Selling and creating online or e-books is nothing new. E-books are a concept that many Internet marketers are still reluctant to embrace. They are often scared about what they should write, how they should write it and who or when to sell it to. You don’t need to worry about all of that stuff just yet, it’s most important to just get busy writing the e-book, and a high quality one too. Quality plays a major role when it comes to marketing e-books. Regardless of what business you are in the quality of the product is the one thing that cannot nor should not ever be compromised. We will talk about a few e-book writing tips that are unorthodox to help you in the long run.

The first step in the process, after you choose your subject, is to research your audience. This step comes even before you start to write your e-book. If you do this step your writing will be a lot more powerful. You can’t get your audience to relate to you if you don’t know much about them. So who are the people who are going to read your work? You need to know your audience’s demographic. Are these people already experts on the subject or are they beginners? How much money are they willing to spend for the information? This is how you create a loyal group of customers who will buy more of your stuff in the future.

An important part of your e-book is the title. What is the first thing that attracts you towards an e-book? Of course we all know it is the title that sets your e-book apart, after that is the remaining content. Optimizing your title is only half the battle. The English language is complicated, it’s important that you are comfortable with it in order to write effective titles.

You will not grab the attention of your target audience if your title is not effective. Carefully title your e-book with a title that attracts attention. Anyone with copywriting experience knows the value of an attention-grabbing title. You can come up with several ideas and jot them down before choosing the best one between them all. Seek the guidance of a friend who can offer suggestions. Once you know that your title is indeed apt and is getting you good results in your test rounds, then stick to it.

Now you can start writing your rough draft. So initially, you don’t even have to think a lot but simply start writing whatever comes to your mind. You should focus completely on writing; editing comes into play when you write your second draft. All you have to focus on is writing and nothing else. All of your ideas are fresh right now so don’t lose them by stopping to correct a misspelled word.

Lastly, don’t dismiss the power of owning your own product; this is how the majority of big marketers got to where they are now. Don’t underestimate the power of these techniques; they are proven techniques that work.

I frequently hire freelance writers to write e-books and other information products for my small online publishing business.

Recently RH, a potential author, was taken aback when I told him I wanted a 15,000-word e-book from him.

“How did you come up with 15,000 words as the desired length?” he asked me, hinting that it was unwise of me to demand such a huge number of words.

“In this age of hyper-information overloading, shouldn’t a document be more like the lady’s skirt—short enough to be interesting and just long enough to cover the subject?” he suggested.

RH’s question seems sensible enough on the surface.

But his conclusion that when it comes to writing and reading shorter is universally preferable to longer is not true.

May I explain why?

To begin with, RH is theoretically correct when he suggests that readers are busy, have too much to read, and not enough time to read it.

Despite this, however, people who buy information products—especially online—have a slightly different perspective than ordinary readers.

Info-products buyers do, to some extent, buy their information “buy the pound”.

If they pay a high price, they expect a lot for their money. Not just great content. But plenty of it.

We call this demand for quantity the “thud” factor. When a customer orders a $50 info-product, the material should make a nice “thud” when he drops it on his desk.

For e-books selling in the $19 to $49 range, I find that the customer is satisfied with a thicker, heftier e-book—at least 50 pages—when he prints it out and holds it in his hands.

With approximately 300 words per page, a 50-page e-book is 15,000 words, which is the word count requirement I gave RH.

RH, in turn, suggested that we could make a more valuable product by covering the topic in a single page, which he said he could do.

Well, let me warn you now. If you sell a $29 e-book, and deliver to your customers a one-page PDF document on the topic, your refund rate will be huge.

Those customers will feel ripped off and not buy from you again.

Even if that one page has great content, it is not enough. It does not meet the “thud factor” requirement.

The reason for RH’s erroneous assumptions on word length is that he is applying the same rule of modern writing—that brevity is the chief virtue of good writing—equally to information the reader wants as well as information he doesn’t want.

I agree with RH that in correspondence and other documents the prospect doesn’t really want or care about, you want to get to the point as quickly as possible—and keep it short and simple.

But when you sell a customer an e-book or special report, you are sending him writing that he actually wants to read.

Remember, he ordered it. He even paid you for it. He didn’t have to buy. But he did.

That means your customer is sufficiently interested in the topic to educate himself on it at his own expense.

He is reading your e-book for his own benefit. And perhaps for his own enjoyment. It is not a chore. Or if it is a chore, it is one he has volunteered for.

