The following is a guest post from Ben Stroup. Ben has produced my first four eBooks and is working with me on the fifth one releasing in October.
Fifty thousand views of anything is significant. eBooks have become a popular noun used today. There are two types of eBooks. One is simply an electronic rendering of a book on the shelf. The others is a much shorter (approximately 5,000 words) piece designed to provide a concentrated infusion of new ideas into an already existing conversation to accomplish a specific, predetermined goal. In Tony’s situation, our strategy on the first four eBooks (and the next three that will complete the Leisure Suit series) was the latter rather than the former. Rather than pontificating, I want to offer some learning points others can apply to their own contexts, scenarios, and and circumstances.
1. Writing is communication. Communication at its very core begins with clearly articulating what you want to say and successfully sharing that message in a way that ensures the intended recipients heard the message exactly as you wanted them to. If we are going to be great at this, then we have to become an advocate for the people we are trying to reach. It’s the only way we can ensure what we write, say, etc. is even relevant to the conversation.
Tony fiercely protects his digital real estate which results in a high degree of trust among those who are paying attention. He often says “no” to avoid clutter and distraction. If we are going to be successful communicators, we must act on behalf of and in the best interest of those we are trying to reach.
2. An eBook is a distribution channel. I think we should send fewer messages and increase our distribution channels. Not everyone wants to interact with us based on our preferences. If communication is the goal, then we must distribute content through multiple channels to ensure it appears in forms that are native to the consumption habits of every segments of our intended audience.
Not everyone who benefits from Tony’s work prefers to consume content through their RSS feed. Many wait for his books to be published, his seminars to be scheduled, or his coaching networks to be coordinated. When Tony and I started exploring new distribution channels, we quickly identified an eBook as a way to extend his reach.
3. The end goal is conversation. Those of us who spend our days working with ideas, keyboards, and words are learning that books, eBooks, etc. are really markers in a much larger conversation desperate for an infusion of new information or existing information presented in a new way. The book or eBook itself is a commodity; the end goal is to create and perpetuate a meaningful conversation with your core, intended audience.
Tony recognizes that eBooks (and even traditional books for that matter) represent a single idea expressed in a particular format, for an objective reason, intended to create and strengthen the trust with his core base by offering content that is explicitly and implicitly beneficial to his audience. The eBook is just one of many ways we can do that.
Obviously, it’s working. The eBooks have created new interest in Tony’s work from people who may have only been on the fringes of the conversation. It’s made it even easier for people to share his ideas with a non-blog reading world. Last, it’s diversified Tony’s distribution channels which means he can more consistently reach a segment of his audience that prefers anything that looks and feels like a book, even if it’s on the screen. (Though, we designed every eBook with the intention of it being printed out.)
A successful eBook should:
- Represent one main idea. Any more and things get too complex.
- Be designed well. Your eye is drawn to what is appealing…even online.
- Be subject to editorial scrutiny. Don’t skimp on the integrity of the writing. Everyone will notice.
- Have a goal. If you aren’t clear on what you want to accomplish, you’ll just create more clutter.
Good luck and good writing!
