Creating your first eBook? 15 experts share tips and best practices

So if I'm guessing correctly, you're here because you've decided to learn how to make an eBook. Am I right? I thought so.

It's a pretty smart decision on your part - to have decided to publish an eBook. You see, e-books are an incredibly popular and essential part of marketing strategies.

Over time, the process of releasing a good eBook has become much simpler. Many writers use document creation software to automate the way they edit, personalize, publish, and share their eBooks.

Content is the backbone of a solid marketing strategy. Therefore, the quality of a company's content can make or break its marketing strategy. It is therefore important to understand how to create content that works.

And eBooks work.

That being said, let's get your first eBook ready!

Creating an eBook doesn't have to be difficult, especially with a little help from those who do it best.

With that, here are 15 tips from marketers who have mastered the eBook game:

1. Test your audience

My main recommendation when creating an ebook is to first test that your target audience is interested in the topic you plan to write about. To determine interest, check which blog topics attract the most readers, measured by repeat traffic to specific posts through Google Analytics or your CMS.

Once you have a few topics you can confidently expand on, ask your audience via a Facebook and Twitter poll what ebook topic they would be most likely to read. This will generate engagement and interest in your audience and allow you to test ideas with your target demographic.

-Nicolas Straut, SEO Partner, Fundera

2. Do your research

When creating an eBook, it's important to understand that this type of content works best as a way to establish your brand as a thought leader in your industry. Given this, it is imperative to research the topic that really interests your audience. Use tools like Keyword.io to gauge what kind of information people are looking for. Once determined, find a way to present the information in a unique way to differentiate your content from your competitors.

A good example of this is to create your eBook in an interactive format rather than the traditional approach of a static .PDF. This works for a myriad of reasons.

Interactive content has been proven to be more engaging and lead to higher conversions. Moreover, the SEO value of an interactive piece is much higher. eBooks presented in .PDF format are severely limited from an SEO perspective. With an interactive web-based eBook, search engines will be able to index the entire page, which will help drive organic traffic from search.

- Jonathan Rosenfeld, Director of Demand Generation, Bython Media

3. Be flexible

Don't worry about the word count - With an eBook, you have more flexibility when it comes to the length of your content. That's because you don't have to worry about the cost of printing, storing, or shipping a physical book. Some ebooks contain only a few thousand words, but knowing those words makes them bestsellers. At the same time, there are books that would take most people weeks to read, but offer only a few needles of new information in a haystack of fancy words. Don't focus on the number of words, focus on the quality of the words you present to the world.

Be careful with images: Don't be afraid to use images, but don't let them do the heavy lifting. When it comes to e-books, you have to remember that most people will be reading on smaller devices. A printed image does not look the same as a digital image, especially on a 5 inch screen. If you think there's no way to include a particular image, include it. But if it's more complementary than essential, leave it out.

Delegate as needed – You don't have to do everything yourself. Sometimes trying to take on a multi-faceted project on your own only ends in disaster. You spread too thinly and end up with a mediocre product at best. Don't be afraid to be the idea engine behind the ghostwriter, editor, proofreader, cover designer, and editor you'll be working with. Most good books on the market are a team effort, not a solo project.

- T.L. Curtis, Volo Press

4. Plan ahead

My recommended best practices are to...