Friday Speak Out!: 5 Reasons to “Rock Your Wisdom” Through Ebooks

by Jennifer Brown Banks

Weary of the editorial scrutiny, gatekeepers, rejections, and publishing delays of the writing life, I was desperate to take more control of my creative destiny.

Call it the 7-year itch. And my itch needed a fix! I had been blogging faithfully and seriously since 2009, and felt that my experience and expertise should be reaping greater rewards by now.

It’s not that I didn’t feel a sense of accomplishment, even in the midst of my frustration. A reality check allowed me to recognize that I had been blessed to accomplish many things since coming on the scene: “Top Writing Blog” honors for 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. As well as interviews and mentions on some pretty popular platforms. I was humbled and grateful.

But I simply wanted more. The endgame here was to expand my reach, my teach, and my bottom line. To provide greater value to my followers and the creative community.

FAST FORWARD…

I toyed with a few ideas. But, the one that really stuck was publishing Ebooks. I had been reading a lot of encouraging things from fellow bloggers and decided to do some research here. According to the site “Online Income Teacher,” there are an estimated 700,000 authors that have published Ebooks world wide.

I wanted in. Though I have many passions that I could write about, (gift basket making, cooking, teaching), freelancing seemed the most logical and marketable topic to pursue. Can I tell you something? I had so much fun in the process, that one Ebook concept developed into two. Then two became a series. I’m calling it B.O.S.S. Bank on Success Series.

I won’t bore you with all the details in between and the few hiccups I encountered along the way. But, if you’re seeking to expand your platform, share your expertise, and diversify your income, Ebooks are a smart way to go.

HERE ARE 5 REASONS EBOOKS ARE ADVANTAGEOUS:

1. They allow writers to “work smarter, not harder.” How? You can repurpose your existing blog content, add new material, and present information to your readers in a new and useful format. Voila!

2. They provide an additional income stream. The revenue won’t be enough to pay your monthly mortgage, mind you, but it can finance a cable TV upgrade, extra groceries, a mini-vacation, a writers’ conference, or a mini-make-over. In fact, I was able to earn some “right-now-cash” by taking pre-orders before the titles were available for purchase.

3. Pride in ownership. That’s right. These babies are yours! You get to decide how to price them, the distribution method, the release date, the content. Need I say more?

4. They allow you to elevate your platform and your status. Adding the word “author” to your Bio often increases your perceived value and can potentially attract more freelancing clients as well.

5. Ebooks are typically cheaper to produce than hard copy books. Which means you are looking at lower publishing related expenses and greater profit margins. Ebooks also help to solidify your branding efforts.

And here’s a bonus, folks. If you start now, you still have time to end the year on a high note, by publishing your Ebook and “packaging” it as a gift item to Christmas buyers!

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Jennifer Brown Banks is a veteran freelance writer, content creator, award-winning blogger and author. Discover how she juggles it all and still manages to find time to shop, by visiting her popular site for writers at http://Penandprosper.blogspot.com/
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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
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