Writing an EBook: Picking a Profitable Niche

If you've decided to write an eBook,
the very first thing you must do is
research.You may find this task tedious
and time-consuming but it is the most
important part of your eBook writing
career.

Just in case you've read information
telling you to write about topics that
are near and dear to your heart--think
again.

Do you want to make money with your eBook?
Then you must find out if there is a
profitable market out there.

If you are longing to write, "How To
Embroider Colorful Designs On Worn-Out PJs",
you better first check to see if there is
a market out there. People who are willing
to spend money to find out how to revive
their old Jammies. No? Forget about it!

How do you find out what people want?

*Keywords!

These are the words and phrases
people search for online when they are
looking for information.

If you're just starting out and want to
save as much money as possible, there are
free keyword tools to use.

My favorites are:

http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com
http://goodkeywords.com

There are also paid keyword tools that you
may want to invest in.

Now you are going to think like your future
customer. Get inside their heads. What
keywords and phrases will they be searching
for to find the information they want?

If you have an idea for an ebook in mind,
put in the keywords. How many times a month
is that word or phrase being searched for?

Now we come to the dicey part. You have to
find the correct balance. If the word count
is sky high, you may think you've struck a
gold mine, right?

What about your competition? That's right.
A zillion searches for something like say,
"internet marketing", will leave you swamped
by the top marketers. Until you reach their
status, stay away.

Okay, you think, "I'll find a keyword with
a low search count". Whoa...if it's low, that
means nobody wants the information. Which means
no buyers for your eBook.

See what I mean about "balance"? And tedious
research? But somebody has to do it. You have
to hit a middle ground. If there is competition,
don't let that scare you off. It means you now
have a viable idea for your eBook!

As you spend time studying, you will come across
conflicting advice. All marketers have their own
set of numbers as to what they aim for.

I know of one "guru" who looks for 50,000 searches
a month for a keyword. Now for me, that's too much
competition. Others suggest 10,000 searches.

Remember, you're are aiming for a niche market.
Research and find your own comfortable count.

*Other methods to find a money-making topic

Have a look in bookstores and online booksellers.
See what's selling. They aren't in the business
of marketing information nobody wants.

Look into "evergreen" topics. These are markets
which will never go out of style. People will always
be in relationships, get married, have babies, get
an education, have careers, get older...you get the
idea. Look how many eBooks are in those subjects
waiting to be written!

I truly believe that choosing your eBook topic is
the hardest part of the whole process.

Once that's done, the rest is way more enjoyable.
Especially when you think of your future customers!

(c) 2007 Karen Cook

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