Writing an Successful Ebook has a lot more to do with your marketing skills than your writing skills. As soon as you write or type the last word, the real work begins.

At the very least you want to set up a Sales Platform with a Sales Page, create a Payment Processor, and then consider creating an Opt-in Form. To take the first smallest step to setting up your Sales Platform, sign up here for your domain name and hosting with Hostgator or Godaddy.

And don’t stop writing – but now focus your writing on your Sales Page, and Ezine Articles.

Decision 1: Own E-Book Platform or Amazon Platform?

Your main two options are:
Option 1: Own E-Book Platform
Domain Name $10
Hosting $60/year
Squeeze Page $75 (Sales copy required)
E-Cover $35
Istock Images $25 (for E-cover)
Total: $205 + Editing & E-Banner (optional)*
Editing $12.99/10 pages
E-Banner $15
Optional (author must apply directly)
ISBN Free in Canada, $250/10 in US
ISBN Bar Code $10
(The prices are approximate).

The advantage of having your own E-book platform is simply more control.

One trick that some E-book authors are doing is to offer the first book on their Squeeze Page for free. They then put a link at the end for the first two chapters of the second e-book for free. And then they ask you to pay for the rest of the 2nd book. The idea is to create buy-in and to collect e-mail addresses.

Another trick is that they offer the E-book for free but they put in advertising spots. For example, you make reference to a tea shop, and then you put in the advert for the tea shop. This involves a fair bit of effort and is best if you’re writing an e-book about a product or service.

Option 2: Amazon Platform
Advantage account $29.95/year
E-Cover $35
Istock Images $25 (for E-cover)
Total: $90 + Editing & E-Banner (optional)*
Editing $12.99/10 pages
E-Banner $15
Prerequisite (author must apply directly)
ISBN Free in Canada, $250/10 in US
ISBN Bar Code $10
(The prices are approximate).

Decision 2: How Involved do You Want to Be in the Editing Process?
You want to decide:
a- How interested you are in having your writing edited?
b- How involved or hands-off you want to be?

Some writers just want a finished product and don’t really care about the changes and nuances. If you’re like me, and you like using your own words, then know that the best editing takes a little time. This is quite simply because editing often creates a sort of ping-pong effect. For example, an editor will make a change, and then maybe you won’t like it, and then you’ll change what the editor has changed… etc. If you have your writing in chapters, you want to start getting serious feedback on each chapter now versus handing over a 500-page manuscript. The editing will be different. And also it’s likely to keep you focused on your goal, as you’re likely to get some good feedback.

Decision 3: How Involved do You Want to Be in Designing the (E-)Cover?
When I had my E-Covers designed, I found images that I liked on this website.
Click here to go to istockphoto.com
You pay a modest fee for the image. As with your writing, this takes time. The best approach is to dedicate 30 minutes to 1 hour every week to your search, for approximately one month. Trying to find the right image to match what you’ve written isn’t going to happen on the first click.
You also want to think about colors – even something as simple as your favorite colors. The more precise you are, the more you will have an e-cover designed to your liking.
Click here to go to colourlovers.com

Micro-publish. Or to use the apt phrase of Chris Anderson at Wired: Mining the Long Tail, a place where the little that sells a lot is equaled by a lot that sells a little.

The no. 1 reason for wanting to get your book onto Amazon is that it’s one of the top destinations, if not the no. 1 top destination, for online book buyers.

Selling on Amazon is reasonably inexpensive.
It will cost you approximately $200 to get your book up and selling on Amazon. Here’s the cost break-down:
ISBN, $125
ISBN Bar Code, $10
Amazon Advantage account, $29.95/year

http://www.ehow.com/how_2034753_sell-book-amazon.html

An overlooked bonus of being on Amazon is that your e-book may be listed as a “Similar Book”. This means when an Amazon buyer shops for a particular book by another author, your book may pop up as being among “similar books”. This increases your chances of being seen and ordered.

Keep in mind that you can affiliate market your book on Amazon.

Chris Anderson at Wired talks about mining the Long Tail, “…a place where the little that sells a lot is equalled by a lot that sells a little”.

Watch him here: