#1 – GOOGLE.COM

I’ve always been impressed with those who seem to always be ahead of the pack when it comes to new ideas.

Over time, I realized that it wasn’t magic or some top-secret contact that allowed these people to come up with red-hot ideas on demand. It
was simply that they knew where to look.

I soon discovered many places where ideas seemed to always be found. I call these places “idea hangouts”. Here are three of my favorites where you can find ideas for your next ebook anytime you want. Almost like a genie granting you three wishes…

1. GOOGLE.COM.

Google is the ultimate “idea hangout”. There are so many ways to mine the gold in Google’s amazing search database that it would take another article to graze the surface of this enormous iceberg.

What I want to mention are just two quick ways to find ideas by searching Google.

- Identify Listings.

Search for a broad topic related to your area of interest or expertise. (I.E. “Tennis”, “Weight loss”, “Homeschooling”.) Look at all of the web sites listed in the index of returned results. You’ll likely find some ideas for information products right there in the first couple of pages.

- Identify Advertisers.

You’ll probably notice small ads either at the top of the page or to the right of the page (or both!). These advertisers represent your competition. They also represent your thermometer for taking the temperature of your market and gauging interest in specific topics.
Chances are, what they’re selling you should be selling.

In both of these examples, you can click through to the web pages of the sites listed and study their respective sales pages. Look specifically at the “bullet points”. Each of these represents a potential idea for your next ebook.

Watch our for #2 …

Author: Jimmy Brown.
Published under PLR licence.

Val

Check out my eBook Mentoring Course

Key # 3

3. Y = YIELD results.

Finally, I must exhort you to “yield results”. That is, you simply must stick to it and finish the job.

I cannot tell you how many people that I’ve met online who struggle with the affliction “short-of-the-finish-line-it is”.

They begin running the race with gusto. They pick their topic like it was a Nike outfit. They outline their ebook like they just heard the starting gun fire. They come up with ideas to include in their work like they were
sprinting down the track.

And when they round the first corner, they start slowing down. Before they know it, they’re up in the stands watching others cross the finish line.

That’s why I am adamant about telling you the golden rule of ebook content: Never start something you can’t finish in 30 days.

With any new ebook you are planning on writing, choose the topic and outline it in such a way that you can complete the content within one calendar month. Anything that goes beyond that period of time is likely going to be discarded somewhere past the starting gate and before the finish line.

It’s important that you set for your goal a reasonable, reachable amount of pages for your ebook … such as 30 pages. Then, divide that goal number of pages into your 30 days. In this example, it would mean writing just ONE page per day (very realistic!) for 30 days and your ebook will
be completed.

Victory! The finish line!

Certainly there are a wide variety of other “keys” to being successful as an ebook writer (choosing the right topics, learning to outline well, brainstorming ideas, marketing, etc.) but these three form a solid foundation for you to build upon as you continue to learn more about information publishing.

K = KEEP it concise.
E = ENJOY yourself.
Y = YIELD results.

See you on your victory lap!

Author: Jimmy Brown.
Published under PLR licence.

Val

Check out my eBook Mentoring Course

Key # 2

E = ENJOY yourself.

If you enjoy your “work” then you are exponentially more likely to complete your ebooks than those who reluctantly or grudgingly write.

Seriously, don’t underestimate what I’m saying here. You’ll get much more done as a writer by having fun with your subject matter.

That’s the beauty of information publishing. YOU get to pick the topic. A topic of interest – of passion – to you as the author. Something you find enjoyable, even exhilarating.

To be sure, you want to choose topics that are in demand and have a ready-made audience awaiting who are willing to purchase them. But, at the same time, you can look for those marketable topics that appeal to your interests and expertise.

I don’t care how “profitable” a subject may be, I’d never take it on as a project of mine unless I got some sense of satisfaction or enjoyment in writing about it.

Instead, look for those things that you are already talking about anyway. And then write what you’ve been talking about.

Watch out for the next Key!

Author: Jimmy Brown.
Published under PLR licence.

Val

Check out my eBook Mentoring Course

The Real K.E.Y. To Becoming A Successful Ebook Writer

There must be some reason why certain ebook writers are successful and others are not.

In other words, why do some authors make high six-figure incomes (even seven-figures!) and others barely make enough to cover their hosting fees? There must be some reason for the difference in level of success, right?

There is. In fact, there are three “reasons” why. The word “K.E.Y.” is a good acronym to reveal these three elements of successful ebook publishing.

Here’s the first one.

1. K = KEEP it concise. One of the biggest mistakes ebook writers make is starting their project with the idea in mind that their ebook must be a certain number of pages in length. That is, they assume the ebook should be 50 pages or 100 pages or even 200 pages in order to be desirable to consumers. Wrong.

Much more important than QUANTITY is QUALITY. Almost every potential customer in your target market is considerably more interested in learning something useful than they are reading a bunch of commentary that has little or no real value to them.

The ability to concisely (yet comprehensively) share content that is practical is a must if you want to be successful in the information business. No fluff. No filler. No fat. Just the meat. That’s what consumers want. Especially today in our fast- paced, instant, I-want-it-now society.

And chances are you are much more likely to write a 30 page manual and get it done than you are to slave over trying to measure up to a 200 page masterpiece.

