Format Each eBook Chapter Before you Write It

Format Each eBook Chapter Before you Write It
Judy Cullins c. 2003 All Rights Reserved

Do you have a problem creating a focus in your chapters?
Does your writing slip around, leaving a muddy path to the
gold--your unique, useful message?

Format each chapter in your book. Your consistency, your
organized, focused copy will compel your reader to want to read
every chapter because they are easy to understand.

Most writers start writing before they are sure of their eBook's
main focus or thesis. The thesis is your book's major answer for
a problem your targeted audience has. "Five Ways to Market
Your Book Online" has its thesis built into the title, a definite
plus. You know by the title you'll learn five Online marketing
techniques to overcome your problem of not selling enough
eBooks.

Before you write any chapters except chapter one, make each
chapter title a mini thesis that also answers a part of your whole
book's thesis. for the title "Five Ways to Market Your Book
Online" you will have 5 chapters that all have to do with the title.
Let's say one chapter is titled "Market your Book Through Free
Articles."

In this chapter you need to sketch out what your format will be
before you write a single word.

1. For instance, you may open the chapter with a pertinent
quote."Articles are the # One Way to Promote your Books and
Services" by Judy Cullins, Book Coach.

You may open with several thought-provoking questions or
shocking facts. You may even start with a short story or analogy. Any
opening needs to hook your reader to keep reading.

2. Second, you follow the opening with a success story to
illustrate how one person's articles brought her new product and
service sales.

3. Third, you will offer a section where you give numbers of tips,
how to's, check lists, or resources. For instance the heading of,
"How to Write a Short Article," or "How to Write A Publishable Article."

Sprinkled throughout your chapter you may place author tips into
boxes. You may choose to do the same for related quotes as
Julia Cameron did in "Artists Way." Don't add random quotes
just because you like them. Make sure they support each
chapter's focus.

4. Finally, in the last section of your chapter you may want
to write a simple summary as a chapter review. You may want to
give homework or fieldwork. You may call them "Three Take
Away Ideas" To make them yours to brand yourself and your business
use a key word that refers to your book, perhaps a benefit. One client's
title was "The Smiling Owner-How to Build a Great Small Business."
He worked the "Smiling Owner" metaphor into his how to's
throughout his chapters.

To end your chapter with a bang, you may want to leave
your reader with questions to ponder or a few lines to lead them
into the next chapter. You may give action steps. Remember, your
targeted audience wants solutions to problems. Each chapter in your
book should show them how.

Now that you have the format for one non-fiction, how-to
chapter, you need to follow the same format for all the rest of the
chapters. All chapters except chapter one should be
approximately the same length.

Format each chapter in your book. Your consistency, your
organized, focused copy will compel your reader to want to read
every chapter because they are easy to understand.