by Darlene "Dee" Bishop

The purpose in writing an ebook can be varied, depending on your personal or business goals, but whether you choose to give your ebook away as a free marketing tool, or sell it as a profit-producing product, you want to get as many copies onto the computer desktops of your readers as possible. That's why it's important that your ebook have an edge.

What kind of edge?

Well, for one thing, you can write about a topic that isn't commonly available. Let's say your ebook is about producing ebooks. There are a ton of ebooks available on this topic, yet many seem to simply rehash the same information.

On the other hand, there aren't an abundance of ebooks available about using desktop publishing techniques to make your ebook stand out from the masses, yet it's a topic that can help even novice ebook producers create more attractive and well designed ebooks. Selecting an important, but scarcely covered topic -- or aspect of a more common topic -- will definitely give your ebook an edge.

Another crucial edge to massive ebook sales is to "attach" an original ebook cover to your ebook. Granted, you can't physically attach a cover, but you can virtually attach one. And since the online world in which we live every day is virtual, it stands to reason that ebooks have virtual covers, as well.

Consider the world of physical books. Few people would buy a book without a cover. I wouldn't, and I buy a LOT of books -- just ask my husband! Why should ebook customers be different?

If your customer can afford to buy only one ebook and they are given the option of selecting your ebook with a beautiful graphic image that makes the ebook seem like a real, physical product... or your competitor's ebook that doesn't include a cover graphic and which seems like only one more link to one more site... which do you think they would choose? Which would YOU choose?

Would you rather click on a link that says:

--> Download Your Ebook Here!

Or one with a colorful, graphic image that depicts the topic of your ebook and gives it an "image" [in your mind] of its own?

The choice is simple. And the choice will be simple for your customers and prospects, too.

An ebook cover is a tremendous edge that you can give your ebook for very little, if any, cost. Ebook covers are affordable even for those of us who haven't reached our six-figure income mark yet.

One site that offers creative ebook covers that most anyone can afford is www.AdvantageMarketing4U.com. Rebecca White, the designer, has created a number of very creative ebook covers. Rebecca's work shows talent and her prices are very reasonable. On the 'Net, image is everything. Rebecca can help you create yours.

If you're a do-it-yourselfer, however, there is a little piece of software available that can help you create your own ebook cover. It's called, appropriately enough, Ebook Cover Creator, and it's very easy to use. Visit www.sensiblesitesolutions.com for more information.

Whichever way works best for you, the image of your ebook can make or break its success and reception online. That's why it's crucial that you not entrust something over which you have slaved and into which you have invested hours of valuable time to a simple text link. Attach it to an image that will take it beyond the realm of virtual into the world of visual and watch your downloads skyrocket.

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About the Author:

Darlene "Dee" Bishop is a Christian minister, writer, and creative designer who has succesfully worked online since 1998. Visit her website at www.sensiblesitesolutions.com and learn how her common sense marketing and website design solutions helps churches and WAHMs develop a valuable online presence.

Article copyright © 2005 by Darlene Bishop. All rights reserved worldwide.