The Main Elements Of An Ebook

So you’ve got the main content figured out. Here are the main elements of an eBook that you shoulder never fail to include.

1. Disclaimer and Copyright Page

Even though you may think you know what you’re writing about, some people may interpret what you say differently, or you might even be flat out wrong. In any case, you’ll want to cover your butt just in case some wacko decides to sue you for whatever reason.

Your best bet is to hire a lawyer to write something for you, because he or she will know exactly what to cover. Usually, however, it’s okay just to say that the information you provide isn’t guaranteed to be accurate, or that it’s just your opinion and for entertainment purposes, or something like that. I’m not a lawyer, so please use your best judgement

Also, it’s always a good thing to include something in regards to any third party companies, websites and people that you mention in your eBook so that you are not held responsible for any of their actions, or vice versa.

This would also be a good spot to include information about copyright and how no one can use any part of your publication without your prior consent. Again, a lawyer will know exactly what to put here, but you’ll see similar copy on most other eBooks available.

2. A Preface

The preface is an introduction to the book. It’s not an introduction to the core material of your book, but rather an introduction to the book itself.

Many authors, especially authors of eBooks that are sold online, ignore the preface. This is a bad move in my opinion. The preface is the perfect opportunity to talk about the intentions of your eBook, and if possible, a story or history behind it. It will help you set the tone and build excitement before people get into the main content.

3. An “About the Author” Page

Similar to the preface, the “About the Author” page is a great way to connect with your readers. It adds a nice personal touch and helps them visualize who they are learning from as they read.

Introduce yourself, talk about some of the things you enjoy in life and your qualifications for writing your eBook. The more the reader knows about you, the more they will see you as their friend, not just “the author”.

In most books, you see the “About the Author” page at the end behind the back cover. I recommend placing it in front so people can learn about you right from the start.

4. Links

One of the best parts about writing an eBook is that you can insert links into your content!

If you have a website of your own, placing links within your eBook back to your site is a great way to provide additional information that your eBook may not have room for, and drive traffic back to your site as well.

If you’re going to link to a third party website, make sure that it’s ok with them first. Usually, people don’t mind because you’re giving them free traffic, but you never know – some people may get upset that you mentioned them in your eBook without permission. It’s better to ask first, just in case.

Here are some ways you can utilize links in your eBook:

?Placing links within the content itself

?A collection of links in a resources section

?Footnoting your content and placing links in the footer of the page

?In the template of your eBook.

5. Helpful Tools and Exercises

It’s a really smart idea to add some tools, exercises, and any other helpful things that can help your readers further experience the material in your eBook.

Additional tools will make your eBook look more professional and readers will know that it’s a great all-around package that is not just reading material, but “doing” material as well.

Here is a list of a few things like this that you can include in your eBook:

?Checklists

?Practice questions

?Calculators

?Fill-in-the-Blank exercises

?Templates

?Excel Spreadsheets

NINJA MARKETING TIP: If you’re planning on selling your eBook, taking these tools out of the main content of your eBook, and putting them back in as “free bonuses” (with a price value) will add value to the purchase of your eBook for the customer. It works.

6. A Thank You Page

A thank you page at the end of your eBook will serve you three purposes:

• It’s a great way to reconnect with your readers one last time before they finish up with your eBook. It’s a simple reminder that you are the person who just provided them with the awesome content they just read.

• A thank you page is also a great place to tell your readers what to do next. They just finished your eBook, but why should that be the end of it? What should they do next? Think about taking them back to your website for more content, a place where they can go and tell others about your eBook too, or even an affiliate program! The possibilities are endless.

• Lastly, you should remind your customers that you did spend a lot of time and effort creating your eBook, and you would appreciate it if they would respect you and not share or distribute the eBook to anyone else without your permission. I’ll talk more about eBook security later, but many people don’t even know that they aren’t supposed to share your eBook, so simply asking nicely will help decrease that occurrence. You can even be sly and put in a link to a special email-opt in form that people can use to let others know about your eBook if they wanted to.

7. Eye-Catching, Relevant Images

Supplementing your content with images and graphics will enhance your eBook in multiple ways. They will:

?Help emphasize and reinforce important points that you make

?Make reading your content more interesting and easier to consume

?Increase the professionalism of your eBook (and you as an author)

?Add value to your eBook

?Help people remember certain pieces of content within your eBook (kind of like visual bookmarks)

As you’re writing or proof-reading your eBook, think about any charts, graphs, stock photography, screenshots, or even portraits that will help to enhance your eBook.

WARNING: There are a few important points about using images in your guide that I’d like to mention.

1. Don’t go overboard. Images are great, but too many can be annoying and make it seem like you’re just trying to fill up space.

2. Make sure the images you use are relevant. Irrelevant images detract from your content and leave people confused.

3. Lastly, be sure you’re allowed to use the photos you select. I often use images from unsplash.com or pexels.com just to be sure that it’s okay.