E-books are a great investment in your business. When presented properly, they have a high perceived value and can help you capture emails and even secure various conversions.
Note that I said, “when presented properly.” That part of the equation is crucial. You need the right visuals, the right presentation of the information inside, and a creative edge that sets your e-book apart. This is true regardless of your type of business or niche.
So how do you accomplish this? Well, it would strange for a guy who runs a successful copywriting company to suggest that it has to do with anything more than the quality of the writing, so I won’t. That is the most important element to a successful e-book. Because that is the case, I want to help you find the right one.
Where to Begin
There are plenty of people out there who think they can write an e-book, but the proof is in the copy. If you want to find the best writer first time out, it is important to know what you want going in. How long do you want your book to be? What kind of voice do you want in the copy? Who is your target audience? How is this book going to be used or marketed?
Once you’ve come up with answers to those questions (and arranged them into a comprehensive brief), it’s time to find a writer. You can go through an agency or interview individual freelancers. The benefit of the former is that your agent will usually take care of the screening process among his or her own ranks and provide you a promising shortlist of qualified candidates. It can shorten the hiring process considerably.
The Screening Process
For starters, handing off your e-book to the lowest bidder on a freelance site is not the best way to ensure quality. You need to carefully screen and select candidates and interview enough of them to be satisfied with your choice of a writer.
Whether you are hiring a freelancer or are selecting from a pool of writers from a reputable agency, there are a number of things to consider. It is always a good idea to hold off on selecting a writer until you’ve gotten a good handful of candidates to bid.
Sites like Upwork allow you to include screening questions in your job postings so you can get an honest feel for a writer’s skills and experience. You can always open up a dialog in other ways, too, but however you handle your screening process, there are a few questions you should consider asking your writer.
1. Is the writer a native speaker of the language of the e-book? Native speakers are far more likely to produce well-worded, conversational copy than writers who are not. It’s not a slight to anyone – there are hard-working copywriters all over the world who will bend over backward to deliver good work – it’s just a reality. Your writer should understand the language and mindset of your e-book’s audience. Period.
2. Does the writer have a background in the subject? I cannot stress how important this is. Your writer should have at least a working knowledge of the subject matter. This will make it far easier for your writer to produce a workable first draft. It will also help position you as a real authority. Feel free to ask questions that will help you accurately gauge just how much he or she knows.
3. Is the writer a good communicator from the start? Take note of how long it takes candidates to respond when you contact them. Take note of the responses you get to questions (especially screening questions).
4. Can the writer produce samples? If not, it’s better to consider other applicants. If, however, you discover a writer who lacks experience in this type of copywriting but has a strong knowledge of the subject, that person could very well be the best candidate. Ask if he or she has written any long-form articles, even in an unrelated field. This will help you determine how well the candidate manages, organizes, and presents large amounts of information. Chances are good that those skills will translate well into e-book writing. You’ll also be helping a hard-working copywriter add another valuable skill set to his or her résumé.
Ensuring Quality
Be sure to iron out with your candidates how the creative process is going to be handled. I recommend contracting for a first draft and at least one revision. Make sure your writer understands that you reserve the right to ask for changes, additions, and omissions, and be sure you are agreed on a number. Can you come back asking for changes once, twice, or forever? Contract for what you need, but be prepared to pay for your writer’s time.
That brings me to my last and most important point. If you want good quality, be willing to pay for it. You cannot expect professional quality if you’re only willing to pay $25 for a 10,000-word e-book. That comes out to 0.025¢ per word (one-quarter of a penny).
If you want quality work delivered on time, 3¢ per word or better is considered reasonable and customary for many e-book subjects. Subjects that are more technical can fetch more. Want to make use of someone else’s knowledge and experience? Be ready to give that person his or her due. That means that if you want a well-written 10,000-word e-book on subjects like renter’s insurance or applying for a loan, you should be ready to spend $300 on it, minimum.
Final takeaway: Writers are a dime a dozen. If you want quality, you need to make the effort to find one who is capable of delivering it. This takes time, it takes money, and it takes effort, but the payoff can be significant if you’re willing to do your part.