Don’t Write An Ebook Until You’ve Read This
November 30, 2008
If you’re planning to write an ebook, there’s something you should know before you begin. Otherwise, you may never finish your ebook and something that could have made you a decent amount of cash, will remain in your head, instead of in an ebook.
You see, I’ve written short information products in the past, but not a full length ebook. And I had an ebook inside me that was screaming to get out, so as I’d already reviewed the 7 Day Ebook, I decided to use it to help me write my own ebook.
Now, I just want to point out that I’m not attempting to write an ebook in 7 days. I’m sure it’s possible, if you want to work on your ebook full-time but I have too many things on the go and not enough hours to get them done. So I just want to write an ebook as quickly as possible, in the limited time I have.
And the 7 Day Ebook is a great guide but there’s one piece of advice in there that caused me to hit a huge stumbling block. You see, the 7 Day Ebook advises you to write the sales page, before you even begin your book. It says that doing this will get you excited and enthusiastic about writing the actual ebook.
It’s a big fat lie. If you’re like me and you suck at copywriting, it’s more likely to leave you feeling incompetent, drained and totally pissed off. The technique just doesn’t work, unless you’re a brilliant copywriter, who writes that kind of stuff on a regular basis.
Well, I don’t write sales copy often. And when I do, I have to keep a copywriting book open beside me. There’s heaps of great copywriting books available but I use Steal These Secrets the most. It’s not the cheapest option but it’s good. And I prefer using something that I can access on my computer, rather than having to leaf through a huge book to find what I need.
But a sales page isn’t something you can bang together in 30 minutes - and you shouldn’t try, if you want to make sales. And if you struggle with copywriting, as much as I do, you’d be far better off writing a rough version of your sales page, before writing your ebook. You can go back and write the sales page properly when you’ve finished the ebook, so you can give it the attention it deserves.
Aside from that one small point, I’m still finding the 7 Day Ebook really useful and I’m getting on far faster than I would have done without it. But you do need to realise that you will only complete your ebook in 7 Days, if you’re working at it flat out.
Have you written an ebook before? Do you have any great advice to share? Or have you considered writing an ebook? What’s stopping you from getting started?
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23 Responses to “Don’t Write An Ebook Until You’ve Read This”
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As someone who writes for a living, full time, seven days a week, and with a few ebooks and print books under my belt, I can honestly say that…
I shouldn’t even touch this topic, because I’ll probably get all bent out of shape about ebooks that promise you can write an ebook in seven days. Can you? Sure. Quality? No. No bloody way in hell.
I’m glad you’re not attempting to try for seven days, Cath. You’re better than that.
James Chartrand - Men with Pens’s last blog post..Drive-by-Shooting Sundays: The Antisocial Social Worker
I haven’t written an ebook and I have no desire to write one.
I’m looking forward to your ebook, Cath.
Vered - MomGrind’s last blog post..Worst. Mom. Ever.
Um, I think it’s a personality thing. Some people just have no problem cranking out copies in no time. These people are either really good at writing copies, or totally unaware of how bad they are. Either way, it’s an encouraging thing to do, and it also outlines what should go into the book. So I’d say it works for some but not the others.
Kelvin Kao’s last blog post..Happy Thanksgiving!
You’re absolutely right, Cath - and you shouldn’t rush it. The 7 Day Ebook is a great book and has some very insightful marketing tips, but I agree with James, 7 days is pushing it.
You know, one of the big marketing mistakes people often make is not outsourcing things they should. If you’re not great at copywriting, you might want to consider writing your rough draft of a sales copy, write your Ebook, and then get a copywriter to pretty it all up in the copy.
John Hoff - eVentureBiz’s last blog post..My Favorite Kind Of Website Statistic To Have Is . . .
I love writing, but there’s no way I’d attempt an ebook in 7 days - and I’m with you about not writing the sales copy first.
Actually, I’m well aware that copywriting is my weakest type of writing, so I hire that out. Once I acknowledged that, the writer’s block I’d been experiencing disappeared and stopped procrastinating about my writing.
Alex Fayle | Someday SyndromeI’s last blog post..Gimme a Break!
