Why Write an eBook vs. a Published Book?

This is a common question-and a necessary one-as you educate yourself on the merits of both.

For starters, neither is necessarily better than the other. There is no right option. Choosing one depends on what you're trying to accomplish by becoming published, your current skill set, and your allocated funds for this project. Inevitably, though, you must choose one for your first effort toward becoming a published author.

After careful analysis, only you can decide which option is best-suited for you, but I recommend eBooks for the following reasons:

• eBooks are ecologically-responsible
• eBooks are instantly accessible
• eBooks can be created, marketed and sold within a very short time period
• eBooks can be created, marketed and sold based on your own time table
• eBooks can be created, marketed and sold without extensive knowledge of the complex book publishing industry
• eBooks can be marketed in places where you wouldn't normally be able to market yourself, such as online bookstores
• eBooks easily and quickly establish you as an expert within your field
• eBooks allow you to more fully explore and share your passion for a subject than you can with articles or your Web site
• Short eBooks can be used for free giveaways, incentives or as bonus items (the most common way they are used is to build your subscriber list)

If you're uncertain about any aspect of the book-writing process, writing an eBook is an excellent way to familiarize yourself with the practical aspects of developing a system that works for you. Start small with a special report or mini-eBook. Although this doesn't officially qualify as authorship, the exercise builds clarity and confidence.

With the ability to publish an eBook at zero monetary cost, it's an excellent way to launch your writing career.


For more information on Write Your eBook: Using a Trusted and Proven System While Maintaining Your Busy Life visit http://editcopyproof.blogspot.com/p/wip-ebook.html

Define Your Target Market NOW! It’s Easy

Initially, set aside at least 1 hour to work on this self-assignment. It is an ongoing exercise and may require several sessions. Don’t rush the process. Let your mind freely explore every aspect of the life of one person in your target market.

If you prefer, answer the questions in the form of a story. This brings your efforts to life. Remember, this isn’t just an exercise to get through. It’s to help you so you write laser-focused copy. In the end, you’re the beneficiary, so make this exercise count.

Complete all questions below in as much detail as possible. So, instead of answering “to Europe” for the question “Where does she vacation?” answer instead, “Janet vacations for 4 weeks every year. She spends 2 weeks in the south of France in April and 2 weeks in a small medieval town in Germany in October – Oktober Fest, of course! She usually includes a few day trips to remote villages to enjoy local culture and food. Her trips include first-class airfare and first-class transportation and accommodations. She goes in high-style because it’s her way of treating herself for working so hard 11 months of the year. These trips rejuvenate and restore her energy and provided a much needed break from a hectic business schedule.”

Here are the areas to explore:

1. Age
2. Gender
3. Marital status
4. Children
5. Pets
6. Occupation
7. Income
8. Geographic location
9. Where does she go on vacation?
10. What magazines/books does she read?
11. What are her hobbies?
12. What does she worry about?
13. What keeps her up at night?
14. What is her greatest fear?


This gets you started, but you can go into much greater detail, e.g. political views, values, daily living habits, financial life, world views, historical perspective, etc.

The more time and energy you invest in this exercise, the better your understanding of your market. The better you understand your market, the easier it is to speak the language that prompts sales, which is the whole point of writing your marketing materials in the first place!

The last two steps are:

1. Name your ideal client.
2. Cut out a picture from a magazine and glue to cardstock. Keep this within easy access. When you’re writing marketing materials, pull it out and write to this person in a friendly, conversational tone.

You only have to do this exercise one time. From now on, your efforts glide smoothly as you speak directly to your market. Your words are so effective, you notice an immediate increase in sales. How's that for a few hours of concentrated research and creative writing!?

Entrepreneurs Ask... I’m already successful. Do I still need to define my target market?

To write impactful marketing materials with guaranteed results, first your target market must be clearly defined.

You’ll notice I didn’t say, “To be successful in business, first your target market must be clearly defined.”

That’s because many entrepreneurs experience accidental success. They introduce a product at a most opportune time, they grow a business based on intuition, or they are just at the right place at the right time. It happens all the time, but at some point you realize the value and importance of speaking directly to your target market. You want to refine your existing system to realize even greater results. You want a strategic and specific plan for drawing in even more clients. Do this simple yet revealing exercise to open your eyes to the possibilities.

Once this happens, your vision is now crystal clear. Your perfect clients find you and instantly resonate with you. It’s because you speak “their” language. They feel you know them. And, in a way you do. You’ve zeroed in on their pain, their struggles, their life worries and you paint yourself, your products, your services as the answer to their problems.

Let me give you an example. For which market is this headline intended?

The Latest Sparkly Hair Thing-a-ma-bobber
Will Have All Eyes On You This Spring...
Make Sure It’s YOU Who Ignites This Edgy Trend

a. A 55-year-old corporate male executive with a corner office
who lives and works in Manhattan

b. A 15-year-old female fashionista who attends a public --
but very upscale -- school

c. A 37-year-old conservative, religious female who lives in a
town with the same population as her age

Yep. You guessed it; B is the correct answer.

If you’re like many entrepreneurs who – until this moment – thought a target market analysis was unnecessary, now you understand why this exercise is so crucial.

Do you think the 55-year-old executive or the 37-year-old small town lady will read past the headline? NO! And neither will your customers/clients if you are not clear on who your message is trying to reach. When you have a mental image (you’ll create this during the exercise below) of your perfect client, your marketing materials reflect that clarity.

Your message must speak the language of your intended audience. If it doesn’t, you unnecessarily expend too much time, money and energy trying to sell to everyone. That’s another way to say you waste a great deal of all three.

Your target market isn’t everyone. No product or service is meant for every person on the planet. Stop trying to be everything to everyone and start being the #1 resource for the people with whom you want to do business. Cater to them. Cater well to them. Speak their language. See what happens.

At first you may think this is a waste of time. But I promise: Doing this exercise reveals aspects of your ideal customer that don’t surface any other way. It helps if you have an existing client file, but if not, don’t fret. Chances are your ideal client is you! If that’s true, use that as a starting point.

From this point forward, write every marketing piece directly to one person who represents your target market. With a prominent mental image of this person, your writing becomes more personal and hits the mark every time.

Mark your target, and hit it with precise and pre-determined language that engages, inspires and prompts your reader to take action. Now THAT’S the power of copywriting that sells.