Can a Novice Writer With Real World Knowledge Write an Ebook?

Not long ago, I was discussing with an acquaintance the concept of writing eBooks. You see, just because someone isn't a writer, doesn't mean they can't do an eBook. There are eBook templates available, and several that I have used previously in preparing such works. If you are considering preparing an eBook I recommend going that route at first.

Today, after completing several books, I now use a different way of doing it, but I started using that template, which is good for online stuff - for instance if you are selling on Amazon or at the Barnes and Noble website, or perhaps making such material ready for your clientele at your own website. If you are going to try to get a publisher and do a hard bound or paperback book, I recommend using a "book proposal form" or template, indeed, I have created one that I use for myself, and have used it for a couple of books I've completed.

One thing I learned about the publishing world is that things have drastically changed, I got tired of trying to chase down publishers, heck, by the time I made the deal I could have written 5-more books. Speaking of which writing is really the easy part, editing is the hard part, well, it certainly is for me.

Actually, I just suck terrible at editing, and I am not such a great writer, I am a retired entrepreneur, I am a much better speaker than a writer. I do not like writing that much, but at least now I use Dragon Speak software to go faster when I need to. I've been writing about 6-years now, prior to that however I wrote all my own franchising legal docs, and operations manuals for all my companies. So, I cannot say I am totally without at least some experience, but really, nothing formal, no English Literature Degree.

So, what I'm trying to say here, is let this be a lesson to you, anyone can put together an eBook regardless of your experience level. I prefer online sales, and the online venue myself, I am a co-author of a very popular Franchising Book, and even so, today, I just am down on the whole print industry, besides it's on its way out and they are getting rather sketchy, aloof, and hard to read these days when talking with publishers, as authors attempt to get their works published. It's really time consuming. It's like trying to chase down VC money, usually if an entrepreneur has a good idea, he could have made the money by the time the VCs get around to funding him, and then they own you.

So, unless your contacts are good in the publishing industry, mine aren't, then I would not be too inclined to do a printed book, your choice. I just thought you should know my experiences before you set out on some wild-adventure, and get half way through and give up.

If you do decide to go with a printed book rather than the Amazon route, you should put together a classy book proposal, as that's what the publishers will ask you for and 2-chapters attached, otherwise, you won't get anywhere with them, you have to sell, sell, sell to get a book deal. With eBooks and online sales, all those barriers disappear, and that's really a wonderful thing in my opinion. Please consider all this.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Future Concepts. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net