Three Steps to Write a How-To EBook
There’s a reason that many of the best-selling books today are how-to books. We all want to learn more – about our relationships, self-health and growth, dieting, crafts, computers, cars … the list goes on. If you have a passion for a topic, I can guarantee there are other people out there who feel the same way. And they are willing to pay to learn what you know, if you can get the courage to share it with them.
Lucky for us, the Internet has made getting that courage a little bit easier. With the Internet, we can sell e-books that cost a lot less to create, to purchase, and don’t involve the constant fear of rejection. Even better? How-to ebooks sell like crazy. Customers are willing to take a chance because they’re not shelling out a huge amount of cash.
Writing your How to book is pretty easy, too. All that you have to do is break it down into the steps it takes to make, and work on each step … one at a time.
Step One: Subject Matter
I began my first how-to book as a celebration gift for some of my friends. It was intended to be a simple collection of herbal recipes for cosmetics – things that my herb loving friends could make for their family and sell at the fairs they often haunt. As I started putting the pieces together, though, I was surprised to find that the information I was happy to share was virtually unknown to my friends, who urged me to offer it to other people as well.
The problem was that I didn’t want to find a publisher. My entire concept was supposed to be easy, stress-free, and just-for-me (and my friends).
What I ended up with was a Print-On-Demand publisher and an ebook. My little idea has sold handsomely in POD sales, and it gave me the courage to try a few other books. Maybe that’s the real key to writing ebooks … they give you the opportunity to take a chance.
So, what I’m trying to get to is the idea of subject matter. I can guarantee that there are plenty of subjects that you take for granted, probably think that most people who would be interested in your hobby would already know. What you have to keep in mind is that we all start somewhere, and your interpretation of key points in your particular hobby are – without a doubt – quite different than the interpretation other authors have made.
If you’re still stuck on subject ideas, take a look at the online bookstores like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Do a simple search on their site for “How To” and browse the digital aisles … there are successful how-to books on every subject known to man.
Another place to look for ideas is the non-fiction bestseller lists. These lists will show you the best selling books in the how-to genre:
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/new-for-you/top-sellers/-/books/
www.nytimes.com/pages/books/bestseller/index.html
www.barnesandnoble.com/gateway/bestsellers.asp
Step Two: Research and Outline
Some people would stress that this step should be in two parts, but I place it in one for a very important reason: as you do research, your outline will change.
Start out by jotting down your ideas, creating a simple Table of Contents that isn’t set in stone. You might want to reference the Table of Contents in a couple of how-to or instructional books you have at home – these can give you ideas of topics to cover within your subject, and how to lay out the chapters.
As you start your outline, do some research. The research will help further shape and refine your outline, making a book that is complete and extremely valuable. Try keeping a separate document that works as a bibliography – facts and figures are important, even if you have a doctorate degree in the subject you’re writing on. You want your readers to know they can trust your opinion or guidance because you’re not the only expert who has come to the same conclusions. A really great thing about your bibliography is that when you include it in your ebook, the links become active for your readers. This lets them click right onto the sites you reference, which gives a sense of confidence and also makes fore more satisfied readers.
When you get started, you’ll wonder how “big” your outline should be. Believe me, though, there’s no need to stress on it. As you do your research and put your outline together, you’ll know exactly how big it should be – it will be complete, and you’ll know when it happens.
Step Three: Write Your Book
Earlier I said that one of the great things about writing an ebook is that it frees you to take chances. A great thing about writing how-to books is that you can start wherever you feel like starting, every day that you sit down to write. After all, you’ve already outlined the chapters … you don’t have to worry about a plot or seeing to it that your characters grow through a story. You’re not stuck writing from start to finish – so don’t, if you don’t feel like it.
When you first sit down to write on your how-to book, start with the easiest chapter to create from your outline. Since you’re passing on knowledge you already know, your job is much easier … you just have to get the words out. When you start to panic thinking that some of your information might become dated within the next few months … don’t. This is our final, beautiful thing about ebooks: you can update and edit an ebook with the click of a mouse.
So, there you have it. Three steps to writing your first how-to book – and believe me, you can do it. Some successful ebook authors can create an entire book in a week. Others spend more time on each word they pen, and it can take up to a year. What matters is that you just get started, and share the information you know.
