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6 Steps for Planning Your Ebook

The hardest part of writing an ebook is starting. When you think about writing a ebook for the first time, it may seem like an impossible task. That's why you have to break it down into manageable parts. Consider climbing a mountain. The only way to accomplish such an awesome task is to do it step by step. Think of writing your ebook in the same way. You must create it step by step until one day you take that last step and find yourself with a completed ebook.

If you actually were planning to climb a mountain, you would start by organizing your climbing gear. As a writer, you must start by organizing your thoughts. The time you spend organizing isn't wasted time. It will save you time when you actually start to write, and, more importantly, it will improve the quality of the final product. You should complete the following six steps before you write the first sentence of your ebook.

First, write out a thesis statement. Your thesis statement is a sentence or two stating exactly what problem you are addressing and how your book will solve that problem. Your thesis statement will keep you focused while you write your ebook. All chapters must develop your thesis statement. If they don't, they don't belong in your book. For example, your thesis statement could read: We've all experienced insomnia at times in our lives, but there are twenty proven techniques and methods to give you back a good night's sleep. Once you've got your thesis statement fine-tuned, you've built your foundation. From that foundation, your book will grow, chapter by chapter.

Your second step is to define your target audience. What group of people would be interested in the topic of your ebook? Figure out the age range of your readers, their general gender, what they are most interested in, and even what socio-economic group they primarily come from. The more you can pin down your target audience, the easier it will be to write your book for them. Your target audience will dictate many elements of your book, such as content, style, and even length.

Next, list the reasons you are writing your ebook. Do you want to promote your business? Do you want to bring quality traffic to your website? Do you want to enhance your reputation as an expert?

Then write down your goals in terms of publishing. Do you want to sell your ebook as a product on your website? Do you want to offer it as a free gift for filling out a survey or for ordering a product? Do you want to use the chapters to create an e-course, or use your ebook to attract affiliates around the world? The clearer your purpose, the easier it is to focus your ebook on achieving it..

Next, decide on the format of your chapters. You need to consider your target audience, your reasons for writing your ebook, and your publishing goals when doing this. You could plan to use an introduction to your chapter topic, and then divide it into four subhead topics, or you could plan to divide your ebook into five parts, each one beginning with a relevant anecdote. Whatever format you decide to use, keep it fairly consistent from chapter to chapter.

Finally, decide on your ebook's title. The title is your ebook's introduction to prospective readers. It must catch their attention and make them want to read more. Jot down a few different titles until you find one that sounds just right. Aim for clarity in your titles, but cleverness always helps to sell books. For example: "Remedies for Insomnia: 20 Different Ways to Count Sheep," or "Get off That Couch: 15 Exercise Plans to Whip You into Shape.