Whether you’re a bookworm, casual reader, or someone with access to the internet, you’re likely to be familiar with eBooks. This electronic version of print books has become increasingly popular, and understandably so!

Search them in seconds to read on your smartphone, tablet, or laptop right from the comfort of your home.

The number of eBook readers worldwide has progressively increased, from 1.02 million in 2021 to 1.08 million in 2022, and the number is expected to reach 1.12 million in 2023. These promising prospects of eBooks have led multiple authors and businesses to write eBooks as part of their marketing efforts.

After all, eBooks help you cement yourself as an industry authority, reach your target audience, and generate leads! So, why not?

While blog posts and articles are a great side hustle and content generation scheme, their effects are relatively short-lived.

The feeling of having an eBook published in your name is something else altogether.

But is it so easy?

Before you hastily put pen to paper, it is important to understand how to write an eBook that sells. Otherwise, your efforts will be lost in a slurry of hundreds of eBooks that fail to make a mark.

While eBook readership cannot be denied, you must know the art of eBook writing.

What Is eBook Writing?

eBook writing is an art.

Most people think there is hardly any difference between print and eBook writing. That’s the first mistake you can make.

By virtue of the fact that eBooks have a digital presence, you must bear in mind that the aim is to engage the new-age reader who already has a very low attention span. To combat this problem, you should write every word from a marketing perspective after identifying your target audience.

The internet has a wealth of information (and options). If you don’t provide what the target audience is looking for, they simply won’t pay to unlock the entire eBook and resume their search for what they need.

Knowing how to create an eBook requires you to nail not just the writing but the formatting, cover, and design as well.

Common eBook Writing Mistakes to Avoid

Your eBook can end up becoming a gold mine or leave you with nothing but a pile of dirt.

The latter is a devastating thought! You invest so much time, money, and energy into creating content, and what if it doesn’t appeal to the audience?

Most often, it’s not what you do right but what you do wrong that dictates the fate of your eBook!

Too many eBooks have failed to make the cut to leave us with a complete guide of what not to do when writing your first eBook.

Here is a list of seven common errors beginners make when writing an eBook.

1. Writing On Trending Topics With No Knowledge

how to write an ebook

Ever heard of peer pressure?

That’s exactly what most first-time eBook writers fall prey to. You’re new to eBook writing, so you’ll automatically consult people who seemingly know something about it. One counterproductive piece of advice you’ll get is to write on a hot-selling topic.

That’s a crucial mistake, and we’ll tell you why.

When you’re wondering about how to sell an eBook on Amazon, someone will come along and say, why don’t you pick a topic from Amazon’s Kindle Store’s popular categories?

The answer is simple.

For one, you may not know much about that particular topic, and this lack of expertise will seep into your text. The reader will immediately catch on to your ignorance of the subject, which is hardly a good look.

Secondly, and more importantly, even the most popular hot-selling topics are fleeting in the digital world. Instead of spending hours researching a topic that lies outside your knowledge, creating a long-form eBook, and competing with several other, arguably more well-crafted eBooks on the same subject, you might as well write about something you’re familiar with.

If you really want to jump on the bandwagon, you can create blogs on trending topics and reserve the tedious task of eBook writing to subjects you’re passionate about to have a greater impact.

2. Going With the Flow

Some people like going with the flow, but it’s not wise to adopt this strategy when writing an eBook.

Most beginners make the rookie mistake of writing an eBook with no outline. No matter how organized the thoughts appear in your head, there is little to no chance you could lay them out neatly on paper.

When you research ‘how to write an eBook,’ you’ll see planning as one of the first steps. Directionless writing will result in repetition, disarray, and fluff, the enemies of eloquent writing.

The only way to counteract this is to create a table of contents with subheadings and a rough sketch of the content to be added to each chapter.

When you draft an outline, always remember to keep the goal of your eBook in mind. Most often, this is to provide a solution to the reader. Going by that, your eBook should ideally do the following:

  1. Present a problem
  2. Provide a solution
  3. Discreetly link back to your website, blog, etc.

Of course, this is just a general outline that can be mixed up and changed according to the topic of your eBook and its ultimate goal.

But no matter the genre, plan, not just in your head but on paper. This way, you’ll solve the biggest impediments to great eBook writing out of the way:

  • Will the reader gain any value from reading this eBook?
  • Does the content flow well?
  • Have I covered all the important aspects of the topic?
  • Is there any repetition?
  • Are the chapters in order?

If you tick all the boxes above, you’ve done the first part of setting your eBook up for success.

Don’t Know How to Create an eBook? We Can Help!