Strangely, RH didn’t complain to me that books he buys on Amazon.com or in Barnes & Noble have “too many words”.

Yet the average 200-page non-fiction trade paperback book contains 80,000 words—5 times the length of my average e-book!

Are you, like RH, afraid your copy—whether you are writing a salesletter, a landing page, an article, a special report, or a print or electronic book—is too long?

If so, the reason might be any of the following defects…all of which can and should be corrected:

1. Too much fluff: to meet the required word length, you have padded your copy, making it dull and flabby. You are wasting the reader’s time saying the same thing over and over in different ways.

2. Lack of content: you haven’t done your homework, so you don’t have a rich body of facts to illustrate your points and support your claims. Given the existence of the Internet and Google, there is no excuse for such inadequate research.

3. Lack of authority: you sound like you don’t really understand your subject in depth, and the reason is you probably don’t. You need to either become an expert or interview an expert (or two).

4. Boring copy: you don’t really care about the topic or the project, and it comes across in your copy. Solution: write only on subjects you are interested in and care about.

Bob Bly is the author of “World’s Best Copywriting Secrets” and has written copy for more than 100 companies including IBM, Boardroom, Medical Economics and AT&T. He is the author of more than 75 books and a columnist for Target Marketing, Early To Rise and The Writer. McGraw-Hill calls him “America’s top copywriter”.

There are a number of different business models for making money on the Internet.

Of these, my favorite—and the one I recommend to those who want to sell information products, dietary supplements, or just about any other product online today—is the “Agora Model”.

The Agora Model is an online marketing methodology pioneered by Agora Publishing.

In a nutshell, the Agora Model says you should offer a free e-newsletter and build up a large subscriber base.

Then, you make money by e-mailing promotions to your online subscriber list.

Agora and others are making hundreds of millions of dollars in sales online with the Agora Model.

Yet when I recommend it to marketers—both experienced and novice alike—they are immediately and strongly resistant to the idea.

Why?

One reason for their reluctance is that they have read an article by some so-called Internet marketing guru telling them that e-mail marketing is dead, passé, old hat.

And that they should be focusing instead on blogging, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, online video, mobile marketing, SEO, AdSense, or whatever the fad flavor of the month is.

The other reason marketers are reluctant to launch a new e-newsletter is a fear—reasonable but not true—that the e-zine “space” is too overcrowded.

“There are so many e-zines out there, and everyone I know says they already get too many,” an attendee at an Early to Rise Internet Marketing Conference told me. “It seems impossible that I could be successful by publishing yet another.”

If you believe this to be true, slap yourself—and listen to me as I tell you what really works in Internet marketing today…

The Agora Model really works. I use it myself to earn a 6-figure income online—”working” on my Internet
business only a couple of hours a week.

All the components of the Agora Model—e-newsletters, e-mail marketing, online ads—still work. Like gangbusters.

As an article in DM News reports: “While social media and mobile marketing continue to be hot topics, marketers are still finding e-mail newsletters relevant.”

One of the neatest things about the Agora Model is that e-newsletter subscribers are more loyal readers—because they choose to opt into your list—instead of you gathering their names and compiling your own e-list.

And despite the glut of e-mail in your prospect’s inbox, sending an e-mail is still an effective way to gain the reader’s attention:

>> A study at Loughorough University found that users take action, on average, in less than 2 minutes upon being notified that a new e-mail is waiting for them.

>> According to a report by Forrester Research, opt-in lists (such as e-newsletter subscriber lists) retain 49% of their subscribers over time—nearly double the retention rate of compiled e-lists.

>> A study from ClearContext, an e-mail management tools vendor, found that over half of users surveyed spend more than 2 hours a day in their e-mail inbox.

Another reason why marketers hesitate to launch an e-newsletter is the mistaken belief that it is time and labor-intensive to produce.

That’s not true either.

In fact, your e-newsletter doesn’t have to be elaborate, lengthy, complex, or fancy.

But it does have to deliver useful content to your subscribers—and do so on a consistent basis.

Publishing your own e-newsletter gives you 3 essential advantages when it comes to making money online…

>> First, the best way to get people to opt into your e-list is by offering them free content.

When you publish an e-newsletter, you always have new free content (your e-newsletter) to offer.

>> Second, a monthly e-newsletter ensures that your prospects hear from you—on a regular basis—at least 12 times a year.

