SEO Werkt!

The wonderful thing about the new world of publishing is that anyone can write, publish and start selling an eBook on Amazon Kindle.

The unfortunate thing about the new world of publishing is that anyone can write, publish and start selling an eBook on Amazon Kindle.

Sound too harsh? Maybe. But the fact is that in the DIY (Do It Yourself) world of nonfiction self-publishing, a successful author needs to be master of many trades: first, of course, the author needs to have a unique and provocative book idea and the writing and editing need to be excellent.

But just as important, the DIY author needs to understand what makes a great title, best practices in cover design for an eBook, best practices in formatting for conversion to .mobi and ePub file formats, eBook pricing strategies, how to most effectively market an eBook on your Amazon Kindle page with compelling descriptive copy and an author video, how to get readers to leave lots of reviews, how to market an eBook from your main website and/or a dedicated book site and more.

In short, how to launch an eBook with as much buzz and professionalism as if you had a team of editors, designers and technology experts helping you at every step.

Seems obvious, doesn't it? Most business authors have a business goal for their eBook: to get their message out to a wider audience, to enhance credibility as an expert, to leverage sales of other services and products – and to pull in some book sales along the way even if their book doesn't become a bestseller.

In order to accomplish these things, the author needs to publish the highest-quality, most professional eBook possible, right?

But those who publish a crappy eBook – on a timeworn sales or marketing topic with no provocative twist, that is poorly edited, has a cover that doesn't work as a thumbnail (or is unprofessional-looking) and uses hit or miss e-formatting so that it doesn't display properly on a Kindle, are not going to get the business result they're looking for. In fact, they will get the opposite result. Instead of looking more credible, they will look less credible as a “published author.”

If you get right down to it, they are part of a phenomenon that is being called eBook spam.

It's hard to tell whether this is happening because some DIY business authors are scrimping on budget and don't want to pay for additional editorial, design, formatting and marketing help. Or whether they are just being stubborn and clinging to the notion that “it's so easy to publish, I can do it myself.”

I'm puzzling over this. It reminds me a bit of blogging. Write something, anything, hit the button and publish. Now you're a blogger. But there are millions of blogs out there. Is yours well written? Does it have a unique view point, is it compelling or useful? Or does it just contribute to the blaa blaa blogosphere?

The bar for becoming a respected published author is higher. A book, whether it's e- or print, has much more gravitas than a blog. It is a durable “thing” – even if that thing is pixels on your Kindle or other e-reader. Being a respected published author used to mean that you had the imprimatur of a publishing house behind you. The big name publishers were first and foremost curators. They chose your book out of a mess of submissions. Then they used a team to turn your words into a beautifully designed object (if you had a good publisher).

Well, you don't need to be chosen by a New York publisher any more. But you do need to adhere to high standards of editing and design and packaging in order to earn the gravitas of being a published author.

We're betting it is. And there are one spot no spots left to pre-register for the next Beta Author Boost, starting in March 2012. Beta Author Boost is a unique writing workshop that enables up-and-coming business authors to write and publish a short, kick-ass eBook for Amazon Kindle in 8 weeks.

The first Beta Author Boost sold out in less than 12 hours. The program is currently in full swing with 10 subject matter experts working on a wide variety of book topics. We are having a blast.

Writing a book, even a short book, is hard. What if a drop-dead deadline propelled you to finish your book in 8 weeks? What if you had a professional editor (aka Debbie Weil) at your side to make your writing sizzle and to point you to all the help you need to create a first-rate, polished manuscript?

Why a Kindle eBook?

The cool thing about publishing a book for Amazon Kindle is that you can think of yourself as a beta author. Forget the word BOOK in all caps. When you write an eBook it can be as short as 30 pages.

Nobody can tell how long your book is when they look at the thumbnail cover on Amazon. Nor do they care. A sizzling title, an eye-catching cover, a compelling topic and the quality of the writing are what matter.

These are what establish your credibility as an author and lead to fanatic readers and book sales. And with the new $79 Kindle in every pocket and purse, a short book can be downloaded and read on almost every device, from smartphones to iPads.

If your goal is to get a short book out into the world – and start selling it as quickly as possible, you will love the Beta Author Boost workshop.

