Do you have an idea for a book? Whether your topic is business-related or a hobby, what’s holding you back?
Before you decide to commit, there are a couple of things to consider. Do you want to self-publish to share your passion, earn extra income, or a little of both? Are you hesitating because you’re not sure how to begin?
How to research your topic’s popularity
Before you start writing, decide if your idea is saleable.
— Find out if your topic is popular enough to generate sales. Do a search for the topic using related keyword phrases. If you’re unfamiliar with Google’s Keyword Planner, visit http://spyfu.com.
— Craft the book title based on keyword popularity.
— Create a book outline that includes chapter titles. Based on keyword popularity, you should begin to perceive what people want to know.
— Identify your readers. Demographics will help you decide if the format should be print, an ebook, or both.
— The book shouldn’t be too long. These days, a shorter volume with interesting graphics works is best.
“The Cat’s Guide to Adoption”
When I had a flash of inspiration about writing an ebook about cat adoption, I did some keyword research and quickly learned it was a popular topic. No big surprise. People love animals and want to read stories about adopting. I have 13 years of experience caring for shelter cats and after my oldest cat Thomas passed away at the age of 20 last year, I decided to dedicate thoughts about how to adopt a homeless cat.
How to write and promote a book at the same time
Here’s a little-known fact about book promotion on amazon.com. Google loves Amazon. Why?
— Amazon.com is too big to ignore when it comes to search engine optimization. So Google pays attention to what’s on amazon.com and places high value on its content.
— Google indexes all the book titles on amazon.com using the same criteria as websites; i.e., keyword phrases.
— If your book title and table of contents includes popular keyword phrases, then a Google search will likely find your book on amazon.com high in the results.
— If you understand how to optimize your book title and chapter headings, you have a huge opportunity to reap additional book sales using search engine optimization.
Publishing has reached a whole new level in how and why books come to market. The explosive growth of self-published authors in that marketplace offers a huge opportunity to create books without having to deal with agents and traditional publishers. And with intelligent research about potential readers, you’re in a better position to promote your book even before you sit down to write.
Would you like guidance in bringing your book idea to market? I have experience in self-publishing both print and Kindle books. Just call (414) 771-8906 and ask for more information.