Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight

But making an ebook can be overwhelming. Not only do you have to write the content, but you also need to design and format it into a professional-looking document that people will want to download and read. But with lead generation as the top goal for content marketing, ebooks are an essential part of any successful inbound marketing program.

So in this post, we'll walk you through the ins and outs of creating an ebook by ... well ... creating an ebook. And if you're worried about your lacking design skills? Fret not ...

Download 5 pre-designed, customizable ebook templates for free here. For even more options, download 13 more ebook templates here.

Got your free templates? Ready to create an ebook? Great -- let's get to it....

Or, to use another analogy, it's kind of like a display of orange slices at the grocery store, giving shoppers an opportunity to taste a sample before committing to a purchase. After all, it's awfully disappointing to arrive home with a bag of oranges that appeared juicy and delicious, but are actually dry and tasteless.

Similarly, most of us have been burned by purchasing something online that didn't quite deliver on its promise. People want to see what they're getting themselves into, and you can facilitate that with an ebook. Remember, just because it’s got “book” in the name, it doesn’t need to be a novel. You can make an ebook with a collection of testimonials, case studies and examples of your work, or a basic introduction to your offerings that will leave your readers wanting more....

Each year I write an annual Smashwords year in review and then preview what's coming for the new year. Welcome to the 2015/2016 edition!

The short version of this post is that amid a general slowdown in the ebook market, characterized by a glut of high-quality low-cost ebooks and flat or declining sales industry-wide, Smashwords is focused on the long term.

Although we've been in business for almost eight years, we still feel like we've only begun to scratch the surface of what's possible. We're looking ten years ahead and laying the groundwork today to enable a better long term future for the constituencies we serve - authors, publishers, retailers, libraries, readers, and book culture. A quick introduction for thet thousands of authors and publishers who are new to Smashwords this year: I founded the company in 2008 to make it fast, free and easy for any writer, anywhere in the world, to self-publish an ebook. In 2009 we began distributing our books to major retailers starting with Barnes & Noble.

Today we've grown to become the world's largest distributor of self-published ebooks. Over the years we've opened up exciting new sales channels for indie authors and small indie publishers that were previously inaccessible or didn't exist....