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How To Work With A Co-Author To Leverage Your eBook Writing
By Ellen Violette
1. Communicate with your co-writer. Be clear about what you can do and what you expect your co-writer to do and who is going to pay for what so there are no misunderstandings. And don’t allow arguments to descend into a blame game.
2. Have a schedule with deadlines so that you know when each piece of the ebook as well as marketing efforts needs to be completed. Without a schedule it’s easy to get offtrack. And once you get off track it can be difficult to sync up schedules to get back on track especially when it comes to a release date and if you are going to do one, a Virtual eBook Tour. Plus it can cause frustration creating a wedge between co-writers.
3. Make sure that both co-writers keep accurate records of all of the money that is spent on your ebook project so that it is easy to get reimbursed for expenses and nobody gets stuck with the bill.
4. Make sure that each co-writer understands that capabilities and limitations of the other so their expectations do not exceed what each person is capable of delivering. For instance, if you aren’t good with technology but your partner is, be clear that you expect them to do the audio and video. In exchange offer to do something else that you know you can deliver easily and on time. Unrealistic expectations can torpedo your ebook.
5. Don’t get emotional. Always do what is best for the project and don’t let your personal feelings get in the way. Avoid attacking the other person and if they attack you, deflect the criticism. Otherwise it will become impossible to work together. And once you’ve created an ebook together you will need to work together for the success of the project.
Co-writing an ebook can bring great rewards if you follow these simple co-writing strategies. The leverage that you get by accessing another person's expertise as well as they contacts can be enormous. So be aware of the pitfalls and do your best to avoid them and co-writing will be a great experience!
Ellen Violette, The eBook Coach, is the creator of the Quick-Start 3-Day eBook Authoring Workshop which teaches people how to author an ebook in 72 hours or less..Guaranteed! She is also the creator of eBook Profit Marketing Secrets a step-by-step guide to building a profitable ebook and information business online and co-author of Sell More eBooks, Low And No-Cost Tactics To Explode Your eBook Sales And Downloads with Internet Expert Jim Edwards. Ellen has also written The eBook Journal For Authoring Success and more. And, she is a Grammy-nominated songwriter