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How-to's
and hot topics
There
is almost no limit whatsoever on the marketability of how-to books. Everyone
wants an instruction manual, advice, and encouragement that they can do
anything they read a how-to book for. Anything you know how to do, anything
you've ever wanted to learn, or anything that's teachable at all, can become a
how-to ebook.
One
book publisher knows how hungry we are for how-to information, and has created
a whole series of "Dummies" books around the market. Further, there
are other similar book series', and all of them are doing quite well! "The
Everything" series, "Idiot's Guide" series and others are all
cashing in on the how-to phenomenon.
Remember
that even though the books have "Dummies" in the title, that the
books are as popular as they are because the readers are not treated like
dummies at all. The authors cater to a person who wants to find out the easiest
way to do something without too much tangential discussion. When you have your
ebook written and when you choose a title, make sure you are appealing to a
reader's smarts! If you use words like stupid, dumb, or hopeless in the title,
make sure that it is clear that the meaning would not extend to insulting the
individual reader.
Ebooks,
because of their brevity and because they are marketed primarily on the
Internet can target smaller audiences. You don’t have to write a universal book
like How to use a computer (which may not be interesting enough to sell anyway
in this decade). Ebooks can cover more specific territory. Knowing this, you
can 1) create your ebook in a specific way for a specific niche readership, and
2) create additional ebooks for different facets of the same subject, and sell
each one separately!
Say
you've decided to write an ebook on fishing. (FYI, this is one of those hobbies
where enthusiasts are willing to spend money!). You could create "How to
Catch Freshwater Trout," "How to Tie Your Own Flies," or
"How to Plan a Successful Deep Sea Fishing Trip." Almost anything
related to the hobby can become a separate ebook depending on how much detail
you include. Clearly, "How to put on waders," probably wouldn't be a
great choice (though some would say it's impossible to underestimate today's
consumer), because you would have to strain to fill up 60 to 100 pages on such
a simple topic. You get the idea. The topic would need to be, in most cases,
book worthy. Use good judgment.
Then,
life itself requires instructions, as we know from "Life's Little
Instruction Book." So, life also qualifies as a good how-to book topic.
There are numerous subtopics, and you'll never run out of ideas. Here are a few
examples:
· "How
to ensure your child gets an A+ in math"
· "How
to have a successful garage sale"
· "How
to organize your home office"
And
while we're on the subject of how-to books, I'd like to make one quick point.
The titles of these ebooks do not need to be incredibly clever. Be sure the
words "How to" are the first part of the title, and the rest should
tell exactly what the ebook is about.
For
example, which of these three titles would be best?
1.
"How to have a successful garage sale."
2.
"One weekend away from a cleaner house"
3.
"How to sell your old shoes for a profit"
Although
numbers 2 and 3 are clever, a little punchy, and correspond with the ebook
content, I would still recommend using title number 1. "How to have a
successful garage sale" sums it up pretty well and will catch the eye of
an Internet surfer who is interested in putting together a garage sale and
needs a how-to manual.
Anyway,
back to the point. Any phase of life, way of coping with life, or large or
small thing about life can be the subject of a how-to book.
Looking young
Perhaps
sixteen year old girls don't want to look younger, but from that point on, and
for most of the population in Western society, looking young is a common
desire. Everybody wants to find the fountain of youth, whether it be in a pill
bottle, a special diet, surgery, or an ebook.
An
ebook about staying or appearing young in the face of growing old will have a
solid future.
This
topic is red hot. Botox, surgery, chemical peels, lasers, diets, acupuncture,
electronic pulses, mega vitamins, prescription teas, thigh cream, and teeth
whiteners are being purchased by baby boomers, the elderly, and even women as
young as 20 ! No one wants to look a day older than they have to.
Health
Health
is a concern to anyone who is growing old or ill or faced illness with a loved
one or wants more energy or, basically, everybody. Health ebooks are a good
investment for you to make. And doctors don't have to be the authors. Anyone
with any credentials, or no crendetials at all, can write books on health. Just
be sure you don't claim to be a doctor if you're not one.
