Judging Your E-book By Its Cover

Your audience will judge your PDF-style e-book by its cover (even if you are giving it away for free as an opt-in). They will decide, based on how it looks and what it says, if it’s right for them.

How do you want your audience to feel when they see your e-book for the first time? How do you want to present yourself?

Seeing Your E-book Through Their Eyes

First Look

You audience’s first introduction to your e-book may be the 3-d version in the sidebar of your website. Take a minute and jot down any ideas you have about how this might look. If you already have an e-book promotion in your sidebar, take a look at it with fresh eyes. How does it make you feel? Is it enticing?

Second Glance

If they liked what they saw in your sidebar and clicked to download, within a few minutes your e-book will pop open on their screen. For an instant, at least, they will focus solely on your e-book cover. How do you want them to feel in that moment? If you already have an e-book, open it up. Take a look at the cover with fresh eyes. What is the cover saying about you and your business?

Lasting Impressions

You want a cover that is both verbally and visually powerful. A cover that matches your brand visuals and language. A cover that pulls your audience in. You want a cover that is 100 percent you. If it looks like every other e-book cover you’ve seen in the last year it’s time to do better.

3 Steps to Better E-book Covers

Whether you design your cover yourself or hire a designer to do it for you, these three steps are key.

1) Design for Impact

Design a cover that reinforces your brand visuals. This can be as simple as using your brand colors and typography, including your logo, or in the case of a series of e-books, using one consistent design element throughout the series.

Remember, your cover will be reduced to fit into your sidebar. Simple is better. Complex photos, thin fonts,and too much text will not translate at that small size. One quick way to check out how well your design translates to a smaller size is to view it at 25 percent and 50 percent.

Three simple DIY cover design options you can use.

2) Use Your Own Words

Chose a title reflects you and your brand. You can do this by starting to pay attention and notice your true voice. What phrases do you use all the time? What words light you up and also speak directly to your target audience? What can you pull out of the e-book to use as a title? Tip: Have someone else read your e-book out loud to you, listen for killer phrases that match up with your overall brand and the topic of the e-book.

E-book titles that showcase their author’s brands

Kris Carr – Crazy Sexy Manifesto

Jonathan Mead – Backpack
Danielle La Porte – Fire Starter Sessions
Tara Sophia Mohr – 10 Rules for Brilliant Women

3) Evaluate Honestly

Taking a few minutes to honestly evaluate your cover before it goes out in the world will put you miles ahead of your competition. Ask yourself these questions.

Does this cover reflect my brand?

If you look at your e-book alongside all your branding materials: logo, website, business card, etc. does it fit in? Will your audience know at a glance that this e-book is from you, or will they be left wondering who took over your company?

Is the cover simple and clear?

Will your audience know at one glance that it is for them? Does your title speak in your voice and convey the topic of your e-book clearly?

Is the cover fresh?

Does it look like every other e-book cover you’ve seen, or are you bringing your personality and branding to the table?

Am I proud to have my name on this cover?

If you answer “no” to any of those questions, remember that design is a process. Set the cover aside and come back to it in a few days. Then, take a fresh look at the cover and make note of the improvements you want to make. Make those changes and evaluate honestly again. Repeat as needed until you’re happy with the results.

Consumable Content

Think about all the content you consume in a day: emails, blog posts, YouTube videos, Facebook status updates, Tweets, webinars, online courses, calls, TV, radio, e-books, books, magazines, and more.

Content consumption

You are a content consumer and so are your ideal clients. As content consumers we often digest information better when it is delivered in chunks and sections.

Taste Tests

We like to snack, scan, skim, and jump into the content where it looks interesting. We look for entry points, indications of where to start, and clues about where to go next. For the most part this happens so automatically that we don’t even notice … unless those cues are missing.

If those entry points are missing and we’re faced with a solid block of gray text, we get bored. Suddenly we’ve skipped through an entire blog post or e-book without processing anything and then we decide to head out to Facebook to find something tastier to snack on.

Content creation

Chances are, in the course of running your business today, you’ll switch roles and instead of consuming content you’ll be the creator. But before you hit publish, stop for just a few minutes and think about how you want your audience to experience your awesome content. Adding just a few tasty entry points will keep your audience moving smoothly through your content instead of snoozing.