Assuming they find your content valuable, this consistent communication helps build a relationship with your online
readers.

>> Third, when people subscribe to an online newsletter, they give you permission to e-mail them.

That means you can send them e-mail marketing messages—with product offers—whenever you wish, at minimal cost.

Repeated exposure to your e-newsletter and solo e-mail promotions gets subscribers to trust you enough to start buying products you sell or recommend.

And before you know it, you’re making money selling information or merchandise on the Internet!

Bob Bly is the author of “World’s Best Copywriting Secrets” and has written copy for more than 100 companies including IBM, Boardroom, Medical Economics and AT&T. He is the author of more than 75 books and a columnist for Target Marketing, Early To Rise and The Writer. McGraw-Hill calls him “America’s top copywriter”.

Today I wanted to share a tip with you that can help multiply your efforts online in numerous ways.

The secret is to “repurpose” your content.

For example, you write an article or have one written for you…

Many people will only use that article for ONE purpose, such as posting it to their blog, or, submitting it to a top article directory (ezinearticles.com, etc.) along with a link to their website at the bottom for free traffic…

But why not do BOTH?

And better yet, why stop with just submitting it to your blog and top article directories?

Here are some additional ways that you can use to make a very small amount of content go a *long* way, saving you lots of time and money as you build your online business…

Meaning you ultimately make more MONEY, which is the point!

1. Turn your article into a PDF file (easily using a free program such as OpenOffice at OpenOffice.org), and submit it to top “doc” sharing sites like Scribd.com.

Search Google for “Top doc sharing sites” for more!

2. Take the same article (or several combined) to create a report or e-book so that you can submit it to the top e-book directories. Here’s a Warrior Forum post on some great e-book directories to submit to for FREE.

3. Turn each of your articles into *videos* and submit them to YouTube.com and other video sharing sites. The key here is to create a *channel* that you build up with videos over time. One video per day, for example, focusing on one niche topic such as making money online. That way you’ll get *subscribers* to your channel that will build over time, meaning more and more views and exposure with each new video you submit.

You can easily, easily turn any article into a video just by reading it on a web cam, or, by using a free screen capture program like CamStudio to scroll through the article while reading.

4. Create an *outline* BEFORE you begin writing articles on a particular topic, laying out 10-20 chapters. Have each article you write serve as one chapter of an e-book product. When you’re done, not only do you have your 10-20 articles. You *also* have a product that you can SELL to people! Don’t worry that the content may be free online in article form. 99.9% of people won’t ever see that content, and besides, you are providing a *convenience* to have your information neatly formatted and provided in e-book form.

5. Once again using several articles together to create a report or e-book, you could offer it with free “reprint/distribution rights” to other online newsletter and website owners…

They get valuable free content to give to their subscribers and visitors, and YOU get free traffic and exposure by including a link to your website or affiliate offer inside the report.

The point here again is to make your work (or money, in cases where you’re paying others to create content for you), go a LONG WAY.

And what’s cool is that most of these methods I’ve revealed are “set it and forget it”, meaning once your content is online, it will CONTINUE to bring you traffic and results, potentially for *years* to come, on auto-pilot! So this is definitely something you BUILD and not something you should expect thousands of visitors from overnight…Your thousands of visitors, and dollars, will come steadily over time. :)

Bryan Winters is the architect of the free list building website, 5iphon Hardcore, that gets you 5 *more* subscribers for every ONE you bring in.

“How long should I make my e-books?” a new Internet info-marketer asked me.

Answer: for an e-book selling in the $19 to $39 range, the PDF should be a minimum of 50 pages.

If it’s much shorter than 40 pages, your customers may think you are not giving them enough “meat.”

A typeset PDF page is around 300 words. So when you are writing your e-book, you know you have enough content when your Word document is around 15,000 words.

As we discussed in my last article, the best way to prevent customers from illegally copying and sharing your content is to create information products that give the buyer more than his money’s worth.

Creating great information products gives you several other advantages. For one thing, it minimizes refund requests.

It also creates loyal fans. These fans keep buying other information products from you and recommending your products to others.

However, many information product marketers make a serious mistake that results in less quality—and lower customer satisfaction. Let me explain…

What your customers want is solid how-to information that tells them how to do something, whether it’s saving money on a new car or becoming a freelance copywriter.

The mistake many info marketers make is that they have written a “what to” product instead of the “how-to” information product the buyer wants.

