|
|  |
| |
|
| | The The CopyWriters Connection Network is not currently active and cannot accept new posts | | What rules can you add to this list? | Views: 946 | | Mar 15, 2005 6:55 pm | | What rules can you add to this list? | # | 
Diane Carter | |
3 Rules to Authoring an EBook
Step One the Rough Draft
The rough is just where you do your "brain dump." Here is where you want to gather your ideas and write all the information you want to use to cover the topic. Don't worry about spelling or grammar - just write. Let the creative juices flow. By stopping to edit yourself now you’ll interrupt the creative flow and you can cause writers block. Don’t handicap yourself – just go full out and let your thoughts and material pour out. Use over sized index cards so that you can organize and reorganize your material in the next step.
Arrange and Edit
Here you will make sure you have the proper context and complete your material. Organize your information. Complete any needed research to fill in any blanks you find. Make sure your information is presented in a clear and understandable way for the reader. Have someone you trust read your manuscript to assure that the flow is as obvious to a reader as to you.
Manage Your Final Material
The final step edits. Check your spelling word for word - letter for letter. A writer tends to see and read what they want to see and read or what they expect to see and read. Editing your own work can be very difficult. Your eye and mind will read right over typos and grammatical errors so I suggest you have someone you trust check your spelling and grammar.
Know when to let go. A manuscript is a living organism and you can over edit, over read and convince yourself you can make it better. It is called perfectionism and it will kill a great manuscript and stop an author for publishing their work. That’s the burden of an artist – we know in our heart it can be better. I’ve seen writers make rewrites on a single sentence 10 and 15 time. Trust me – the rewrites didn’t justify the amount of lost time and sometimes it was better before it was ever touched. Write your manuscript to be as informative, as three-dimensional, easy to absorb and sam101.com will make sure it is as professional as possible and gives readers the biggest 3-Second WOW factor possible!
Mary McDonald (http://www.mcdcg.com) co-author, "Eliminating Speed Bumps to Maximize Peak Performance" epublishined by sam101.com added this to our 3 Rules:
"RULE FOUR - LET IT GO! When it's time to move on, it's time. Diane, as usual you are right on the money on this one, and I'm just chiming in with more emphasis!"
What rules would you add to the list?
Conclusion
Now, you have 3 rules to authoring an ebook! For a special report that shows you why and how to epublish your manuscript, Send an email to diane@sam101.com with subject line, "Special W&H Report." Visit http://www.sam101.com.
Copyright Diane Carter, 2004. All Rights Reserved
Diane Carter
Creative ePublishing Coach & CEO
Sam101.com
Private Reply to Diane Carter | | Mar 15, 2005 8:45 pm | | re: What rules can you add to this list? | # | 
Steven Boaze | | Hi Diane,
These are some excellent tips and thanks for
sharing them. Some of these are a basic ritual
to writing an offline version, without the
"electronic" tag. I have written 34 to date
on various topics and was wondering, what
software do you use or recommend to others
who wish to create their own Ebook?
again, excellent tips.
Steven BoazePrivate Reply to Steven Boaze | | Mar 23, 2005 4:51 am | | re: re: What rules can you add to this list? | # |
Diane Carter | | Steve,
There are a lot of ways for you to publish. It depends on your system and software.
I've been designing for 24 years so I use a lot of different programs when epublishing including (not limited too) InDesign, PageMaker, Photoshop, FreeHand, Illustrator – it all depends on the manuscript and its needs.
A lot of do-it-yourselfers use WORD. It would be better to pole individuals who publisher their own work. I’m sure they can lead you to the right software – heck with luck it could be on your computer right now.
On the other hand if you would like to focus on your strength – writing – and allow me to focus on my strength – epublishing – I would be honored to discuss it with you.
If you’ll PM with an offline email address I can send you a sample ebook.
Diane Carter
EPublisher
Sam101.com
Private Reply to Diane Carter | | Mar 23, 2005 6:39 pm | | re: re: What rules can you add to this list? | # | 
Laurie Ayers | | Steven,
There's been lots of studies/polls done about ebook formats. You'll find there is no RIGHT answer. A majority of the entrepreneurs and readers I work with all prefer .pdf over any other format (over .exe or .html or others).
Many people don't want to have to download additional files in order to read ebooks.
You can make some beautiful, professional looking ones in Word or Publisher or Adobe, or whatever you have an convert it to a .pdf very simply and free.
HTH,
Laurie
Where's YOUR E-book?
http://www.LaurieAyers.com Private Reply to Laurie Ayers | | Mar 23, 2005 9:17 pm | | re: What rules can you add to this list? | # |
Steven Boaze | | Thanks a bunch Laurie and Diane for the most
helpful tips and recommendations. I use several
methods of converting material into ebooks now.
I use Adobe pagemaker for my offline newsletters
and PDF's for all of my white papers and data
fact sheets.
My question, I guess was directed towards what
did everyone else use, instead of what's the
best for me to use. I am very familiar with all
ebook software and the programming involved.
I also helped with programming the flash for
DeskTop Author's ebook software and I use this
for flash presentations throughout my webinars
along with publisher from time to time.
Matter of fact, check out the new 2005 planner.
It's real simple to use and a sure fired way to
keep up with all your organizing efforts with a
built in calendar and sections you can edit and
update.
Instructions: click on the DNL reader and save
it to desktop. You can move it to file later.
Then click on the planner and it too, save to
desktop. Once you have both downloads, click
on the planner Icon and you're ready to use it.
2005 annual Planner:
http://www.boazepublishing.biz/annplan2005.dnl
To get the DNL Reader:
http://www.boazepublishing.biz/dwbreader.exe
Enjoy!
Steven Boaze
http://www.boaze.comPrivate Reply to Steven Boaze | | |
| |
| |
