How do you know if your content is worthy of an eBook? Perhaps all you have written right now is a blog post, but could your topic possibly be expanded into something more? What does it take to publish an eBook?
Content Length
There are no specific rules about eBook length, but there are guides for specific genres. Because counting pages is ill-advised, since people read eBooks on different devices, it's better to use word count to determine length.
- The average nonfiction book is 50,000 to 75,000 words in length, although biographies can be as long as 200,000 words.
- How-to and self-help books are typically 40,000 to 50,000 words.
- The average fiction novel runs approximately 100,000 words.
- Other fiction genres - YA, sci-fi, and fantasy - range anywhere from 80,000 to 120,000 words.
Even though every genre will have an average word count, the fact is, your eBook could be 12,000 words long and still be relevant. In fact, eBooks that are offered as free downloads for lead generation can be 2,000 to 3,000 words and still serve their purpose.
Content Quality
The length of your content is not nearly as important as the quality. You can't just add words to hit a certain number unless those words are necessary for telling your story. We advise indie authors to write a quality story without worrying about length. Meaningless content or fluff will not result in a successful self-publishing experience. Focus on the quality of your writing, the full development of your characters, and the depth of the research to create your content.
Expandable Content
A good sign that your content is worthy of an eBook is its ability to be expandable. That is, whether you're writing a blog post or have the beginnings of an eBook, there should be room to expand and add detail to make the work even better. You may even find that your content is worthy of a whole series of eBooks that branch from one idea to the next.
The best way to discover if your content is worthy of an eBook is to begin writing. As you write, you will see how - or if - a story will form and take hold that you can build on.
How do you know if your content is worthy of an eBook? Perhaps all you have written right now is a blog post, but could your topic possibly be expanded into something more? What does it take to publish an eBook?
Content Length
There are no specific rules about eBook length, but there are guides for specific genres. Because counting pages is ill-advised, since people read eBooks on different devices, it's better to use word count to determine length.