To live up to the customer’s expectation of getting great how-to information, your product really has to tell the customer how to do the thing you are writing about.

That means specific step-by-step instructions…recommended tools and resources…and strategies, tips, and techniques for doing the thing better and faster.

But too many info products I see tell the reader what to do—but not how to do it.

For instance, one small business advertising guide recommended advertising on billboards.

That’s advice on what to do, which is fine as far as it goes, but not enough.

When a reader buys your specialized information product, he also wants you to tell him how to advertise on billboards.

What are the dimensions of a typical billboard? What’s the most effective word length for billboard copy? The recommended size of the letters painted on the board for maximum readability?

How can I find the billboards in my area where I can advertise? Who do I contact about renting them? What’s a reasonable cost I can expect to pay? Can that be negotiated?

Why do so many information product writers produce “what-to-do” instead of “how to do it” e-books and reports?

It’s because “what-to-do” is easy to write, because you present only the big picture (what to do), and not the niggling details (how to do it).

But it cheats the reader. In most instances, the reader already has some idea of what to do.

He is buying your specialized information product on the Internet—often at a premium price compared to books available in bookstores on similar topics.

Why is he willing to pay you more? Because he expects you to go into depth he doesn’t get from “bookstore books”.

I hire a lot of freelance writers to write e-books and reports for my small online publishing business, CTC Publishing.

One of my pet peeves—and a classic example of what-to instead of how-to—is when I read in a first draft a sentence that says, “For more information on X, just search the keyword X on Google.”

I tell the writer: the reason the reader is paying for our e-book is because he expects us to have done the research and present the results.

Telling your reader “look it up on Google” is the sign of a lazy writer who has not done his homework—and a sin I will always ask my writers to correct.

One more point…

Even though information product buyers want “how-to” instead of “what to do”, you can often take the quality of your content to an even higher level.

You do this when, instead of (or in addition to) telling the reader what to do, you actually do it for him.

For instance, instead of saying “here are some points to keep in mind when writing a collection letter to a customer who owes you money,” you actually include sample collection letters in your product.

Listen: everyone is lazy. Me. You. Your customers. And your writers, editors, and authors.

But the information product buyer has paid us to provide him with shortcuts. As the customer, he has the right to be lazy.

As the seller in this transaction of information publishing, we—the information product marketers—give up the right to be lazy.

Our customer expects us to do the work, so he doesn’t have to.

If we don’t, we are of little value to him. And he will let us know this by asking for his money back.

Action step: read the latest information product you wrote or published…or even better, the one you are working on right now.

Ask yourself on every page: “Is this text telling the reader merely what to do, or am I actually showing him how to do it?”

If you are merely saying what to do instead of how to do it, rewrite to correct the oversight.

The result: top quality information products worth the premium price you charge.

Bob Bly is the author of “World’s Best Copywriting Secrets” and has written copy for more than 100 companies including IBM, Boardroom, Medical Economics and AT&T. He is the author of more than 75 books and a columnist for Target Marketing, Early To Rise and The Writer. McGraw-Hill calls him “America’s top copywriter”.

In this 3rd video, Eben Pagan explains exactly why written “content” and video is the new form of “cash” online, and how to use this information to make a lot of money.

This video many of the mysteries of why some products sell for high prices online while most don’t sell at all.

You’ll also see a “virtual live demonstration” of how easy it is to create valuable videos in minutes on your computer, then learn what to put INSIDE your videos so that people want to buy them.

But maybe the best part of this awesome video is that it actually shows you how to format information so that people will pay HIGH prices for it, including two free downloads that walk you through the process of making YOUR information so you can sell it for big bucks.

Just opt in to get this video and the free downloads.

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Go watch this video to learn how this guy grew his information product business to $100 million in sales, starting out at his computer in his bedroom…

At the end, he walks you through an exercise to target and identify the knowledge YOU have that you can turn into an “information product” to sell online (and if you own an info-business already, it will give you a new mindset that will really take your success to the next level).

There’s also a free PDF download of the exercise for you to print out, which is cool.

In the video, you’re going to learn:

> How a simple e-book that was written in a few weeks became an “empire” of almost $30 million in sales with a business that’s run FROM HOME

> Important new insider trends in the information publishing industry that you NEED TO KNOW if you want to succeed

> The mistake that most information marketers make that prevents their products from succeeding

> The key mindset shift that allows you to identify market and product opportunities…where there are buyers who NEED to buy information products but don’t have products to buy

And again, you’ll get a free PDF blueprint exercise (and step-by-step guidance through it) to target the knowledge you ALREADY HAVE that you can turn into an information product (or coaching) that you can sell for high prices online.