See the difference?

Entry points

There are many different types of entry points that you can include, depending on what format your content takes. Here are some examples of entry points you could use in an e-book.

    Entry points you can use in an e-book/PDF freebie:

    chapters
    sections
    introductory paragraphs
    headings
    subheadings
    pull quotes
    lists
    charts
    photos/illustrations
    photo captions
    sidebars
    calls to action

What entry points will you include in the content you create today?

I’ve used a few different entry points in this blog post. Headings (h1, h2, etc.), a list, an illustration, and, below, a call to action. If I’ve done my job well, you’ve dipped in at the entry points, read all the way to here, and learned something you can put into action today.

Online Resource Roundup: August

Check out this awesome list of online classes, programs, and resources offered by entrepreneurial women to help you live your best life. If you have an online offering available in that supports women entrepreneurs please share in the comments. If you’d like to be included in the August roundup, please fill out this form for consideration. Thanks!

Spotlight

This month we are shining the spotlight on The PDF Workshop

The PDF Workshop


With: Christie Halmick (that’s me!)

Price: $250.

Description: Create a beautiful, branded PDF for your target market (in iWork Pages) that will increase engagement with your ideal clients and help you grow your list. Boost your online business confidence by learning skills that you must have to get noticed online (writing, design, content strategy, marketing & follow through). Save money learn the skills to create any kind of PDF document. Starts August 27, 2012

More Info

Sales Close: at 25 participants or August 23, 2012 (7 spots left)

——————————————————————————————————————————————————
And now, on to the full list…have fun, grow, learn, explore, live!

~~~August~~~

Business Growth

Succulent, Savvy Business Design

With: Leela Somaya
Price: $297
Description: Custom-design your creative action plan for a wildly profitable, soul-full bizz. Double your Income in 6 months or less. More Info
Sales Close: August 3, 2012

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

The eCourse Team Experience

With: Dayna House
Price: $249
Description: If you are ready to create an ecourse or program and need a little help getting started and staying on track you need this group coaching program. Over the duration of the 4 weeks we will spend together I am going to share everything I know about how to create inspiring, effective and professional training courses and programs. More Info
Sales Close: August 6, 2012

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Rocket Your Revolution

With: Erin Giles
Price: $595
Description: A 4 week group coaching program that teaches you how to go big and give back by building philanthropy into your business model just as I did with End Sex Trafficking Day. More Info
Sales Close: August 11, 2012

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Hustle Your Business Boot Camp

With: Erika Lyremark
Price: $995
Description: An 8-week Group Coaching Course (with TONS of individual attention) that helps women entrepreneurs ditch fear, doubt + excuses about selling and teaches them how to be confident world-class business hustlers that bring in the cash! Starts August 12, 2012.
More Info
Sales Close: at 25 sign-ups

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

E-Book Brainstorming Sessions

With: Christie Halmick
Price: Free
Description: I’ll review your PDF freebie/e-book with an emphasis on content, design, audience, the bigger picture of your brand and the market. Then, we’ll meet for a 15 minute chat and you’ll leave with tips to take your e-book/freebie up a notch. If you don’t have an e-book/freebie, we’ll talk about audience, marketing goals and how an e-book fits into your brand, types of e-books and what best fits your particular marketing goals, writing, editing, design and PDF production issues. More Info
Sales Close: August 16 and 23, 2012. Limited spots.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

6 Weeks to Smart Systems for Solopreneurs

With: Samantha Leith
Price: 997
Description: Ditch It, Delegate It, Leverage It and Live It, by creating Smart Systems for your business. Imagine having more time, more money and more of your passions by having the business and life you want and deserve – not just a job that you have created for yourself. This 6 week online program will help you do just that.
More Info
Sales Close: August 31, 2012, limited to 10 spots.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Finances

Master Your Money

With: Amy M. Carbone
Price: $197
Description: Module 1: “Balanced Money for LIfe” This is a 4-session online class (all classes recorded) for women who are ready to get their personal money in order. We look at the Big Picture, and an easy formula that helps you know if you are on track to acheive your goals, or on the fast train to disaster! More Info
Sales Close: August 20, 2012

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Personal Development

22 Paths to Wholeness :: wisdom from the tarot

With: Jo Crawford
Price: $88
Description: In this 8 week online course (starts August 19) you will embark on a hero(ine)’s journey towards accepting your whole self with the tarot as your guide. You’ll enjoy weekly wisdom lessons inspired by the tarot, journal and creativity prompts, mindfulness exercises, ritual and altar work, and easy-to-implement tips on how to live a more fulfilling and present life. More Info
Sales Open: August 6, 2012

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Foundations for Unshakable Joy

With: Stephenie Zamora
Price: $395
Description: A 6-week group program that helps women take an honest look at their life, discover what they really want and create an easy-to-implement plan to make it happen fast. If you’re ready to experience fulfillment, passion and unshakable JOY, this course is for you! More Info
Sales Close: August 31, 2012

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Soul Work & Creativity

The Book Within

With: Amy Scott
Price: $447 / $747
Description: A remarkable 12-week journey to finish the book only you can write, with support from a professional book coach and editor (Amy Scott of Nomad Editorial) and a small community of writers just like you. Begins August 20, 2012.More Info
Sales Close: August 19, 2012

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

