A book is a powerful way of promoting your business. It’s like a giant business card that shares your knowledge and experience with your potential clients. Writing a whole book can be a daunting task, so why not start with something smaller and less expensive, like an ebook? Here’s how you can get started.

Set your structure. A couple of years ago I started to write a book about Marketing Planning. The idea actually came from a presentation I’d been asked to give at a networking meeting about the basics of Marketing Planning. I created the structure for the talk, based on the nine stage planning process I’ve developed. Having written the talk, I realized that I actually had the structure for the book too! Once you have your structure, you’ll find it much easier to get going, so think about the key topics you want to cover in your ebook.

The time and place to write. Trying to write in my office rarely works. The phone rings or someone says something that distracts me. Instead, I like to write at my kitchen table with a cup of tea, a cat and view out into my garden. I have also found that I do my best writing in the morning. When I’m working to a writing deadline, I spend the first hour of each working day writing in the kitchen, before heading for the office. Find the time and place that suits you best.

Work to a deadline. When I don’t have a deadline to work to, my writing doesn’t get done. Other things crop up and seem to be more important. I’ve just finished writing my second book (with the working title of One in Ten) which has to be printed by 13 September 2013. I worked out a schedule for completing the writing and time for everything else that needs to be done, for it to be ready.

Editing and proof reading. I’m hopeless at proof reading my own work, so I always ask someone else to do it for me. I also had help with the editing of my first book, to make sure I was on the right track. If you’re writing your first book, look for someone who can guide you, to make sure your book hits its mark and does its job.

How does it look? The layout of any book is really important. It has to look professional and be easy to read. My first book was a workbook, full of tables and space to write. I worked with a graphic designer who works on a lot of books, to create something that looked just right.

Promoting your book. So you’ve written your ebook and it looks wonderful. Now you need to tell people about it! Talk about it when you go networking; put it on your website and make it easy for people to buy; and sell it through Amazon. You can give away free copies to people who will help you spread the word – or to potential clients.

So that’s how to create an ebook. What’s stopping you?!