Publishing an e-book is one of the most popular business models in the Internet today.

As more and more people become accustomed to downloading and reading e-books, the future of e-book publishing can only be brighter.

  You can provide unlimited number of preview copies to your potential customers

  You can publish as many e-books as you want:  you are only limited by your creativity and of

      course, determination.

  You have no shipping costs

  You get paid instantly.

  You are able to deliver your e-book instantly: either by download, email or member-only site.

  Your reader does not have to pay any taxes (at least, in most places)

  Ebooks have a lot of functionalities that paperbooks can't have:  hyperlinks allow readers to go a specific title instantly; you can add audio in your ebook; you can search the contents of your ebook.

There are three ways you can have a business out of e-book publishing.

Publish and market your own e-book.

Sell other people's ebooks.

Combination of the above: publish and sell your own e-book and sell other people's

     books as well.

The easiest way is to sell other people's publications. In this way, you simply become an affiliate of other publishers.  While this is easier, publishing your own e-book offers more advantages:

1.  You keep all the profits

2.  You have complete control over your materials

The most popular e-book formats are PDF ebooks and the executable file format.  Some authors use word processing software such as Word to publish e-books. However, if you intend to sell your e-books or use it as a marketing tool, people expect much more than a Word file.

PDF Books

PDF operates on an independent platform format. Meaning, they will be viewed the same way regardless of the machine you are using.  PDF has an advantage in terms of portability because PDF files can even be read by PDAs. 

Executable files

The other e-book format comes in the form of executable files. You need an e-book compiler and your user needs an e-book reader. While this sounds complicated, all these are bundled together, working seamlessly when you purchase an e-book compiler.

Not everybody has the talent to weave words together to come up with an interesting piece that is worth reading, or ... paying for.

If you are not one of those people blessed with the mighty pen, you still have hope.  You can seek the help of freelance writers in your area or go through the freelancers offering their services in the Internet. But even if you get others to write for you, you must still be the one to develop the concept.  Alternatively, you can write your concept in the way that you are capable of, then get a copy editor to polish your document. This can be a more affordable and you have greater control over your ideas.

The best alternative of course, is to write the book yourself.

Here are the steps to help you start off your publishing career:

  Brainstorm on your topic.  This is the hardest step of all. What should you write about? Is there anything that you can be considered an expert of?  What are your interests?  What is your greatest passion?  What are the things that you never tire of talking about? 

Interest and passion are the two most important things that you must consider.  You cannot write about something that you are not interested in.  You will not have the motivation to do research on a topic that is not dear to you. You will not have the passion to promote a book that you do not feel attached to. 

Just to give you an idea of what people have written about... and most important, what people are willing to pay for, here are some sample book titles. Click on the link to see what the book is all about:

  Once you have decided on a topic, prepare your raw materials. By this I mean, start gathering books, magazines, Internet articles, newspaper clips about the topic.

If you are an expert in the topic that you have chosen, start gathering the documents, photos, files that you have regarding your topic.  Organize all these information into topics.

  Choose the format that you would like your book to be in. I have decided to put this step ahead because doing so will save you a lot of repeat jobs. If you already know which format you ae going to use, you can work directly with that software. There is no need to type in Word or Notepad and then transfer the files to the software of your choice.  While this can be done, some you may have to change or redo some of the things that you did because it might appear differently when you transfer the files.

There are several choices for your e-book compiler. Below are some of the more notables ones. See which one is suitable for you.

If you would like to have your ebook in PDF format, take a look at Easy PDF Creator

If you would like your book to be in executable file format, here are some options:

E-Book Pro -  This is the compiler that I personally use.  It comes with nice templates, a viral marketing feature, passwords and other security features. Very easy to learn and use too. To see how an e-book made with e-book Pro looks like, download my free ebook at www.hellogoodlove.com/Preview.exe.

E-Book Gold - This is another software that comes highly recommended. It is one of the most popular e-book compilers in the market. Comes with features like professional designs, customizable ebook labeling, different screen mode options, and very good security features.

E-Book Maestro -  An affordable ebook compiler that comes with a lot of features. Download a free trial copy here.

Activ E-Book -  This is surely one of the most affordable e-book compilers around.  At $29.95, it is loaded with features that you would find in the more expensive compilers. This software has received a lot of industry awards. To download a free trial copy, click here.

To continue, click here.