This is a SUPER-high value honest view into an online money-making machine that will blow your mind.

Just opt-in to watch the video. No obligation, and you don’t have to buy anything (in fact, there’s nothing for sale on the website).

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Are you ready to start your very own e-mail newsletter, so you can make some extra cash or finally launch your business?

Then check out entrepreneur mentor (and former “Ezine Queen”) Ali Brown’s brand new e-zine manual, “Ezine Marketing Power“.

Let Ali walk you step-by-step through planning, writing, publishing and promoting a money-making e-zine, so you can make more money, attract new clients, and grow your list and your business FAST.

Plus you can get this course at a great price right now! But you must act by midnight tonight. Get all the details here.

Writer’s aren’t usually the RICHEST of people.

They pour a lifetime into their manuscripts. Years into finding a publisher. Months into trying to promote their work. Their reward? A few Amazon sales, generating enough royalties to buy a Big Mac meal.

Writers really do SUFFER for their art.

But what if there was a way to FLIP the TABLES?

What if you could GUARANTEE that you could get published in just DAYS?

What if you could begin earning THOUSANDS from your book starting just a MONTH from now?

Award-winning author Nick Daws has been doing this for years. He’s tapped into the world of E-BOOKS and his methods are being used right now to generate millions in sales.

He has structured a special system for going from IDEA to final PUBLISHED E-BOOK—in just 10 days—AND earning yourself at least $1000 per month from each e-book as a result. NO experience required.

Nick has created a site explaining the system. Check it out HERE.

Recently DD, a top copywriter, e-mailed me for some advice about using articles as a marketing tool.

“An editor has contacted me about doing an article,” wrote DD. “Seems like a good opportunity to generate some publicity for my product—and some nice credentials for myself.

“Do you have any advice or precautions, like how to maximize this opportunity—things I might not know to consider when writing a magazine article to promote myself and my business?”

Here’s what I told DD…

To begin with, just because an editor wants you to write an article doesn’t mean you should.

If you’re writing articles for free as a promotional vehicle, only write for two types of publications.

The first is publications whose readers are the target market for your product or service.

The second is publications so prestigious that your prospects will be impressed by the credential of you having been published in their pages.

Now, even though you’re writing the article to promote yourself—don’t promote yourself in the article.

The only way your article is going to build your reputation…and get people interested in doing business with you…is with solid content. Not self-promotional blather.

Focus on the reader and the topic—and not on you.

For instance, if you’re a consultant, you can give little vignettes in your article about how businesspeople applied smart management principles to solve problems.

But don’t take the credit for yourself. Instead, say “Ned, a manager at XYZ company,” and describe what he did.

Don’t say “When Ned called me in, here is what I did”—even if you were responsible.

Give credit to others, and play down your own role in the stories your articles contain.

This way, you come off as modest and not as a blatant self-promoter, which quickly turns people off.

Give your readers useful hints and tips about your topic…short, practical, pithy advice on how to do their jobs or run their lives better.

When they read your sage advice, they will nod their heads in recognition of your wisdom and begin to think of you as their “guru” on this topic.

The only promotion or “advertising” should appear in the “about the author” box that usually runs at the bottom of the first column of the article when it’s published in the magazine.

Your “about the author” copy should say who you are, what you do, and how to contact you. That means including an e-mail address or website, or both.

As for length, ask the editor. He or she will usually tell you how many words are desired. Stick to that count.

Once the article is published, the contact information in your “about the author” box will generate some response for you.

But don’t leave it at that. Make your article do double or triple duty as a promotional tool.

You can:

* Make reprints of your article.

* Include copies of your article in the inquiry fulfillment kits you send to potential customers.

* Hand out article reprints at trade shows.

* Do a mailing of your article reprint to your clients and prospects.

* E-mail your readers a link to the article.

* Post the article on your website. Having lots of content on your site makes visitors stay longer—and also raises your rankings with search engines.

If the response is good and your article seems to have reached the right people (your target market), immediately send an e-mail to your editor.

Suggest a follow-up article…with information you didn’t have room to include in the first article.

If you like to write…and have the time or can hire a ghostwriter, why not suggest a monthly column in the magazine instead of just an article? The worst the editor can do is say no.

