eBooks are one of the fastest-growing areas of the publishing industry, with the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader providing a platform for readers to access their favorite books in electronic format. Forrester Research estimates that by the end of this year, U.S. consumers will have bought a total of 3 million e-readers, and sales of eBooks are expected to make up 33% of all book sales by 2014.
But eBooks aren’t just for big publishers and bestselling authors – eBooks are also becoming a major new method for small businesses and Web entrepreneurs to market themselves and to sell as educational products. eBooks give authors the power to quickly and affordably publish a book to help market a product or service, to establish themselves as an authority in a particular subject area, or to sell as an information product to niche audiences.
“Our customers publish eBooks on everything from dating advice to investing guides to how to make it to Major League Baseball,” said Derek Chiodo, president of eCover Makers, a Minneapolis-based Web marketing firm specializing in eBook cover design (http://www.ecovermakers.com). “Publishing an eBook is a great way for a small business or independent entrepreneur to establish credibility as a voice of expertise in their field, to give away for free as a marketing tool, or to sell as a side product from a blog or online community.”
As they launch their eBooks, many eBook publishers are starting to give attention to the importance of a professional eBook cover (http://www.eCoverMakers.com). In a crowded field, where hundreds and thousands of eBooks appear online each day, high-quality eBook cover design is one of the differentiation points that can help an eBook stand out from the competition.
“The majority of Web site visitors who decide not to buy an eBook online say the reason they don’t buy is because they can’t see the product,” said Chiodo. “A professional eBook cover design gives Web site visitors a chance to actually ‘see’ the product – it makes the eBook more real and tangible, and increases the buyer’s perceived value of the eBook.”
As eBooks continue to become more popular, Derek Chiodo expects that independent eBook publishers will need to continue to improve their image with their eBook cover design.
“Having an attractive, high-quality eBook cover design is becoming increasingly important,” Chiodo said. “Just as people judge your business by the quality of your Web site, they will also be evaluating and judging the quality of your eBook based on your eBook cover design. You want your eBook to present a professional, appealing image to your prospective readers, so people know that your information is credible.”
Derek Chiodo is the president of eCover Makers, a Minneapolis-based website design & graphics firm (http://www.ecovermakers.com)specializing in eBook cover design. Derek and the eCover Makers team create high-impact, professional-quality eBook covers to help small businesses and entrepreneurs sell their eBooks. Visit their website at http://www.eCoverMakers.com or call 1-800-975-7953 for more information.