Writing eBooks is time-consuming and research-intensive, requiring proper content division among chapters. Don’t know where to begin? Hire a professional eBook writing service that will create an eBook from scratch, tailored to your needs. We begin with a well-thought-out outline, and once you approve, we ensure your satisfaction till completion.

3. Paying No Attention to Formatting

ebook formatting

Most beginners reduce the task of eBook creation to writing. It is a lot more than that. Your writing can be A-grade, but if the formatting doesn’t match up, the audience wouldn’t even get down to reading it.

Unlike paperbacks, where people don’t have the time to skim through the book, digital readers have that choice. They will scan your eBook; if it seems readable, only then will they think about purchasing or downloading it.

New research shows that the average digital reader has a notoriously low attention span of 8 seconds! You have this much time to make the reader stay before they dump your eBook in their virtual trashcan.

How?

Evade the bane of textual monotony by intelligently placing and highlighting ‘snackable’ parts in the eBook that will create a feeling of FOMO (fear of missing out) in the reader’s mind.

Most eBook writers resort to long, endless blocks of text that might put off a reader. If you want your eBook to sell on Amazon, use a legible font, as curvy, exaggerated fonts will rarely appeal to the audience. Use clear and comprehensible font sizes, add bullet points where necessary, and make the eBook as scannable as possible.

Otherwise, it would be a pity to have a well-written eBook go to waste on account of poor formatting.

4. Taking Ideas From Competitors’ Work

If you’re writing an informational eBook, you must provide new and unique content. Some first-time eBook writers who lack prior experience might turn to competitors’ best-selling work to get ideas in order to mint the same results.

This practice can prove detrimental to your reputation as an author.

In an attempt to replicate a competitor’s winning strategies, you might end up copying their content or ideas. Not only would this count as plagiarism, a serious offense, but it will also denounce you in the eyes of the new-age reader, who is quick to spot the stark similarities.

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but not when it comes to eBook writing. Even if you end up using some of the same resources for research, you must put forth a fresh perspective that stimulates the reader.

Create content that readers won’t find elsewhere. After all, no one will read ten eBooks on the same subject. Either focus on an untapped niche or unveil a fresh perspective that makes your eBook worth a read. This way, you end up with free eBook marketing too.

Other writers and bloggers may link to your eBook, which will create backlinks, establish credibility, and drive organic traffic to your eBook.

5. Sounding Overly Promotional

An eBook can be a great addition to your business’s marketing strategy as long as you do it right. If that’s your aim, you must know how to write an eBook.

As an entrepreneur turned author, you run the risk of sounding overly salesy. You might get away with this in a marketing ad, but not in an entire eBook!

Your target market would purchase an eBook to enhance their knowledge on the subject. If you keep promoting your company or brand, you’ll lose credibility. A smarter way would be to present a fair evaluation of all possible options. It is then up to your research and skills of persuasion to subtly tilt the argument in your favor, i.e., how your product or service will tend to your target market’s pain points.

It is vital to adopt an informational tone without sounding overly promotional. At no point should the reader feel like you’re shoving your opinion down their throat.

6. Skimping on Proofreading

Proofreading is a crucial part of content creation. Beginners in eBook writing focus too much on creating content. By the time they reach completion, they don’t have the time or energy to proofread or edit the entire text.

Moreover, when you write and edit simultaneously, you break your writing rhythm and often fail to pinpoint any accidental oversight or grammatical errors. A mistake-riddled eBook gives off a very bad impression. If an eBook writer couldn’t be bothered to proofread their text, how much would you trust their research?

After you write your eBook, enlist the task of proofreading to professionals to remove any spelling, grammatical and formatting mistakes to ensure the eBook is ready for publishing.

7. Writing Just Like a Writer

how to write and publish an ebook

If you want your eBook to sell, you must not approach it just as a writer but as a publisher as well. Keep the goal of your eBook as the focal point from start to finish.

  • Do you want to make money? If yes, use real facts and figures to tempt the reader and add a sense of urgency to the eBook title to drive sales fast.
  • Do you want to promote your product/service? If yes, add a subtle call to action that will redirect the reader to your website.

Research industry-relevant keywords and organically embed them within the eBook. After all, this isn’t a paperback. Readers will reach your eBook through research and search engines. Therefore, you must SEO optimize your eBook to rank higher on organic search engines.

One way to amalgamate your writing and marketing skills while creating your eBook is to first write a sales pitch and then use that to drive your writing process.

How to Sell an eBook on Amazon?

If you want to ensure your eBook is the next bestseller on Amazon, hire expert eBook writing services. Content Development Pros offers ghostwritten eBooks with complete rights transferred to you. Our team of experienced writers conducts intensive research to ensure we create unique content that meets your goals and outdoes the competition. We ensure a fast turnaround with expertly written, proofread, and formatted eBooks that guarantee sales.