Here
are some health topics you can hit at this moment in time and be almost
guaranteed immediate interest, readership, and sales!
Disease
prevention and cure. As our baby boomer population ages, most will be
afflicted with heart disease, cancer, diabetes, dementia, or some other malady.
Give these people some hope. Create an ebook on how to cope, how to find the
best practitioners, how to avoid disease triggers, or cures American doctors
are unaware of.
Natural
remedies. People
are curious about alternatives to standard medicine, and are anxious to try
herbal, natural, or holistic treatments. Create a book on any disease that
covers alternative cures. For example, "How to Treat Lymphoma,
Naturally." Or, you could just address natural supplements in general,
"The best natural remedies for common ailments," or "Holistic
health."
Diet. What we eat is always a hot topic.
There are literally dozens if not hundreds of diet fads currently out there.
Pick any one of them for an ebook. Then there's obesity, general health, and
also diet supplements like vitamins. Think "How to equip your kitchen for
macrobiotic dieting." Or, "Eat to cure cancer."
Travel
Never
has so much travel been available to so many. People today want to get in touch
with the people they love. They want to experience different parts of the
world. See exotic things. Be entertained. Also, because, especially in America,
adults sometimes work well more than 40 hours a week, people need really good
vacations. They're doing their research to make sure that they will really
enjoy their precious few weeks off each year.
Here
are some topics for you: how to trade frequent flyer miles, how to keep airport
security off your back, how to travel on a dime and get change, and how to keep
your children happy on long car trips.
Beyond
the how-to's, there is plenty of room for books like, the best amusement parks
for your money, top 100 campgrounds, things you must see and do in Utah before
you die, and free things to do when visiting Washington, D.C.
Money
Money
makes the world go around (well that and the earth's axis and planetary
forces), and so it would make sense that ebooks would abound on the topic of
money. They do, but the market is nowhere near saturated. There's always room
for more. From getting rich to just saving money day-to-day, people are always
interested in how-to books related to money.
Life enrichment
In
these days, although fewer and fewer are attending churches, more and more are
flocking to purchase self-help books. Self-help books are leaping off shelves
at brick and mortar bookstores. People want to feel that if they read a
self-help book, they have all the power to change their lives. Whether or not
this is true is moot. Changing your life, soul searching, and helping thyself,
are all great ebook topics.
As
much as ever before, people want to know how to find peace with their pasts,
how to be creative or spiritual in a consuming society, and how to find true
love. There is no end to how-to books you could create in the category of
self-help, or life enrichment.
A
few more topics bound to explode
These
are fiery hot topics that are sure to be on the rise. You can pull any one of
these to use for your first ebook. Then come back and pull another topic for
your next ebook.
Using
the latest electronics.
We are a society obsessed with having the latest and greatest technology. Do an
ebook on iPods, email/camera cell phones, wireless Internet, digital TV, or any
combination of these items.
Home
improvement.
There's so much of a craze in this area that do-it-yourself (DIY) stores are on
every corner of major cities. If you haven't been to a Home Depot or Lowe's
lately, then you are one of the few. Sure, apartment dwellers and young
students aren't in this market, but people with homes and money to afford them
are in this market. In fact, some cable TV services offer entire channels
dedicated to home improvement.
Especially
of current interest are in-home automation systems. DIY home improvers are
eager to learn about and buy things that will make their home lives more
relaxing, high-tech, or fun. Create a book to teach them how to make their
lights come on for them before they get home from their jobs, or how to press a
button to adjust window blinds, music, or temperature. Or how Bill Gates' house
works. Or how to add automation to an existing home, or how to build-in
automation when a house is constructed.
