Shelley Lowery

Ebooks are one of the most popular products on the Internet. Not only are they easy to create, but they also provide your customers with instant gratification.

Over the years, I have received many questions about ebooks and have written many articles on the subject. However, there still seems to be some confusion as to how an ebook is created and formatted.

Below are some of the most frequently asked ebook questions.

Question: I have a manuscript in DOC format that I would like to convert into ebook format. Can you tell me what format I should use?

Answer: If you already have your ebook in DOC format, you'll most likely want to convert your manuscript into PDF format.

Adobe® Portable Document Format (PDF) is a universal format that will preserve all of your original formatting. Not only will it maintain your specified layout, but it will also preserve your fonts, images and links -- regardless of what application was used to create it. This will enable your ebook to look exactly as you had intended.

Adobe Acrobat 5.0
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/main.html

Although PDF formatted ebooks are a bit limiting on creativity, as far as the look and feel of your ebook, PDF ebooks can be viewed by everyone -- regardless of what browser they're using or what operating system.

The best ebook format for your project will really depend on your own preference. However, it is also important to take into consideration the type of ebook you're creating and the number of pages it will contain. For example, if you've written a manuscript with hundreds of pages and have it typed into your word processing program, you won't want to waste your time creating an HTML page for each page of your ebook. Your best option will be to purchase Adobe Acrobat and compile your ebook into the PDF format. HTML compiled ebooks are better for smaller projects such as 'how-to,' 'instructional' or 'informational' ebooks.

Another consideration of great importance is your sales plan. If you're planning on selling your ebook on one of the ebook publishing sites, many of them will only accept ebooks in the PDF format. A good way to cover all of your bases is to simply publish your ebook in both formats. Let your customers decide which format they would prefer.

Question: I've downloaded a lot of ebooks with the EXE extension and would like to create one. But I'm confused as to how exactly to do it. Can you help?

Answer: EXE formatted ebooks are actually just web pages compiled into a program. If you can create a web page, then you can create an EXE ebook.

When designing an EXE formatted ebook, you must create an HTML document (web page) for each page within your ebook. Just as you need to include navigational links within your web pages, you must also include them within each page of your ebook.

Once you've designed your pages, you'll need to purchase a software program to compress them into the EXE format. You can find some compiler options here: http://www.web-source.net/ebook_publishing3.htm

Question: I'm creating an ebook to use as a marketing tool. I've downloaded a number of ebooks that allowed me to customize certain fields with my company name, web address and affiliate ID. Can you tell me how this is done?

Answer: In order to create an ebook that can be customized, you must first purchase an HTML ebook compiler that offers this option. Keep in mind, not all compilers do. There are only two that I can recommend and they are:

Ebook Edit Pro

Activ E-book

Both of these compilers will enable you to create customizable fields.

Ebook Edit Pro will provide you with an extra software program called, "e-Brand it." You simply follow the instructions for creating customizable fields and compile your ebook. When you distribute your ebook, include the e-Brand-it software to enable your users to customize their ebook.

Activ Ebook will enable you to create your own "branding" software. Simply follow the instructions for creating your customizable fields and branding software, and distribute the branding software with your ebook.

Question: I've created an ebook, but am confused as to how to allow my customers to pay for it. And how do I deliver my ebook once they've paid for it?

Answer: If you're doing business online, you must have the ability to accept credit cards. You can either get your own merchant account, or use a third party payment processor.

As for delivering your ebook to your customers, most payment processors will enable you to include a web address that your customers will be directed to upon completing their purchase. This web page should be used to enable your customers to download your ebook.

Your page should include all of the following:

• Should match your sales page

• Thank your customer for their purchase

• Provide information as to how much they were charged and what name will appear on their statement

• Provide download instructions

• Provide a clickable download link

• Provide an email address for support requests

For a complete overview of ebooks, you may read the article series entitled, "Ebooks: Self-Publishing Your Way to Internet Success."

Publishing an ebook isn't as difficult as you may think. Take your time and educate yourself prior to selecting the right format for your project. It will be well worth the extra effort in the long run.

Copyright © Shelley Lowery

Shelley Lowery is the author of the acclaimed web design course, "Web Design Mastery" (www.webdesignmastery.com) and "eBook Starter - Give Your eBooks the look and feel of a REAL book" (www.ebookstarter.com)

Visit www.Web-Source.net to sign up for a complimentary subscription to eTips and receive a copy of Shelley's acclaimed ebook, "Killer Internet Marketing Strategies."

Ebook Cover Resources

The best option for designers: Use PhotoShop Actions to create ebook covers. Amazing Ebook Covers is a great package that will show you how to use PhotoShop like a pro in minutes. Since I've been using action scripts, I haven't used anything else. They are simply amazing. Click here to get more information about using PhotoShop Actions to create ebook cover images.

The best option for the graphically challenged: Use specialized ebook cover generators to create ebook covers. eCover Generator is easy to use and generates quality ebook cover images. Visit eCover Generator for more information.

Header Generator makes it easy to create a good-looking header for your web site. Click here for more info.