BONUS for those who pre-register for March 2012 Beta Author Boost

In order to kickstart your book project, you will receive inspiration, information about eBook publishing and at least one easy-to-complete writing assignment from me before the program officially begins on March 8, 2012. Click here for all the details and to lock in your spot now. and to be notified when registration opens in January 2012.

A mere five years ago, the idea of self-publishing a serious business book would have been laughable. Self-publishing was for losers, right? Self-publishing was a last resort after not being able to get a book contract from one of the Big Six publishers (Penguin, HarperCollins, Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette or Macmillan), or a business book publisher like Harvard Business Press.

Well, guess what. The book publishing – and reading – revolution is well under way. The idea that self-publishing is a last resort is dead. That notion is out of date. It misses the boat. Self-publishing may not be right for every prospective business author. It depends on your goals. But it is an extremely viable option to get your book – yes, a professionally edited and designed book – directly into readers’ hands.

I’ve been mulling over how to explain this in a way that is palatable to those who think a “real” book is one published by a “real” (aka legacy) publisher. I was one of those until quite recently, BTW. First, I’ll bludgeon you with an argument: self-publishing an ebook is now so easy and quick that it would be madness not to consider it. Write your book (the hardest part), get it edited, choose a catchy title, get an eye-catching cover designed, format the manuscript for Kindle (and the other e-readers, if you wish). Upload the file via Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing platform, set the price (you can always change it) – and you’re done. If your price is at least $2.99, you will keep 70% of each sale. And in case you missed it, Amazon announced three new Kindles today, along with the Kindle Flash, an iPad competitor, all priced under $200. In other words, you can potentially reach millions of readers with a self-published Kindle ebook.

OK, I realize that may not work for those who are not fired up by the next new thing. Here’s another argument for those who may be stuck in old-think. Let’s use an analogy: the only way to get a top notch education is to attend an Ivy League university. Hogwash. We all know that smart, motivated students can get a magnificent education at dozens, if not hundreds, of second and third tier colleges that are less well known. The one-size-fits-all approach – to education, to publishing, to jobs, to just about everything – doesn’t work any more. Seth Godin’s newest book, We Are All Weird, lays out this argument more eloquently and imaginatively than I can.

I’ve got a lot more to say about this topic but I’ll stop here for now. In the meantime, lob your questions, doubts, rebuttals or other concerns at me in the comments below. I’d love to hear and will do my best to answer each of you.

A mere five years ago, the idea of self-publishing a serious business book would have been laughable. Self-publishing was for losers, right? Self-publishing was a last resort after not being able to get a book contract from one of the Big Six publishers (Penguin, HarperCollins, Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette or Macmillan), or a business book publisher like Harvard Business Press.

Well, guess what. The book publishing – and reading – revolution is well under way. The idea that self-publishing is a last resort is dead. It’s out of date. It misses the boat. Self-publishing may not be right for every prospective business author. It depends on your goals. But it is an extremely viable option to get your book – yes, a professionally edited and designed book – directly into readers’ hands.

I’ve been mulling over how to explain this in a way that is palatable to those who think a "real" book is one published by a "real" (aka legacy) publisher. I was one of those until quite recently, BTW. First, I’ll bludgeon you with an argument: self-publishing an ebook is now so easy and quick that it would be madness not to consider it. Write your book (the hardest part), get it edited, choose a catchy title, get an eye-catching cover designed, format the manuscript for Kindle (and the other e-readers, if you wish). Upload the file via Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing platform, set the price (you can always change it) – and you’re done. If your price is at least $2.99, you will keep 70% of each sale. And in case you missed it, Amazon announced three new Kindles today, along with the Kindle Flash, an iPad competitor, all priced under $200. In other words, you can potentially reach millions of readers with a self-published Kindle ebook.

OK, I realize that may not work for those who are not fired up by the next new thing. Here’s another argument for those who may be stuck in old-think. Let’s use an analogy: the only way to get a top notch education is to attend an Ivy League university. Hogwash. We all know that smart, motivated students can get a magnificent education at dozens, if not hundreds, of second and third tier colleges that are less well known. The one-size-fits-all approach – to education, to publishing, to jobs, to just about everything – doesn’t work any more. Seth Godin’s newest book, We Are All Weird, lays out this argument more eloquently and imaginatively than I can.

I’ve got a lot more to say about this topic but I’ll stop here for now. In the meantime, lob your questions, doubts, rebuttals or other concerns at me in the comments below. I’d love to hear and will do my best to answer each of you.