Your first key to success is “keep it concise”. Share what you need to share in the least amount of pages as possible. It doesn’t have to be the great American novel. This isn’t Hemingway.

Watch out for the next Key!

Author: Jimmy Brown.
Published under PLR licence.

Val

Check out my eBook Mentoring Course for more valuable information.

Did you know that Kindle e-books are outselling hardcover books by almost 50%, according to Amazon? For the past three months, Amazon has sold 143 Kindle books for every 100 dead-tree books.

“Amazon.com customers now purchase more Kindle books than hardcover books—astonishing when you consider that we’ve been selling hardcover books for 15 years, and Kindle books for 33 months.” Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

This is a wonderful way to SHARE YOUR PASSION WITH THE WORLD. eBooks are inexpensive to write, publish and share and the demand is increasing every day.

You won’t have to write huge amounts of data either. Short eBooks or Reports are also much in demand.

If you would like to learn more, take a look at my new eBook Mentoring Course. I have had some really nice comments from students. Here’s one:  “User friendly -  thank you for all you have put into it.”

My unique 8-part eBook Mentoring Course will teach you how to create ebooks, publish, market and sell them on the internet. You will save a lot of time, money and effort and learn “the ropes” in an easy step-by-step method. PLUS you will learn how to turn your eBook into a paperback and publish it on Amazon.com and other online booksellers, giving you the best of both worlds.

As a subscriber to my Writer’s List, you are eligible for the 50% discount coupon. Please email me at vwaldeck@gmail.com and ask me for one.

To Your Success!

Val

The Internet or Worldwide Web is a collection of electronic (digital) documents that are read on a computer screen or electronic device. To obtain a physical copy, it is necessary to print the required document on your printer. These digital publications are generally called eBooks.

Being published on the Internet makes it possible for your creative writing to become accessible to the world, without great expense on your part. The only limit is your ability to market your work and bring it to the attention of the millions of people “surfing the web” every hour of the day.

The advantage of paperback or hardcover books are that people like to take a “real book to bed with them for a good read, although it must be said that the latest eBook Readers (like the Kindle) come close to the real thing. Nearly half the publications sold Amazon in December 2009 were electronic.

“Eyeballs are moving from print to online. eBooks are the future.” — Dan Poynter

The disadvantages of ordinary books are that they are expensive to print, market, distribute and post – especially to overseas buyers. It is also very difficult to have them included in the catalogues of online booksellers if they are not readily available for distribution overseas.

Electronic publishing allows you to write, store, sell and read your book without printing it. Instead of investing money in physical print runs, books may now be written and delivered electronically to a computer near you.

Readers see the advertisement on the web, pay online, and receive a private web address in their email that allows them to download the eBook to their computer within minutes of purchasing it. As easy as that!

Easy if you know “how” of course!  Find out how to do this in my eBook Mentoring Course.

Val Waldeck

Here are three great creative writing tips from Mark Victor Hansen, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

Here are my top 3 tips for anyone who has ever dreamed of writing or publishing a book.

1. Have a mentor- He had 44 great and inspiring mentors on his road to success, and says he couldn’t have done it without them,
2. Start at the end- You must have a goal, your ideal end result.  This helps direct your writing and keeps you clear and focused.
3. Know your target audience- Knowing your target customer is crucial to the success of your book as a business.  If you don’t know to whom you are writing, you will not know what to write, or how to market your book.

P.S. Looking for some personal mentoring? Check out my eBook Mentoring Course today.

Val Waldeck

There are a LOT of eBooks available that explain “how to write an information product” – but there are few that cover WRITING TIPS that actually aid eBook authors in WRITING THEIR MATERIALS and helping them through the common struggles and needs that all writers experience.

Jimmy D. Brown provides writers, from all levels and writing styles, with some unique and traditional methods to become the best writer possible.

Regardless of what your goals are for writing an eBook, these ideas are guaranteed to make the WRITING of your eBook easier and better. These are great tips for creative writing.

Go here for more information:
30 Writing Tips For eBook Authors

Writer’s Seminars with Dan Poynter & Val Waldeck

The Writer’s Seminars in Durban (April 24) and Johannesburg (April 28), South Africa, are going to be very exciting and informative.

I will be dealing with the nitty gritty’s” of getting your book down on paper, turning it into an ebook and, selling it online. I will also be sharing about the exciting new ecommerce solution for South Africans presented by PayPal and First National Bank and showing you exactly how to get connected.

Dan will be sharing about selling books abroad and giving you firsthand information that you would normally pay hundreds of dollars for – which translates into thousands of Rand. Dan Poynter’s seminar is not the same as previously presented in South Africa. He is going to take you beyond borders into areas you have never dreamed of.

If you want to get started – or get your book noticed around the world – don’t miss this seminar.

It is a recession-busting price too! More information here:

http://pilgrimpublications.biz/advice/writers-seminars-2010/

This is an opportunity in a million.

Val Waldeck

P.S. The Early Bird special price expires on April 17. Get in now!

For all your creative writing editorial and graphic requirements

Contact these good folk for quotes.

• Clive Thompson - Professional Layout and Cover Design
• Mos van Schoor - Professional Editing
• Anne Erikson – Professional Technical Writer, Copy Editor and Proofreader.  Member of the Professional Editors’ Group (PEG).
• Val Ludik – Professional Proofreading