If she says yes, you’ll get your name in front of your potential customers 12 times a year instead of once.

And, you’ll accelerate your recognition as a top expert in your field.

Those are great results…from one of the easiest self-promotions you can do: writing articles.

Bob Bly is the author of “World’s Best Copywriting Secrets” and has written copy for more than 100 companies including IBM, Boardroom, Medical Economics and AT&T. He is the author of more than 75 books and a columnist for Target Marketing, Early To Rise and The Writer. McGraw-Hill calls him “America’s top copywriter”.

According to PublishAmerica, 1 out of 3 book buyers reads print books as well as e-books. Another 26% read print books only today, but expect to start reading e-books soon.

By the end of this year, almost half of all book buyers will own a Kindle, Nook, or iPad. Amazon customers who have a Kindle spend 3X more on books than they did when they read print books only.

Newsletters can be a powerful weapon in your marketing arsenal. They help to create trust, build brand recognition, and establish you as the expert. Here are a few tips to help you take your newsletters to the next level.

1. Know your readers.

Although your newsletter should promote your business, its primary function is to build relationships with prospects and customers. Be sure to discuss topics that are relevant and interesting to your readers. If they know they’ll be getting useful information, they’ll continue to subscribe.

2. Make it unique.

If you want your newsletter to get noticed (and read), make it different. Add a touch of personalization by including a snapshot from your office, a video message from your staff, a link to an entertaining website, etc. Don’t be afraid to portray emotion and personality.

3. Take time for design.

The visual appeal of your newsletter has a lot to do with its success. The right design can captivate your audience before they read a single word. Create a design that is clean, simple, and reinforces your brand.

4. Solicit feedback.

Include your readers by asking for comments on your articles or stories. They’ll feel welcomed and you will get feedback on what you can do to improve and what your readers really like.

5. Include your contact information.

Although your goal isn’t to sell through your newsletter, you probably wouldn’t object to an occasional sale. So make sure readers have a way to reach you if they feel the urge to buy now.

Implement the above steps and your newsletter will help convert your readers into lifelong customers.

Best-selling author Michael Masterson gives the following tips for writing strong content for your e-newsletter:

1. The quality of the ideas presented is paramount. A reader may sign up for an e-zine for many different reasons but he will continue to read it only if he feels that his time invested in reading is yielding valuable ideas. Valuable in this context means provocative, memorable and useful.

2. Less is better than more. If you overwhelm the reader with ideas—even valuable ideas—he will come away from the reading experience emotionally neutralized. That happens because the reader recognizes subconsciously that he has taken in more information than he can possibly act upon. Being comprehensive therefore is not the virtue some writers and publishers think it is.

3. Specificity is key. Unsubstantiated claims and promises may attract your readers’ attention but you will never win their trust unless you back up those claims and promises with specifics.

4. Stories sell the heart. Facts sell the brain. Don’t forget that the job of good writing is to appeal as much to the readers’ emotional intelligence as it is to provide them with rational evidence.

One of the most common questions I get from my subscribers is “How do I think of article topics?” so I thought I would address that today.

Here is what I do.

Every Sunday I make a list of things to be done in that week. I make a list of article topics to be written in that week.

Now I go to Yahoo answers and search with my terms and observe the questions and answers in the search results. For example, if you’re a beautician, you can search with the terms “hair, pimples,hair coloring, tatoos” etc. With the above search terms I immediately found these interesting questions

How can I look more attractive?
How to remove dandruff?
How to get rid of pimples?
How to make your nails naturally white?
What hair color dye damages your hair the less?

And so on.

I instantly found thousands of topics to write on. And remember that you can use the exact question as your title so that your article may be found in search results for related terms.

Then, once you have written certain number of articles, ask this question after each article: what kinds of questions might someone have after reading this article?

Assuming you come up with just 3 questions more per article, that will give you unlimited number of article topics.

Indu Priya is the webmaster of The Ideas Home.

Even if your best friend owns a top publishing company, giving you an immediate “in”, this does not guarantee publishing success.

First, you have to write a quality book that has a clear target audience. And your book must answer a common problem or need that audience shares. Then you have to develop a marketing plan, and stick to it for at least two years.

Let’s begin with the process that should commence before you write your first word. Begin by reading A LOT. Read both books you passionately love and books you can’t seem to make it past page five. Then figure out what the author did in the book you loved, and what was wrong with in the book you couldn’t finish. Write down these points so they are crystal clear to you. Read other people’s books for inspiration and to discover what you should avoid as a writer.

