvert your readers and propel them additional down your advertising and marketing funnel.
As an example, a CTA can result in one other provide, your annual convention’s registration web page, or perhaps a product web page. Relying on what this subsequent motion is, CTAs could be an in-line rectangle or a full-page teasing the subsequent provide (see each pictures under).
To hyperlink the CTA in your e book (or any picture or textual content in your e book) to your vacation spot URL, merely go to Insert >> Hyperlink in PowerPoint.
We have even designed 50 customizable calls-to-action in PowerPoint you possibly can obtain and use in your ebooks. You may seize them right here.
Now, we do not have a devoted CTA template slide within the PowerPoint e book templates … however it’s nonetheless easy! You simply must duplicate the Header/Subheader slide and customise the copy or add pictures as wanted. It’s also possible to go to Insert >> New Slide and work from there.
9. Convert it right into a PDF.
As soon as you’ve got completed writing your e book — CTAs and all — it is time to convert it to the appropriate file sort, so it is transferable from you to your recipient.
To transform your e book to a PDF, click on File >> Save As within the e book template you have got open. Then, beneath File Format, choose PDF and choose a vacation spot in your pc for this new file.
Why cannot you simply connect what you must a touchdown web page and be completed with it? Phrase paperwork, PowerPoints, and comparable templates are excellent for creating your e book however not for delivering it. As a result of these templates are editable, the contents of your e book are too simply corrupted, distorted, and even misplaced when transferring out of your pc to the arms of your future leads. That is the place PDFs are available.
You have seen these letters on the finish of recordsdata earlier than. Quick for Moveable Doc Format, the .PDF file sort primarily freezes your e book so it may be displayed clearly on any machine. A well-liked various to PDFs is the .EPUB file sort. See a comparability of EPUB to PDF right here.
10. Create a devoted touchdown web page on your e book.
Your e book ought to be accessible for obtain by a touchdown web page in your website. A touchdown web page is an online web page that promotes/describes your provide and gives a kind that guests have to fill out with their contact info to entry your e book. That is how one can convert your guests into enterprise leads that your gross sales group can in the end observe up with.
As an example, you went by this touchdown web page to entry this e book template.
In case you’re nonetheless undecided find out how to get began, obtain this free e book to study extra about optimizing your touchdown pages for conversion.
11. Promote your e book and observe its success.
As soon as your touchdown web page is all set, you need to use that vacation spot URL to advertise your e book throughout your advertising and marketing channels. Listed below are 5 methods you are able to do this:
- Promote your new e book in your web site. For instance, function a CTA or hyperlink to your provide’s touchdown web page in your assets web page and even your homepage.
- Promote your e book by your weblog. As an example, take into account publishing an excerpt of your e book as a weblog publish. Or write a separate weblog article on the identical matter as your e book, and hyperlink to it on the finish of your publish utilizing a call-to-action to encourage readers to continue learning. (Notice: This very weblog publish is the proper instance of find out how to promote an give you created with a weblog publish.)
- Ship a segmented e mail to contacts who’ve indicated an curiosity in receiving presents out of your firm.
- Leverage paid promoting and co-marketing partnerships that may enable you to promote your e book to a brand new viewers.
- Publish posts to social media with a hyperlink to your e book. It’s also possible to enhance social shares by creating social media share buttons inside your e book, comparable to those on the backside proper of this e book.
After your content material is launched and promoted throughout your advertising and marketing channels, you’ll additionally need advertising and marketing analytics to measure your reside product’s success.
As an example, you must have touchdown web page analytics that provides you perception into how many individuals downloaded your e book and transformed into leads and closed-loop analytics that present what number of of these individuals in the end transformed into alternatives and clients for your online business.
And with that, we have constructed an e book, of us! You may try the packaged model of the instance I constructed right here:
After your content material is launched and promoted throughout your advertising and marketing channels, you’ll have to have advertising and marketing analytics to measure your ebooks’ success. As an example, have touchdown web page analytics that provides you perception into how many individuals downloaded your e book or present what number of of these downloaders transformed into alternatives and clients for your online business.
E-book Concepts
So, what do you have to write about in your e book? I am going to reply that query with one other query: What would you like your readers to get out of this e book? To determine an e book concept that fits your viewers, take into account the kind of e book you are attempting to create. Listed below are a couple of concepts.
New Analysis
Conducting an experiment or enterprise survey? This can be a nice method to develop proprietary information and change into a thought chief in your trade. However how will you share your findings with the individuals who care about it? Create an e book that describes the experiment, what you supposed to seek out out, the outcomes of the experiment, and what these findings imply on your readers and the market at giant.
Case Examine
Folks love success tales, particularly if these persons are on the fence about buying one thing from you. When you have a shopper whose enterprise you are significantly proud to have, why not inform their story in an e book?
