• By Yuwanda Black
• Published 12/7/2011
• Non-Fiction

Ebook publishing has become a hot and lucrative niche in writing. And, many who never considered themselves writers are jumping in and self-publishing their works. Retailers like Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords make it really easy to write an ebook, publish it yourself and start earning money. However, it does take work — it’s not an easy road to riches, as some would have you believe. With that being said, it’s not difficult either. Again, it just takes some work; some elbow grease. As a self-published author of over 40 ebooks, following are some ebook writing tips I use to turn out titles quickly — and start making sales almost right away. I. Write What You Know: Most of my ebooks are about my profession. I’ve been a freelance writer since 1993. I also owned and editorial staffing agency, where I interviewed and hired hundreds of freelancers. Hence, I know the editorial/freelancing industry from both sides of the desk — as an employer and employee. Many have specialized knowledge like this that they can make money selling ebooks by writing on. And, when you’re writing about topics you know intimately, there’s less research involved, which means you finish quicker. Ironically, one of the things I’ve learned as a self-publisher is that many want first-hand knowledge — which is what you’re imparting when you write based on your experiences.

II. Write, Don’t Edit: When you sit down to write an ebook, you should do just that — write. Don’t edit, proof, rewrite, etc. Just write. I call this doing a brain dump. Get all the information out of you first, then you can go back and edit. Usually,

you’ll have much more info than you think and you problem will be paring down, not having to write more. III. Time Block: When learning how to write an ebook — especially when you’re trying to do it quickly, you must, must, must put yourself on a schedule. I can write an ebook in two to five days. It all depends on the subject matter. The Breakdown: How I Timeblock My Days When I Write an Ebook The first two days are spent just writing. I set these days aside to do just this. Then, the third day might be editing and proofing, and the fourth day is used for formatting, creating the cover and uploading it to different outlets, ie, Amazon and my website. IV. Forget Perfection: When you’re trying to make money selling ebooks online, one thing you’re going to have to let go of is this idea of “perfection.” And I don’t mean perfection as in turn out a sloppy product (eg, grammar/spelling, etc.). I mean perfection as in, “It’s not ready yet; I need to do more editing, add more stats, rewrite that section, etc.” If you want to sell your ebook, you must get it in front of readers. And, that means putting together a good product that provides great value (eg, solves a problem for the reader), and moving on. This is no time to be Alice Walker or Ernest Hemingway. How to Start Getting Ebook Sales Fast Three keys: Price it fairly, create great ebook covers and market. Article marketing is one of my favorite methods. Conclusion: Writing and Selling Ebooks Online

As stated in the beginning of this article, ebook publishing (especially for self publishers) can be very lucrative. But, you must learn to think like a businessperson about it — and that means turning out new products quickly.

Yuwanda Black has published over 40 ebooks. Learn how to write an ebook in as little as 3 days and start getting sales within a week. “It can be done; I’m proof. I work from wherever there’s an internet connection and live part time in Jamaica (I’m American) – all because I have the portable lifestyle of being an ebook publisher (and a freelance writer),” says the author.

by Yuwanda Black