The next step is to plan out your book. Narrow down your subject, and then divide it into chapters. Each chapter should address a specific aspect of the problem your book is going to solve. In each chapter, break the specific aspect down into several parts. This will help your readers take in your information a bit at a time instead of overwhelming them with every bit of information clogging up the pages until they feel like they’re about to go blind. It’s not quite spoon-feeding the information to your readers, but it’s close.

The next two steps are obvious. Write your book and then revise it. And then revise it again. And perhaps again. Of course, writing is extremely hard, and writing a book can seem like an impossible task. There are many books out there that give you guidelines to help you become familiar – and even love – the process of writing and revision. Find a number of books about writing. Better yet, find a number of books about writing the specific type of book you aspire to write. These can serve as roadmaps on your writing journey.

Once you’ve written your e-book and revised it at least twice, show it to someone else whose opinion you respect. If you’re lucky enough to know a good editor, see if you have something to barter for him or her to go through your manuscript. Or join a writing group and let the other members critique your work.

Then take all these ideas from other people, and revise your manuscript one last time. And then stop! Put down that pen! Get your hands off the keyboard!

One of the most important steps to actually producing a book is to know when to stop writing and tinkering with it.

You’ve finally written your e-book! Pop open the bubbly! Give yourself a night out on the town!

Okay, now that this necessary celebration is out of your system, what do you do next?

Now the secrets to turning your e-book into profits…

E-books are a revolutionary way to publish your book without incurring the costs of print production. All you need is a relevant and targeted subject and some inexpensive software, and you can transform your manuscript into a book.

The problem, in terms of actually seeing any profits from your ebook, is that the market is overwhelmed with e-books, and many of them are not worth the time it takes to download them. Just because the ability exists to easily produce an e-book, doesn’t make it good writing.

Make sure your book does not simply rehash old material. You will injure your credibility as an author by claiming to offer valuable new insights and disappointing your audience with material they’ve read a zillion times before. So spend enough time writing and revising your book to make sure it’s of the highest quality and presents the most current information. A good book will eventually sell itself; false claims about your book will make it extremely difficult to sell any future books you may write.

Assuming you have determined that you do indeed have a quality product that answers some question or need of your target audience with NEW information, how do you know how much to charge for it? Rule number 1: Set a price for your book equal to its value. An under-priced book will only give the impression that your book isn’t worth very much.

To figure out a fair price, estimate how much time you put into creating it and how difficult it was to transform the necessary information into understandable and engaging writing. Figure out how much your time and effort is worth, and then price it accordingly. The goal is for you to be adequately compensated for your talent, your time, and your effort.

Once you’ve figured out a price that is high enough to convey the value of the book, but not so high as to be out of the reach of your target audience’s mean budget, then it’s time to offer it for sale on your website. To attract sales, you will need to develop a promotional campaign, particularly if you are an unknown author.

There are multitudes of books about self-promotion that will guide you in your efforts. Choose a plan that is both creative and professional. Learn how to write a catchy yet informative press release, and send copies of your e-book to sites that specialize in e-book reviews.

Learn how to write powerful sales copy, or hire someone to write it for you. This is an essential. You absolutely need excellent sales copy to sell your book. Make sure the copy includes all the reasons your target audience needs your book, and the benefits they will derive from buying it.

Use graphics in your promotional materials. Beautiful graphics have the power to instantly convey the quality and value of your e-book. Graphics can also convey the amount of valuable information the book contains, and your careful attention to detail. Professional graphics sell professional books. They reassure the customer that the product is what it claims to be.

Consider excerpting chapters for articles. You can offer these tidbits for free on your website as a sort of demo of your book. Include an order form for your e-book at the end of the excerpted articles.

Finally, when you set-up your download link, make sure to simplify the process. It’s a good idea to offer a few bonuses that make your book even more enticing to purchase, but make sure the bonuses are valuable and high quality. Too many bonuses that are basically a load of useless stuff will compromise the impression your audience has of your e-book. The goal is to convey to your audience that they are getting a quality product for a good deal. That means applying restraint, especially when it comes to adding bonus items. Too much free stuff offered diminishes your credibility.

Make sure your book is a quality product. Make sure it is relevant and current. Develop an effective marketing plan that includes excellent sales copy and excerpted articles. Then offer your book for sale, and wait for your audience to discover you!

