How to Create & Market a Fiction eBook

Publishing an e-book allows you to sell and promote your fictional books.

Over the next year, 23 percent of adults are expected to read an e-book, according to Anthologies Online. With the increase in popularity of e-readers and e-books, some fiction writers are choosing to self-publish e-books instead of publishing in print. To create a well-written fictional e-book, you must develop an interesting story that will hold the attention of your readers. Once you have written an e-book that you feel will be successful, you need to market your book to attract readers. Without marketing, few people will be able to find your book on their own, reducing your sales, even if you have created best-seller material.

Instructions

1. Brainstorm possibilities for your fiction story. Determine the setting, main characters and basic storyline for your e-book.

2. Create a rough outline for your story. The outline should be flexible, but give you an idea of the direction in which your story will go. Planning your story out ahead of time makes the writing process go more smoothly.

3. Write at least a few pages of your book every day. Even if you end up changing it later, it is best to keep yourself moving forward. Avoid going back and editing each page or chapter as you write. Save the editing for later.

4. Keep track of your characters and their personalities to keep your story running smoothly. Give your readers insight into the personality of your characters through your writing.

5. Edit your book yourself after you have allowed it to sit untouched for at least a week. This waiting period separates yourself from what you have written and allows you to edit from a more impartial standpoint. Don't forget to use your software's spelling and grammar checkers.

6. Allow other writers to read and critique your work. You may also want to submit your writing to a writer's workshop for impartial critique. Other writers make good editors because they are familiar with what readers want and what a writer should do.

7. Read the story out loud to identify any mistakes that may have been missed by you or the other writers. Another helpful trick is to read your story backward. This method can help you identify spelling errors your eye automatically corrects when you read forward.

8. Publish your story into an e-book format. The most universal format is the ePub format, though you may also choose the Kindle format.

9. Offer your book at low prices when you first publish the e-book. While you won't make as much money at first, you will gain a following of readers who can provide you with reviews. Once you have a few good reviews, you can raise your prices. Other readers will read the reviews and are more likely to purchase your book.

10. Provide free copies of your e-book to family and friends. If they enjoy your book, they may recommend it to their friends and family, thus increasing your exposure.

11. Post links to your e-book on forums, your website, blogs and other websites that allow you to comment or post links. Barter with other website owners to include your link on their websites in exchange for posting their links on yours.

Tips & Warnings

• Force yourself to write, even if you are experiencing writer's block. Write anything that comes into your head to get your creative juices flowing and then return to working on your book.

• Keep your story believable so your readers can connect with your characters and relate to the events that occur in the book.

References

• Advanced Fiction Writing: Crowdsourcing the Fiction E-book Market
• Fiction Factor: When to Submit: Are You Ready?
• Fiction Factor: Becoming a Writer -- A Practical Guide