If you have ever thought about developing an ebook you need to know that ebooks do not have to be the same length as traditionally published books. You can, in fact, develop an ebook to any length you desire. Your ebook can be chapbook length to an industrial epic, the choice is yours.
One of the more common lengths for knowledge-based ebooks is 10,000 – 20,000 words. This is less than half the length of many traditional manuscripts.
I suppose one of the primary reasons for the abbreviated length is that for many niche subjects it can be counter productive to include irrelevant information in an effort to simply add length to the manuscript.
Ebooks often cut to the chase by striking at the heart of a topic and allowing that topic to be developed in a compact frame that helps the reader not only get through the details, but also allows them to get through the information more rapidly so they can use the provided information more quickly.
Ebooks are often held to a different standard than traditional books. No-nonsense customers who want practical ways to gain a new level of proficiency on a topic of interest often purchase Ebooks. The subject could be fishing skills, online marketing or one of another thousand topics. The niche nature of ebooks makes that possible.
The downloads are easy, the cost is less expensive than a typical book and the end result is a concise publication that helps you move forward more quickly in an area of interest. Men may find ebooks a good alternative to reading. Since most guys prefer doing something to reading something the concise nature of ebooks allows them to learn something and then go apply what they know with the least amount of downtime.
Of course, ebooks also come in other interesting flavors including novels and children’s books. You see, ebooks are flexible and can be fashioned in virtually any ideal or target demographic you might have in mind.
I know of writers that will write 40,000-80,000 word manuscripts for publication, but for the most part manuscripts of this length are not the standard in most ebook downloads.
Perhaps one of the reasons for the more concise nature of ebooks has to do with an odd phenomenon. You see, when it comes to reading on the computer it isn’t long before there is eye strain that forces you to take time away from the computer. The quicker an ebook gets to the point the better for the ebook owner.
Most of us aren’t adept at reading lengthy documents on a computer screen so ebook content needs to be very clear, helpful and pointed.
Just like online content you should work to make your ebook scanable by using bullet points so your reader can skim for pertinent information they may find valuable.
Ebooks are a good answer to the fast paced life most of us lead as well as making economic sense for cost-conscious consumers. Have a point, make a point and allow your readers to ‘get’ the point – and then do something with it.
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