Why should you be interested in writing an eBook? It sounds like a lot of work for very little payoff, right? The eBook market is a hugely profitable and growing market, one of the fastest growing segments of the internet. How popular is it? The year 2006 saw a 24.1% increase in eBook sales to $54 million. According to Business Week, eBook sales are up 59% in 2007 compared to 2006, and these numbers are projected to continue to grow. Ebooks offer a number of advantages not available in the print media including:

• Ebooks are available for immediate download. The purchaser never has to leave their home to have the information put at their fingertips. (This also makes the eBook the ultimate impulse buy!) There are no shipping and handling charges. Ebooks can be downloaded in minutes, 24 hours seven days a week.
• The PDF format offers interactive features not available in print. Navigation of the eBook (when it is properly put together) is a snap, allowing the reader to easily jump around to relevant areas of the book with a click. Links can also be put into the eBook, allowing easy navigation to other relevant online sites. In addition a search mechanism for specific words is available in the PDF format.
• Ebooks are usually priced comparably to print books.
• Getting a book published and available for purchase is much quicker in electronic form than print form. There is no binding, printing, or distribution involved.
• Ebooks are environmentally friendly. No trees were cut down, and no pollution was created in the production process.
• Other interactive features can be embedded in the book, including video, audio and animation.
• Formatting, such as font-size, can be more easily controlled by the reader. This makes the text easier to read for those with disabilities.
• Supplemental material can be included easily in the package at purchase. This includes other eBooks, software, and other downloadable materials.

So what are the disadvantages? If I am going to list the advantages, then- in the interest of fairness- I must list the disadvantages of electronic vs print media.

• Emotional attachment to the printed book. I am extremely guilty of this. Looking at text on a screen is a poor replacement for the feel and texture of a good, well put together book.
• Computer and internet access required. Even though, in this day and age, most people own a computer with internet access, there is still a significant percentage of the population which has no interest in owning a computer.
• Ebooks have no intrinsic resale value.
• Print books are completely portable.
• An eBook disappears from existence with the crash of a hard drive.

How Much Money Will I Make by Writing an Ebook? There are numerous factors involved here, all of which you have control over. Following is a list of the factors which you must take into account in order to maximize your income. What topic did you choose to write about? Let’s face it: an eBook about travel to Uzbekistan is not going to sell nearly as well as an eBook about love or money. Ebook subject matter is the single most important factor in how well the book sells. How is the Ebook Priced? An eBook that is overpriced will not sell. There are many circumstances under which it actually pays to give it away! Choose a Title Carefully A well chosen title goes a long way to selling your eBook. Marketing Marketing is the “other single most important factor” in determining how successful an eBook is. In conclusion, although eBooks will never replace the printed book, they have a place now in our culture which will only grow more permanent with time. There are many ways for you to cash in on this growing trend! Learn more about writing eBooks at http://createprofitableebook.com.