5 tips you need for writing a self published bestseller

So, you’ve been an avid bookworm since you were knee high to a grasshopper, and think you’ve got the chops to craft stories that people all over the world will love? Then maybe it’s time that you take the big plunge and start churning out a new novel!

Thanks to the advancement of technology, everyone who has a flare for the arts is able to share their creativity with the masses. Ages ago, people who were looking to write a book and make some money, had to submit their manuscripts to publishers and hope they would consider printing the book. Typically, this resulted in stacks of rejection letters tall enough to reach the peaks of Mount Everest. Those days are long gone.

The big “thing” now is eBooks! The next time you visit the local coffee shop, take a quick look around, and you’ll see everyone has something in their hand, and it’s not a Frappuccino. Just about every human being that breathes has a smart phone, tablet, or e-reader, tapping away furiously at the tiny touch screens with their fingers.

Most people are now using these devices to read the works of their favorite authors! The beautiful part is that these electronic books no longer require a big New York publishing house to print and publish the material! Instead, writers can now write about their passion, publish the material online, and market the book themselves!

If you’re ready to give this a whirl, then here are a few tips to help you get started!

What Type of Content to Write About

Now that you know you can publish your own work, you have to decide what you want your eBook to be about. Now there are a number of different ways to go about selecting the subject matter for your book. If you want to write fiction, you may already have a great idea for a novel, but if you don’t, do some research to see what type of stories is selling. Let’s face it, while everyone loves the idea of creating their very own story from scratch, if you want to do this for a living, you have to make money too!

Take a look at the New York Times Bestseller list and see what kind of stories people are laying down their cold, hard cash for! If kissy teen vampire stories are all the rage on the charts, consider taking that idea and putting your own fresh twist on it. Do the same type of research if you are writing non-fiction. If books on photography are selling like gangbusters, then perhaps you should create an ebook that will help someone develop their photography skills.

Aim For Quality, Not Quantity

Some writers are obsessed with their page count. If something they write ends up being less than a 1,000 pages and weighs less than a rhinoceros, the world might explode! If this is you, relax and take a deep breath. Don’t allow yourself to get caught up in the number of pages you create, but on the quality of the content you write. The book has to add some value to the reader’s life, whether that comes as entertainment, information, or both.

Many authors feel that their readers will feel ripped off or cheated if they pay for something that is short, which causes the writer to ramble and repeat themselves just to fill up pages. The attention span of the average adult in these days is shrinking back to the size of a gnat. People want information that is easy to digest and quick to get through. If your ebook is only 50 pages, but there is a lot of great value for the reader, they will feel satisfied with their purchase, and will likely buy new material once it is published.

Organize, Organize, Organize!

Before you actually start writing, it is a good idea to put together a detailed outline of the book. This will help you organize the information you plan to include, making it flow logically, which adds value. Take a sheet of paper and break your main subject matter into subsections that relate to the topic. Create a nifty title for each of these subsections, as these will be your chapters.

Once you have this ready, create more subsections related to the topic covered in each chapter. These subheadings help readers know when you are transitioning thoughts. It also provides a break for your audience, so they can stop there and continue reading the chapter at the beginning of a new line of thought, rather than in the middle of one.

Choose the Right Formatting

EBooks are written in a number of different formats, including PDF, Epub, and Mobi (this is used with the Kindle reader and app). Each of these formats have some pros and cons. PDFs are fairly common formats, but they aren’t the best type of file for reading on a tablet or smart phone. Most apps on phones and tablets allow you to adjust the font size and background of Mobi and Epub files. This makes reading the book a whole lot easier for individuals who need large print.

PDF files, however, can only be zoomed in, which means the reader is constantly readjusting the page to see all of the content. This can get old pretty quickly, and cause your audience to lose interest in finishing the book.

Finding the Right Online Publishing Platform

Once you have poured your heart, sweat, blood, and tears into your ebook, and the monster is finally complete, it’s time to publish! There are a lot of different publishing platforms out there, all attempting to land new indie authors. Some are great, a lot are not-so-great.

You want to make sure that the platform you choose will help automate the process of delivering your product to your customers, so you don’t have to waste your time (you can focus on marketing or starting the next book). Check to see how much commission they give for each sale. You want to use a platform that enables you to keep the largest sum of profit made from your sales.

Payhip will enable your readers to purchase and download your books, as well as sending a link to the book to their inbox. Payhip also allows readers to preview your book before buying, and you also get access to order and download history with analytics, allowing you to better track your business and make better marketing decisions.

If you believe you have what it takes to be a bestselling author, get started now!