Hi James - Thanks. Seven days would be tough for me. I’d struggle to edit it without leaving it a few days. The book is getting me organised to actually get it done more than anything. Last time I tried one, I got to 25,000 words and decided I hated it.
Hi Vered - I guesses ebook writing wouldn’t be your thing. Thank you.
Hi Kelvin - That’s a good point. I guess it helps to get the outline down. But as you say, some folk would do that, not realise how bad it was and not even bother to edit it.
Hi John - I quite enjoy copywriting. But, I’m not naturally good at it - I’ve really got to work at it and keep looking things up. And I think the pressure to write it quickly really got to me. If the book wasn’t selling well, I’d probably get someone else to do it for me though.
Hi Alex - as soon as I read that, I went back to look at your course sales page. It’s a whole heap better now. Folk can read through it fairly quickly and see exactly how your course is going to help them.
So that was what was causing your writers block. I can understand that. If I have something I really want to do and can’t get it done, it stops me from doing the things I enjoy doing too.
Cath Lawson’s last blog post..Don’t Write An Ebook Until You’ve Read This
Hi Cath. I do plan on writing an ebook! I can’t wait, as a matter of fact. I’ve set a deadline for Valentine’s Day and the idea is still marinating. I just spent the last 24 hours launching a website for an additional service that I offer. Still waiting for the domain name to be redirected and then it will link to my current blog. Now that it’s out of the way, I’m freed up for… well… more work.
Regarding the challenge you are having with writing your sales page; I don’t believe that we all fit into one mold. Perhaps you need to map out your ebook and just start into it, keeping the sales page in mind. Then after say, 1/4 or 2/3 of the way in you’ll be ready to pop out the sales page and it will launch you the rest of the way through.
As you know, I pulled an all-nighter to write my current sales page. I’d be happy to offer you any suggestions on yours if you like.
Davina’s last blog post..When Fear Closes In, Take Action
Hi Davina - another website is a big challenge. Is there no way you could have the new service on your existing site, or would it not work out?
That may be a good idea waiting until I’m part-way through. I’ll probably be tired of working on the book by then, so it will give me a break.
I’ll show you it when I’m done and you can tell me what you think.
I agree there is a lot to be said for not having to leaf through a big book when you have the comfort of your computer right at your fingertips.
Though I am not (at this stage anyway,) planning on writing an Ebook I find I am certainly learning new internet stuff every day, like a Sales Page and my brain will file this away for possible future use. Thanks.
Jannie’s last blog post..And some SEO in a pear tree
I’ve written over 25 ebooks and indeed, several of them have been in less than 7 days - http://tinyurl.com/6ad5c4 was written in 48 hours. I think I slept perhaps 4 hours during each of those two days - I had entered a state of Zen in which everything simply flowed out of my mind into Word and gave birth to that particular ebook.
True, that doesn’t happen very often.
Remember also - not everyone buys ebooks for their page length. Some people want their answers quick, pithy and to the point and are willing to pay for the time you save them. There’s all sorts of markets for all sorts of different ebooks online.
And regarding the sales page, I HATE WRITING SALES COPY! I utterly despise and loathe and think many icky things about sales copy. It’s the very last thing I write because I hate writing it so much!! I’d prefer to hunt down and battle the dreaded Single Sock Monster that lives in my dryer for 8 hours straight rather than write copy.
But I digress.
Writing ebooks, for me, is an extremely simple thing….it’s the marketing and sales followup that’s another word for angsting hero’s journeys. And of course, YMMV indeed.
Data points, Barbara
Barbara Ling, Virtual Coach’s last blog post..Free way of Updating your location via your iPhone - Great apps !
Cath, Don’t sell yourself short as a copywriter. You’ve got a unique voice and that’s a big plus. I’ve never written an e-book, but probably will in 2009, so thanks for the heads up. BTW, I do write lots of sales copy for new media and traditional media, so if you or any of your readers want a little help, I’d be happy to discuss.
Brad Shorr’s last blog post..Interruption Marketing that Works!