~~~September~~~

Business Growth

Fearless Launching

With: Anne Samoilov
Price: tba
Description: Want to learn the step by step process of launching – and how to do it over and over again without fear or frustration? Fearless Launching will give you the confidence + teach you how to keep launching. More Info
Sales Close: September 14, 2012

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Health & Wellness

Clueless in the Kitchen

With: Sue Ann Gleason
Price: $397
Description: September 18 through October 9. A delicious online program covering flavor balancing, nourishing foods, and healthful eating habits that have nothing to do with deprivation and everything to do with the sensuous, sumptuous nature of the food you eat. More Info
Sales Close: September 16, 2012

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

The Well Nourished Woman Inner Circle

With: Sue Ann Gleason
Price: $697
Description: A body wisdom approach to delicious living, September 19th through December 4. In this 12-week online program we’ll discover ARTFUL eating with a deep dive into the eating experience and what it means to prepare a sumptuous meal that nourishes body, eye, and palate. Then, we’ll move into ARTFUL living, as we explore our creative compass and craft the MAGNIFICENT LIFE of a well nourished woman. More Info
Sales Close: September 16, 2012

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Horrible Food Wonderful Food

With: Grace Bell
Price: $395
Description: 8 week telecourse to deeply investigate the painful beliefs about food and eating, using The Work of Byron Katie, a powerful form of self-inquiry. Taught by Grace, who recovered from bulimia, anorexia and a violent love-hate relationship with food. More Info
Sales Close: September 17, 2012

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Soul Work & Creativity

Walking with Ma’at: Seven Secrets to Finding Balance

With: Amy Auset Rohn
Price: $565
Description: Clear chakras never sounded so good… tune into your body and tune up! Having clear energy centers helps bring clarity, ease, and understanding in your daily life. New avenues for success in your life can be opened by activating these wheels of energy within your body. More Info
Sales Close: September 5, 2012

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Picking Up the Pieces Tele-Retreat

With: Alana Sheeren
Price: $248
Description: When grief strikes, it can feel like your world is falling apart. This 5 week tele-class will guide you into greater knowledge and acceptance of your experience, uncovering your inner strength and wisdom, and helping you find the gold in your grief.More Info
Sales Close: September 11, 2012 or at 22 people

