Five top tips for ebook success
in the Christmas period

 

So you've been meaning to write that ebook all year in time for Christmas – after all, isn't that when everyone goes 'shopping crazy'? So surely it's the best time to self-publish? But (damn, it's that annoying little word again that keeps creeping in every time you have a great idea), you just didn't quite get round to it, and now you only have a matter of weeks left...

All is not lost.

Who needs a novel when you can have a novella?

Not only is it less daunting to write something short and sweet, but there are plenty of Christmas themes that fit perfectly into this category and that would have everyone yawning if they were any longer anyway. Let's face it, Christmas has become more and more gimmicky over the years, which, while rather sad, does leave plenty of space (and potential customers) for topics such as "the Christmas Survival Guide", "Quick and Easy Christmas Recipes" or, if you're feeling a little nostalgic which I hope some of you are, "A Guide to Reviving Christmas Traditions". There are endless possibilities for a topic that needn't take long to write and that could prove popular to many!

Give them a taster and leaving them hanging…

Leading on from the tip above, why not write a short prequel or a teaser for a project that you want to work on in the New Year? Make it short and exciting and introduce the characters leaving the reader hanging on to find out what happens next. We all love a cliff-hanger!

People do judge a book by its cover

Although our parents, and their parents before them, tell us it's what inside that counts, if you write an ebook and the cover is rubbish, you'll put a lot of people off before they've had a chance to read anything – even the blurb. Choose something eye-catching and festive for the cover, and if style isn't your thing, find a friend who can help – everyone knows someone who's got an eye for design.

Target after-Christmas sales

More and more people are buying e-readers and Christmas is understandably most e-reader retailers' biggest sales period, so why not target those 'newbies' who are just dying to download tons of ebooks to fill up their new device? Hmmm, so how do you get them to buy YOUR book? What the heck… just give it away! If you want to get your name out there, what better way than by offering a free ebook? If you've followed the tips above and written something short that wasn't too time-consuming, then its no great shakes to get into the festive spirit (and wheedle your way into people's devices) by offering your book for free. Everybody loves a freebie and once everyone knows what a fabulous writer you are, they may just look out for your name next time round.

But do I really still have time?

If you want to get an ebook out there, there's no time like the present! For a little help check out Copyblogger's How to Write a High Quality eBook in 30 Days.

© Alice Bowden