To recap the 11 steps to publishing success:

1) Start researching in your subject. Read a lot.
2) Plan a content structure for your e-book.
3) Don’t rehash old material.
4) Start writing and sustain your pace. Do not edit and write and the same time. Let the ideas and words flow from your mind first. You get to express more content in less time.
5) Know when to stop writing and start editing.
6) Price your e-book.
7) Design an e-cover for your book.
8) Get external reviews or find creative ways to get testimonies, e.g. barter trade.
9) Prepare a sales copy and set up a site promoting your e-book.
10) Consider creating a free giveaway version of your e-book.
11) Write articles related to your subject and submit them to major article directories. Your resource box points back to your sales page.

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Hope you like it!

If you’re like most companies, you’re not using your newsletter for the marketing tool it is. You see many companies produce newsletters. But after a while, the purpose of the newsletter is lost and so is its impact. Here are a few tips for turning your newsletter into a powerful marketing strategy.

1. Determine what your readers want: too many newsletters are used simply to boast. Although your newsletter should promote your business, it’s also a time to build your relationship with your prospects and customers. Be sure to discuss topics of interest and value for your customers and prospects.

2. Personalize your newsletter: there are hundreds of newsletters circulating on the Internet and in the mail. You need to make your newsletter stand out from the crowd. Making your newsletter uniquely you will make a difference. So be real. Feel free to include personality and emotion in your newsletter.

3. Make it look good: the visual aspect of your newsletter can make all the difference. Make it brief. (You only have the reader’s attention for a few minutes.) Use bullets and appealing headlines. And include graphics.

4. Let your readers give you their opinion: ask your readers to comment on the newsletter. They will tell you what they liked, disliked, or want to see more of. Additionally, the interaction with your readers draws you closer to a sale.

5. Include your contact information: the ultimate purpose of the newsletter is to get more customers (through name recognition, relationship building, and promoting your products). However, without your contact information, those potential customers will never appear.

Create a newsletter worthy of your company and you’ll drive your readers to future sales. Make it simple, make it short, and make it a powerful tool that reflects you and your business!

Clate Mask is the CEO of Infusionsoft.

Every time you have an idea for a new e-book, run it through the following checklist. If you can answer each question with a resounding ‘Yes’, then you have a real possibility for a saleable product on your hands:

● Will it appeal to a reasonably large group of people (i.e. not a really tiny niche such as fishing for eels in Alaska)?

● Will it solve a problem for whoever reads it?

● Is it different from anything else that is out there on that subject at the moment?

These are the 3 main questions that you need to be able to say ‘yes’ to. If you can’t, then it is back to the drawing board. After all you won’t sell very many copies if it doesn’t do anything for people. If your idea meets these requirements, then it’s time to see if that idea really will fly.

Is Your Idea Saleable?

There is only one way to figure out the answer to this question and that involves doing research.

Don’t let that put you off though, because researching potential ideas for e-books is far from boring! It helps you to determine if your idea will work, and if you need to adjust it to make a real success of it.

And what’s more, if this idea is related to an area of interest that fascinates you and has the potential to spawn more than one e-book in the future, you should pay close attention when you do your research.

So let’s start researching. A great keyword tool is offered by Wordtracker, and it’s free. You can subscribe to the Wordtracker service if you wish to get more comprehensive results, but you should find the free service meets your needs initially.

So let’s try an example. Suppose you are thinking of writing an e-book about saving money and budgeting. Just enter each phrase into the search box to see how many times those words were searched for recently. If you only get a handful of results, you might want to think about choosing a different angle or another subject.

If we put the phrase “save money” into the free keyword tool, we get 1,554 results. But the best thing about this service is that you also get other variations on the term or word you type in. In this case, you’ll see lots of other phrases that people have used as search terms as well, which will help you to gauge how popular your idea will be. The most important thing to remember here is that some of the results that appear will be related: so for example we’ve got “save money”, “ways to save money”, “how to save money”, and many more which could equally relate to the topic you have in mind.

The free WordTracker tool also has a GTrends feature to help you out—if you do your keyword search using this page you will see a small symbol of a graph appearing at the end of each line of search results. Clicking on this will give you a better idea of the search volume of that particular word or phrase over the past few years. It gives you no more than a broad glance at the market for your idea and potential e-book, but that glance can be all you need to determine whether it’s worth a shot.