E-book case research present your consumers that different individuals belief you and have benefited out of your services or products. In your e book, describe what your shopper’s problem was, the way you related with them, and the way you had been capable of assist your shopper clear up their problem and change into profitable.
Product Demo
The extra complicated your product is, the extra info your clients might want to use it appropriately. In case your services or products has many use instances or it is laborious to arrange alone, dedicate a short e book to displaying individuals find out how to take advantage of out of it.
As an example, within the first part of your e book, you possibly can clarify find out how to launch your services or products. The second part can break down the person options and functions your product is finest used for.
Interview
Are you curious about interviewing a widely known individual in your market? Maybe you’ve got already sat down with an influencer to select their mind concerning the trade’s future. Package deal this interview into an e book, making it straightforward on your clients to learn and share your inside scoop.
Playbook
A “playbook” is a doc individuals can use when taking over a brand new undertaking or idea that’s international to them. Consider it like a cheat sheet, stuffed with ideas and methods that assist your clients get higher at what they do.
When completed proper, a playbook equips your clients with the knowledge they would wish to excel when utilizing your product. For instance, a software program vendor for IT professionals may create a “virus safety playbook” that makes help groups higher at stopping viruses for his or her respective corporations.
Weblog Put up Sequence
Generally, the most effective e book for your online business is already strewn throughout a collection of weblog posts. In case you’ve spent the final month writing articles all on the identical topic for your online business, think about how these posts would look stitched collectively?
Every article can start a brand new chapter. Then, as soon as this e book is created, you possibly can put it up for sale on a touchdown web page, hyperlink to this touchdown web page from every weblog publish, and generate leads from readers who wish to obtain the whole weblog collection in a single handy e book.
E-book FAQs
Are ebooks worthwhile?
Sure, they are often.
Ebooks are high-volume, low-sales-price presents. This implies you’ll have to promote a lot of them at a comparatively low value level to compete available in the market and switch a big revenue. Relying in your trade, ebooks can vary from free to greater than $100.
Earlier than setting a value on your e book, perform a little research. Decide who your viewers is, what they’re prepared to pay, and the way many individuals inside your goal market is likely to be prepared to purchase it. Then, decide the platforms you’ll promote your e book by. Amazon? Apple Books? Your web site? You may analysis how a lot ebooks often go for on these websites and incorporate this perception into your pricing technique.
How is an e book structured?
There is no set rule for organizing your content material into an e book. It usually mimics the construction of a novel or textbook (relying on what it’s you are writing about). However, you must make sure you adhere to some points of an e book.
Ebooks sometimes have a system of chapters and supporting pictures. Like a weblog publish, additionally they do effectively when additional segmenting their textual content with subheaders that break down the dialogue into particular sections. In case you’re writing about skilled sports activities, for instance, and considered one of your chapters is about Main League Baseball (MLB) within the U.S., you may wish to set up subchapters concerning the numerous groups belonging to the MLB.
What can an e book be about?
Something. Nicely, inside purpose.
Ebooks are merely a marketer’s method of delivering numerous vital info in a kind their potential clients are most prepared to learn.
For instance, an environmental firm may write an e book about water conservation. They could additionally focus an e book completely on utilizing their water-saving product or the way it helped a buyer clear up an issue.
Analysis is a big a part of e book creation, irrespective of your e book’s matter. Opposite to short-form content material like articles and movies, the content material of an e book is based on belief and proof. A consumer who obtains (or requests entry to) your e book desires the total story, not simply the bullet factors. That features all of the content material and testing you went by to supply the e book.
Are you able to edit an e book?
Nope.
An e book cannot be edited as soon as it has been saved in one of many main file codecs, so it is best to make sure you have an editable model saved in a program like Microsoft Phrase.
However why would you need your e book to be uneditable? Making ebooks uneditable ensures the content material stays unchanged — each the format and the knowledge — because it’s shared between a number of customers.
You may edit ebooks in the event that they’re saved utilizing an editable PDF, a function that’s particular to Adobe Acrobat — the founding program of the PDF file sort. Discover ways to edit PDFs in this weblog publish.
How do you learn an e book?
You may learn an e book on many alternative units: iPhone, Android smartphones, a Macbook, PC, and e-readers such because the Nook and Kindle. The latter two units are sometimes used to learn novels in digital kind. Nook and Kindle homeowners can retailer 1000’s of books (actually) on a single Nook or Kindle.
Share Your Experience in an E-book
Ebooks are one of many prime changing lead magnets a enterprise can provide to its viewers. Creating an e book is all about delivering excessive worth at a low value level to generate a excessive gross sales quantity.
Ebooks work effectively for brand new companies on the lookout for model consciousness and established corporations securing a spot as an trade thought chief.
As long as you and your group have outlined what success seems like on your e book launch, you’ll reap the rewards of this stand-alone asset for months — and even years — to return. So get began in your e book utilizing the free template accessible within the provide under.
Editor’s notice: This publish was initially revealed in November 2018 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