Identity theft prevention. Especially because ebooks
are marketed on the Internet, this is a great topic. This is because people who
purchase over the Internet are concerned that their credit card numbers will
not be seen by others or misused in any way. Even away from the computer
though, consumers are on-edge about identity theft. Today, people are shredding
their receipts, removing their personal information from the face of their
checks, and cautiously covering themselves when they type in passwords at
public terminals or ATMs. Microchips are being installed on ID cards. People
are worried. Tap into this with an ebook!
Safety. Along the same lines as worrying
about identity theft, people are worried about their safety from other things
like crime, chemical warfare attack, and natural disasters. Watch the evening
news tonight, and you will be able to list at least twenty things that people
are afraid of. When you talk about safety, you are speaking their language.
Titles along the lines of be prepared for any natural disaster would go over
well, as would those like never be a crime victim again, how to defend yourself
in a parking lot, or prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
How-to manuals for
any new product recently on the market.
This harks back to the Dummies series but takes it one step further. Target your
ebook to people who want to buy the most current commercially available item.
How to use the new model John Deere tractor. You will be sure that no one else
has a book like yours, and you can say so in your sales pitch.
How to survive any phase of life. People face numerous demons and
battles as they live their lives. For many, when they're in need, they'll be
reaching out for help. Support groups, private therapy, being with friends,
starting over - these are all solid topics for an ebook. You could also reach
out specifically to certain people needing emotional assistance. How to get
through the terrible two's. How to cope with a cancer diagnosis. Living with
your own shortcomings. How to live with someone who is dying. Surviving high
school. Any of these will do.
Anything to do with pets.
People are pampering their pets more than ever before. Some pets are treated
better than people. It's the people who spend small fortunes on their pets that
will also be willing to pay good money for an ebook that gives them ideas on
how to treat their animals even more royally than they already do.
Write
books on how to pamper your parakeet, homemade meals for picky dogs, where the
pet spas are, how to train your kids to be cat-friendly, million dollar homes
for mutts, which animals make the best pets, or pet psychology.
Traveling mixed with the subjects
above. Not only are
people traveling like crazy, but they want to customize their itineraries and
their methods of travel with their hobbies and lifestyles. Try a few of these
on for size: where to dine around the globe and still stay on a low-carb diet
plan. Hotels with the best exercise facilities. How to travel exquisitely with
large dogs. Crime-proof your campsite. Be creative. There's a market here.
Using the Internet to meet people. Everyone's online, and sometimes
folks spend more time chatting with Internet buddies than they do talking face
to face with actual friends. I know I've been guilty of this one myself.
Anyway, along with the advent of the World Wide Web, came people who need a
little help figuring out how to get where they want to get. They want to find
like-minded people, find a date, find love, find support.
There's
a huge ebook market for hooking people up with people online. Here are just a
few things that could be covered: speed dating online, virtual music jams,
taking online classes, hooking up with people who share your hobby, and finding
online support groups. Any of these and more are of interest to people who wish
to get maximum benefit from their ability, thanks to the Internet, to network
with people in the farthest reaches of the world. In fact one of the appeals
with online communing is that distance does not matter. Help these people in
foreign lands find each other with an ebook.
Topics of special interest to women. The facts don't lie. Women dominate
the Internet, and they spend or influence spending of 80 cents for every dollar
changing hands. What women want has never been so important to business owners
and authors.
Certain
topics appeal particularly to the female set. These include beauty, health,
decorating, emotional support, and life enrichment. Women do a few things,
generally, that men don't. They play bunko, wear make-up, and talk for hours to
their girlfriends on the phone. They send more greeting cards, prepare more
casseroles, and vacuum more often than men. They eat more salads and go
shopping more often for clothes. They get more pedicures and love to dance more
than the average man.
There are two things to keep in mind with
regards to women and ebooks. If you want to attract a female market, you need
to write about a topic that women like to read about, and you want to make the
title friendly towards women.
Sex. People don't need to sneak out of bookstores with erotic
books in their hands anymore, and they know it. They are looking on the
Internet for sex materials, toys, and books. The Internet is private,
individuals can take their sweet time, and indeed they can surf with or without
a lover sharing their chair.
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