eBook Design Options. When it comes to ebook design there are so many available options out there. You can create the most basic of ebook types by writing it in Microsoft word then converting that into a PDF ebook. You can also go with a more sophisticated design that incorporates video, comments, links to other websites, and much more.
For beginners you may want to go the simplest form which is a PDF ebook. It will not make a big difference to your buyers as long as you provide solid content in your writing. The more complicated features of ebook design are best saved for advanced ebook publishers who have already have a wealth of experience with ebooks. For a beginner these features have little to no return on investment in terms of time and money.
eBook Design Components
Format
Color Scheme
Cover
Table of Contents
Chapters
Images
Links
Format
There are literally over 50 different formats you can choose to make your ebook. However, there only about 5 that are relevant to someone who is looking to sell a standard ebook. Those are PDF, HTML, Amazon Kindle Format or AZW, Plain Text Files, and multimedia. Plain text is the simplest but, it is too simple for creating an ebook for sell.
PDF is the best option for creating a simple ebook because it gives you the option of images, headers, footers, etc. The most sophisticated form is multimedia. This allows you to incorporate advanced computer language that gives you an endless array of options. The downfall of this is that it is for advanced computer programmers only. For a beginner to learn multimedia ebook design it would be a waste of time.
Color Scheme
This is the simplest part of the whole ebook creation process. I recommend not spending a whole lot of time on the color scheme. In most cases plain black text on a plain white background works best with a few images in the mix. Do not waste a whole lot of your time on this process. Your sales page, the traffic the sales page get, and the content in the ebook will determine your success.
Creating A Cover
Creating a cover is one of the main components of ebook design. When it comes to a ebook cover a good design is not going to put your ebook on the top. However, a bad designed cover can be a huge turn off to your readers. Ultimately, if you write solid content it will be overlook. It is important though to create a cover that meets their expectations.
When it comes to cover options you can go two routes. There are a wealth of free ebook cover creators available online. I recommend this for beginners. The other option is to hire a ebook design specialist to create a cover for you. Although this service is relatively cheap, it takes awhile to complete the job and generally is does not look much better than a cover you could create with a free ebook cover creator.
Table of Contents
Every ebook should have a table of contents. This is especially true if your ebook is divided up into chapters. For any ebook that is over 15 pages in length it should be divided up into chapters. Therefore, it should contain a table of contents. A table of contents provides a neat, organized, and convenient way to navigate through the text.
Chapters
As mentioned earlier if your ebook is longer than 15 pages, which it should be if you are trying to sell it for a profit, then it should be divided into well organized chapters. Each chapter should be a relevant component of the ebook covered in great detail. If you have two chapters that are shorter than other chapter try to combine them to even it out and achieve a good balance.
Images
No matter what subject you are writing about images should be a big part of your ebook design. Images are easy on the eyes and should provide a visual pictures of what is going to be talked about on that pages. That does not mean it is necessary to place an image on every page. However, you do not want one image per ten pages.
I have purchased several ebooks over the years. The best ones averaged about one image per every three or four pages. As mentioned earlier you want to achieve a good balance in your ebook. That is important in digital book just as it is in hard cover books. You want to achieve a good balance between chapters, images, and subject sub components.
Links
This is one of the most controversial components of ebook design. A lot of experts say that you should not place links in your ebook unless they are to non-affiliate website's that help your visitor. They pay for the ebook and trying to earn further commissions off them is unprofessional and hurts credibility.
However, if you have a great selling ebook that provides top notch content why would you not place affiliate links within the text of the ebook. You would be losing thousands of dollars in affiliate commissions. So when it comes to including affiliate links as part of your ebook design it is a matter of opinion. It may not affect your long term success, but there is a chance it might.
For beginners you may want to go the simplest form which is a PDF ebook. It will not make a big difference to your buyers as long as you provide solid content in your writing. The more complicated features of ebook design are best saved for advanced ebook publishers who have already have a wealth of experience with ebooks. For a beginner these features have little to no return on investment in terms of time and money.
eBook Design Components
Format
Color Scheme
Cover
Table of Contents
Chapters
Images
Links
Format
There are literally over 50 different formats you can choose to make your ebook. However, there only about 5 that are relevant to someone who is looking to sell a standard ebook. Those are PDF, HTML, Amazon Kindle Format or AZW, Plain Text Files, and multimedia. Plain text is the simplest but, it is too simple for creating an ebook for sell.
PDF is the best option for creating a simple ebook because it gives you the option of images, headers, footers, etc. The most sophisticated form is multimedia. This allows you to incorporate advanced computer language that gives you an endless array of options. The downfall of this is that it is for advanced computer programmers only. For a beginner to learn multimedia ebook design it would be a waste of time.
Color Scheme
This is the simplest part of the whole ebook creation process. I recommend not spending a whole lot of time on the color scheme. In most cases plain black text on a plain white background works best with a few images in the mix. Do not waste a whole lot of your time on this process. Your sales page, the traffic the sales page get, and the content in the ebook will determine your success.
Creating A Cover
Creating a cover is one of the main components of ebook design. When it comes to a ebook cover a good design is not going to put your ebook on the top. However, a bad designed cover can be a huge turn off to your readers. Ultimately, if you write solid content it will be overlook. It is important though to create a cover that meets their expectations.
When it comes to cover options you can go two routes. There are a wealth of free ebook cover creators available online. I recommend this for beginners. The other option is to hire a ebook design specialist to create a cover for you. Although this service is relatively cheap, it takes awhile to complete the job and generally is does not look much better than a cover you could create with a free ebook cover creator.
Table of Contents
Every ebook should have a table of contents. This is especially true if your ebook is divided up into chapters. For any ebook that is over 15 pages in length it should be divided up into chapters. Therefore, it should contain a table of contents. A table of contents provides a neat, organized, and convenient way to navigate through the text.
Chapters
As mentioned earlier if your ebook is longer than 15 pages, which it should be if you are trying to sell it for a profit, then it should be divided into well organized chapters. Each chapter should be a relevant component of the ebook covered in great detail. If you have two chapters that are shorter than other chapter try to combine them to even it out and achieve a good balance.
Images
No matter what subject you are writing about images should be a big part of your ebook design. Images are easy on the eyes and should provide a visual pictures of what is going to be talked about on that pages. That does not mean it is necessary to place an image on every page. However, you do not want one image per ten pages.
I have purchased several ebooks over the years. The best ones averaged about one image per every three or four pages. As mentioned earlier you want to achieve a good balance in your ebook. That is important in digital book just as it is in hard cover books. You want to achieve a good balance between chapters, images, and subject sub components.
Links
This is one of the most controversial components of ebook design. A lot of experts say that you should not place links in your ebook unless they are to non-affiliate website's that help your visitor. They pay for the ebook and trying to earn further commissions off them is unprofessional and hurts credibility.
However, if you have a great selling ebook that provides top notch content why would you not place affiliate links within the text of the ebook. You would be losing thousands of dollars in affiliate commissions. So when it comes to including affiliate links as part of your ebook design it is a matter of opinion. It may not affect your long term success, but there is a chance it might.
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