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

~~~Ongoing~~~

Business Growth & Personal Development

Be&Biz Sessions

With: Emmanuelle Lambert
Price: $299/$149 for applications received before August 9!
Description: A special 90-minute coaching session designed to give you tools and foundations as a solopreneur and integrate seamlessly your biz into your life and not your life into your biz. By the end of the session, with laser-focused coaching from me, you will define your message and how to communicate it effectively, your next steps to rock your biz YOUR way, and you will have a clear action plan designed for *you*. More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Business Planning for the Average Human

With: Amber Goodenough
Price: $349
Description: The Business Planning for the Average Human video ecourse is an 8 week online course that covers all the stuff you need in business plan in a fun, creative, exciting format! Everything is in plain english! No confusing jargon, no complicated spreadsheets…just the essentials. And visual aids and templates galore. More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Editor On Call

With: Lauren Forest
Price: Monthly Packages start at $97
Description: Make sure your online content is as professional as it can be – have it edited and proofread by your own “Editor On Call.” Send your weekly blog posts, guest articles, whatever you need…even Facebook updates and tweets and they’ll be polished and refined – usually within 72 hours (for short pieces); monthly package prices are based on word count. More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Free 15 Minutes Pow-wow

With: Yvette Syversen
Price: Free
Description: Free 15 Minutes Powwow chats with Yvette Syversen of EZ Business Growth {on Skype}. These no-hold barred conversations will help you liberate yourself from the daily grind of your business, so you can finally OWN your business and not the other way around! Result, more freedom + more cashola. Available: By appointment throughout August. More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

more EVOLution

With: Leona Mizrahi
Price: $136
Description: More evolution sessions are personalized private one-on-ones that reframe the self-help concept. Your private session is accompanied with straight forward and provocative questions that are results-oriented to help keep your heart warm and mind calm. More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Morning Whip

With: Erika Lyremark
Price: $595
Description: 30 days of whip-crackin’ action + luxurious support to whip UP your business confidence with Erika Lyrmark author of the forthcoming Think Like A Stripper: How to Hustle Like You Mean It! More Info
Sales Close: at 25 attendees

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Namestorming!

With: Victoria Prozan McGlinn
Price: $275
Description: You can’t sell it if you haven’t named it! Stop wasting time and start making money! More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Pinterruption

With: Jessica Kupferman
Price: $199
Description: An online course that helps business owners get started using Pinterest for business, branding, SEO, website traffic, and more! More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

QuickStart Website

With: Loralee Hutton
Price: $97
Description: You can stop looking the “perfect” plugins and worrying about SEO. This program includes the setup of your WordPress site with the plugins & pages you’ll need to get you back to focusing on building your business. “Done For You” WordPress setup, with easy to consume 5 minute video tutorials to help you personalize the website, get your first blog post out & your sales copy in place. Followed by a mini website review.More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Shift into Genius

With: Lauren Forest
Price: $1197
Description: A genius doesn’t fight her current situation: she shifts out of it and into a place that’s above & beyond it – she shifts into her own place of personal genius. This 6 week process teaches women entrepreneurs how to use this system to solve problems, overcome obstacles, and free themselves from self-defeating thoughts & feelings so that they can create the relationships, life, and businesses of their dreams. More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Track This!

With: Brittni Mehlhoff
Price: $27
Description: Track This! is packed with actionable worksheets, charts, and questions designed to help you figure out what your true (and very specific) goals are when it comes to your business, and how to stay on track and accomplish those goals once they are set. More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

WordPress Play Day

With: Loralee Hutton
Price: pay what you can
Description: A light and carefree place to spend time with like minded people who are also working on their WordPress websites. It’s a great place to focus on this 1 project for a few hours with no other distractions. We meet every Thursday evening, and every 2nd Tuesday during the day.
Accountability + Support = WordPress Play Day. More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Finances

Conscious Bookkeeping Method: Home Study Program

With: Bari Tessler Linden
Price: $300
Description: This self-guided, step-by-step and comprehensive online home study course is packed with Tools for Financial Transformation. Charged with practical action steps, teeming with deep reflection cues, and guided by a nurturing curiosity – you’ll be guided your relationship with money on every level, at your own pace. More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Tools for Financial Transformation: Introductory Video Course

With: Bari Tessler Linden
Price: $45
