Outside of the question "what should I write about", this has to be one of the most asked questions we get over at InfoMarketer’s Zone these days, the real concern is that others are NOT asking this question and are instead jumping into their own book writing or ebook publishing project missing a very important interim step called "market research"
Here’s a good example…
"I don’t want to copy the topic of another book, but I do want to write a book about…and they list 3 potential sub-niche topics within the astrology area."
Then they go on to ask various technical questions about how to get published, how to get an ISBN number, editing and other specifics on getting the actual book written.
But wait a minute…aren’t we putting the cart way before the horse here?
Shouldn’t we hone in on the opportunities for successful topics in the astrology space before jumping into the techniques of getting your project done.
The most devastating and dangerous obstacle that causes defeat and undue delay for first-time (and even experienced) writers is the lack of confidence in or actual demand within their chosen marketplace.
You can overcome this concern with some basic market research.
How?
First, before you even think about writing your own ebook or book, read these two free articles to understand the difference between writing a mediocre book and a hot selling book –
How Anyone Can Make Money With Ebooks – Even Part-Time Part 1
How Anyone Can Make Money With Ebooks – Even Part-Time Part 2
Second, use two powerful means of exploring your intended market for demand – keyword searches (using tools like Overture Keyword Inventory Tool) and exploring existing products sales rank on sites such as Amazon which give you an idea of how well existing books and topics are selling.
For example, using keyword searches, you can see that a large number of people search for astrology numeration information as well as astrology chart, astrology love, and so on…. these give you at least an initial glimpse into what sorts of topics people are actively searching for today which often equates to demand for information.
For our members over at InfoMarketer’s Zone we have several audio and video presentations on other "stealthy" market reserach tools you can use to discover pockets of online demand for information.
By subjecting your book idea or book topic to a rigorous market research process, you wil significantly increase the chances of your information publishing success.
Jeff
I have a book idea – please contact me. I want to collaborate with re-known female ministers for the book – how do I do it? 815-939-0955
Hello Sandra – can you give me a little more of an idea about your project? Do you mean “well-known” female ministers?
Are you having trouble knowing how to contact them?
If that’s the case, then here are a few approaches you can take…in each case you likely want to maintain full rights over your product:
1. Give them credit in the book for their contribution – that is enough for many professionals
2. Offer them a complimentary copy of the book when it is done – this sweetens the offer.
3. Offer them multiple copies at discount if they wish to offer their book to their friends or audience
Think about what you can offer them without sharing rights to the book as that gets messy in terms of licensing should you decide to ever license the product yourself to others in the future.
Hope that helps…
Jeff