My ebook was created by TM Design, a design firm in Maryland owned by a good friend, Tina Cardosi.

So, in order to answer questions on how-to create an ebook, I turned to Tina for her recommendations … some helpful steps. She said that her team begins work with a blank slate (no opinion on color, fonts, etc.), or they start by listening to your ideas, purpose and suggestions.

Here are her general guidelines:

• Make sure text is final. Before sending, proof an extra time. It is a good idea to get someone else with a fresh eye to look it over.
• Who is the intended audience? The audiences an author wants to reach will influence design.
• How many pages?
• What visuals (photos, illustrations) do you want to incorporate? Will you provide them or would TM Design need to provide them?
• Did you have a font style in mind?
• Any color choices or preferences?
• What is the turn-around time?
• How would you promote it? How would you sustain the momentum of the promotion?
• Can you provide examples of e-books you have seen that you like or don’t like?

About budget … you’ll need to contact Tina directly. All of her contact details can be found on the Web site of TM Design.

I highly recommend working with Tina and her team at TM Design. We’ve worked together on projects for years.