Writers, Today We Talk: How to Embrace the E-Book

Last year, I interviewed three writers who had just launched their first eBook: Cash in on Your Kids. I was curious about the collaboration process , something journalists Kris Bordessa, Teri Cettina and Jeannette Moninger shared about in depth. You can read the interview “Three co-authors unite on different styles, intellectual messiness and the power of ‘one step at a time’” by clicking here.

I was curious as to how the e-Book was going and also, what the trio had discovered about themselves and the process since the launch.  Jeannette Moninger weighed in:

“When we write for national magazines, we often never know how (or even if) our stories affect readers. The wonderful thing about authoring an ebook is readers write directly to us and tell us how the book has helped them. It’s an uplifting and fulfilling experience! Writing and compiling Cash in on Your Kids required each of us to sift through the myriad story pitches we’ve submitted over the years – from our first years as newbie writers praying someone would take a chance on us – to our more polished pieces that convey a sense of confidence, a sense of “You should assign me this one! Other editors love me!” It was a humbling trip down memory lane, to say the least.

“And now that the book’s been out for a little more than a year, we get to reap the rewards of hearing from our readers: Moms who’ve toyed with the idea of breaking into writing, but weren’t sure where to begin; aspiring writers who set aside their ambitions to take on the full-time job of parenthood, but who are now itching to tap the keyboard.

“We’ve had some challenges promoting the book: We’re writers, not marketers. We’ve had to push aside the writer side of us just a smidge and open our minds to learning about search engine optimization and how to best use social media like Facebook and Twitter to connect with our audience. The reader responses have reminded us of the excitement we felt the first couple of times we heard ‘Yes, I’d love to assign this story to you!’”

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