Publishing E-Books For Dummies

Creating a Successful E-Book That Readers Will Love

Regardless of why you’re writing (or planning to write) an e-book, your success will be at least partially defined by the number of readers you draw. You need readers if you want to:

Make money

Build an online platform

Convey your message to a wide audience

A successful e-book isn’t necessarily one that makes a lot of money for its author — it’s one that is useful or enjoyable for a number of readers. To give your e-book a good chance of success, you should know your intended audience and then tailor your content and your writing style to them.

When you write fiction, you should be familiar with your chosen genre. Writers sometimes make the mistake of trying a genre that’s popular, such as crime or romance, without first reading enough books from that genre to have a good grasp of common conventions (and done-to-death plots). Pay attention to market trends, of course, but also choose a genre that you as a reader enjoy. You’ll produce a much better book, and you’ll be less likely to abandon it in frustration when you’re only halfway finished.

If you want to write nonfiction, focus (ideally) on a subject for which you already have ...