Description: This 4-part video series presents Bari Tessler Linden’s Conscious Bookkeeping method in lively, bite-sized morsels of transformative genius. If you’re ready for a jump start into a more conscious and fulfilling relationship with money, you won’t want to miss it! More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Wake Up With Mint Course

With: Bari Tessler Linden
Price: $65
Description: This multi-media training course has everything you need to start a money practice with the hip & handy web-based personal finance app, Mint.com. You’ll get a comprehensive video training guide to Mint, plus a soulful guide through the psychological, emotional, and spiritual considerations of tracking your finances. More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Health & Wellness

28-Day Fat-Blaster Challenge

With: Shay de Silva
Price: $149
Description: A comprehensive program that will get you in tip-top shape in just 28 days. The challenge includes a workbook for changing your habits, three workout videos (each one less than 25 minutes long and requiring no weights or other equipment), a meal plan, a day-by-day guide, and a tracker so you can chart your progress. More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

The Cut The Crap 7 Day Guided Cleanse

With: Carol Galanty
Price: $45
Description: Cut the crap out of your diet, give yourself a big energy boost, improve your focus and sleep like a baby by cleansing your mind, body and soul for 7 days. (There is an optional juice delivery service or you can make your juices yourself). More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

The Deluxe Mix & Match Meal Chart

With: Lacy
Price: $9.95
Description: A PDF chart designed using the Mix and Match Rule to help solve or prevent a picky eating problem for kids. The chart contains almost 400,000 different healthy, balanced meal combinations!More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Fast Fitness to Go

With: Shay de Silva
Price: $99/month
Description: Get fit and firm in 25 minutes anytime, anywhere…no equipment needed! This unique program delivers three new 25-minute workout videos directly to your inbox each month. More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Inspired Running

With: Christy Lambert
Price: $10 a month
Description: Inspired Running is an online community of beginning runners/walkers, offering personalized support, motivation & feedback. The intent is to inspire as many people as possible to reach their fitness and life goals using inspiration to pave the way. More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Paleo Power Lunch

With: Stormy Sweitzer
Price: $27.50
Description: Paleo Power Lunch: Easy, Filling & Delicious Workday Meals is a strategic cookbook with a set of how-to videos and quick guides designed to help you create meals that power your active and busy life. Recipes are based on Paleo dietary principles and are naturally free of dairy, grains, legumes, and processed ingredients. All resources are electronic so you can easily download and use them wherever you need them. More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Season to Run

With: Jeanne Andrus
Price: $197/$347
Description: This program is perfect for you if you never thought you could be a runner, if you’ve tried and failed to be a runner, or if a 5k (or longer!) is on your “someday” list! Season to Run is a ZERO to 5k running program that teaches you everything you need to know to become a runner and supports you every step of the way! Minimum age – 9, maximum age – 95! More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Sugar Recovery Program

With: Claudia Olivie
Price: $175
Description: This program is for you if you have struggled to end the cycle of sugar addiction in the past and are looking to make a permanent shift so you can get over your sugar addiction once and for all. It includes everything I used on myself and with countless others to effectively and permanently kick the sugar habit. More Info
——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Your Health Path

With: Wendy Sailor
Price: $28, $98, $224 per month
Description: Three levels of coaching programs and classes: e-course and site membership, the aforementioned as well as email coaching, all of the aforementioned and 4 half hour coaching calls a month. Health and wellness coaching geared to the individual. This is not about what I want for you but helping you to decide what YOU want for you. More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Soul Work & Creativity

Bling Your Brilliant Idea

With: Cara Moulds
Price: $275/$1500
Description: Are you stalled with a divine idea that wants to be born? Get individual coaching and consulting to get out of the muck that’s weighing you down. 1 Carat Bling and 6 Carat Bling options for creating an online program or retreat, branding or opt-in ideas, writing an e-book, crafting a speech or presentation, or whatever brilliant idea is swirling within you! More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Breathe-Focus-Centre

With: Melissa Horne
Price: $55.00 (AUD)
Description: Breathe-Focus-Centre, is a beautiful soulful on-line program, all about connecting in with the breath, to reduce stress & become more self aware – all in the name of building a life that you actually want to live. More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Introduction to Tarot

With: Eliza Fayle
Price: $40
Description: YA common sense approach to learning the Tarot, with no memory work involved. Tarot opens up your intuition and creativity to enhance not just your personal life, but your business life as well. More Info

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Please share anyone who would benefit from this information.

If you’d like to be included in the next roundup, please fill out this form for consideration. Thanks!