I can’t even get my laundry put away in 7 days
I would like to write an ebook but I actually don’t have an idea for one - lol I guess I would need a topic first.
I’m not very good at copywriting. A barter for that service - I take care of the technical stuff on a website and she writes copy for me. So far, it’s worked out really well.
Kim Woodbridge’s last blog post..How to Exclude a Category From the Sidebar List in WordPress
Hi Jannie - I do have some big books on copywriting too, but they’re huge. I hope you’ll find this useful in the future. I think you should enter some of your poetry in competitions by the way.
Hi Barbara - That is a huge amount of ebooks. I know what you mean about length though. The shorter info products I’ve written were short but useful. If you can save folk hundreds of pounds - they don’t care how long the book is.
I know you don’t like sales pages. I remember you pulling one to bits in a blog post once, showing folk how they were being manipulated. I thought you did a really good job of it.
Don’t mention the sock monster though - I hate the sock monster too. And why does everyone have to wear the same colour socks? It’s a nuisance.
Hi Brad - Thank you. I guess I was exaggerating a little - but it’s probably cos I keep comparing my own stuff, to the work of amazing copywriters.
One thing I hate about writing sales copy, is that it teaches you bad habits in other writing. I’m always beginning sentences with things like “And” and “So” and stuff and I probably shouldn’t.
Thanks for the offer Brad. I would be grateful if you could take a look at the page after it’s done.
Hi Kim - I guess you could write about technical stuff like Wordpress. Bartering is a great idea. Lillie Ammann wrote about some of the bartering websites a little while ago - I didn’t even know they existed.
I’m in the midst of writing one right now. It’s my third attempt at completing one. My own harsh self-judgment is what has always stopped me previously. This time around I’m following through well.
The difference is the market found me and screamed out at the need for this topic. So I’m pumped to deliver it. 7 days no way! But I am on a 30 day schedule and excited.
Cath - I agree with Brad. Just don’t make your sales page icky. Make it authentically you and ask them to buy. Your voice is unique and strong. Lots of us no longer buy into the expertly written long sales letter. A much higher value is placed on authenticity now.
Tom Volkar/ Delightful Work’s last blog post..An Authentic Approach to Making More Money
Hi Tom - 30 days is a really good target. Those novel writing lot did it, so why can’t we.
I just hope it wasn’t the same market screaming at you, as I had screaming at me. That would be a real nightmare to discover that we’d both written about the same thing. Mind you, I know we’d both approach the subject differently anyway.
Thanks for the compliments on my voice. I hear what you mean about sales pages. folk are tired of all the yellow highlighting etc. I’ve noticed a lot of the better sales pages now aren’t like that, which is good.
Hey Cath,
Good luck on your e-book! I have never written one, and have never read one that was worth reading, hence I stopped reading ebooks altogether. Yours will deftinitely be an exception!
Good hearing from you. All the best.
Rita
Rita’s last blog post..To The Religious Right?
Cath,
Sorry - the blog entry listed is CLEARLY not mine! It still is connected to my email.
Rita
Rita’s last blog post..To The Religious Right?
Hi Rita - Thanks. I’ve seen some badly written ebooks too. But there’s still some good ones - like the one Liz Strauss brought out earlier this year.
As you say though, once you’ve read a few bad ones, it does put you off trying more.
I think it’s automatically bringing up your old website when you put in your email.
Hi Cath; I want to put a free book on my site that people can download when they subscribe to make my blog stickier. When I’m ready to get started I think I’ll come back here and get this e-book ($29 is a reasonable price).
Marelisa’s last blog post..Creative Thinking Techniques: The “Playful” Edition
Hi again Cath. Too late; I smiled when I read your comment, cause the website was already done when I left my earlier comment. it’s now linked to my current blog, alive and well.
I look forward to seeing your ebook.
Davina’s last blog post..When Fear Closes In, Take Action
wow what a big project, but a good one. I am working a writing a book, I don’t know if it will be an ebook so I am watching your efforts and progress intently and with future decisions in mind.
You are brave to go before and show the way! Thank you
Patricia’s last blog post..Chug, Chug, Toot, Toot
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