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Creating the...eWOW!...moment.
JoJaffa's Style Guide
Top tips to help you write for success!
Reading ebooks is a different experience to reading normal paper versions. That means writing for them is a different too!
So, here we've gathered up, in just a few brief paragraphs, the essence of how to write for the screen! Click on the link below to jump to any section:
Getting the focus - ebook title & subtitle
Ebooks are about action!
But before a reader is motivated into action, they must get the wake up call - be shown the revelation - change the way they think!
Hence, the more 'urban myths' you can dismiss or 'general assumptions' you can destroy - the more powerful will be your message.
But remember, always bring your reader back to the right, the better or the best way of doing things!
If you can think of a tool - a check list or a spreadsheet or a calculator that can help solve (and simplify) a problem then build it! (Or get someone else to build it - like us!)
As you work through this process of writing you will begin to define the over riding purpose and - most importantly - BENEFIT - of your ebook.
For example here are two ebooks with title and subtitle
Property Developer Secrets - how to make money without risk
Buy to Let Secrets - the secrets of hassle free property investment
I've put in bold the over riding benefit of reading the ebook - in one case it is to reduce risk and the other case it is to reduce 'hassle'.
You can see that the book title is highly descriptive - this states exactly what the ebook is - whereas the sub title tells you 'this is why you should read this ebook'
It is crucial that you identify a compelling reason to read your ebook as well as a clear description of what it is about.
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Style
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Always write in the 'I' and 'you' - never speak about 'what one might do'
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No jargon! - or if you have to use it always explain it, remember your reader might not have read the explanation at the beginning of the chapter
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Use examples to illustrate
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Use bullet points all the time!
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Always be specific - break down 'it is booming' to 'the property market is booming'
It is easier to write lists (or bullet points) and tables. It is also much easier to read.
Remember, most of the reading will take place on screen - which is perhaps 35% slower than with paper!
Also, the nature of an ebook is that you can jump in and out of sections that interest you.
Therefore, you should always assume your reader knows nothing! Don't expect him to have read the ebook from start to finish - so always explain technical terms.
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How to express yourself!
If you are struggling to put a point (or series of points) across try listing the essential information in a bullet point list - but never list more than 5 points at once! If need be split the list into two parts.
Alternatively, use a table for more than 5 points.
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Tips to help you to write
Often, when the words are flowing, it best just to keep going! That means you might want to leave a paragraph unfinished
use
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'Key Tips' - when you wish to express an extra thought
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'Golden rules' - when you want to emphasis key points
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'xx' - to mark anything you want to come back to later (it makes it easy to find - just search for xx - and you'll find all the missing bits!)
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Photos
A picture speaks a thousand words! It might be a photo or it might be a graph. Either way, start collect (taking the photos) as soon as possible. Keep them together and then we'll arrange for them to be scanned and set into the document.
Key Tip: Take a camera with you wherever you go - and just collect pictures.
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Summary
Keep these thoughts in mind as you write:
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short paragraphs
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short sentences
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place the meaning at the beginning of the sentence
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bullet point lists of no more that 5 items
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keep it personal ('I' and 'you' - not 'they' and 'one')
But most of all - Have FUN! - if you enjoy yourself, then so will your readers! :-)
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