First, do some preliminary research and get an idea of what sells well on Amazon, it’s time to choose your topic. Hopefully, you’re feeling pulled toward a particular topic already since you’re fresh off your research.
You may want to double-check yourself, though. Is your chosen topic going to be profitable? Are there plenty of opportunities for you to write additional books related to the topic?
Do you enjoy the topic enough to write about it consistently? If you’re passionate about a topic and have some knowledge on the topic even without research, that will shine through in your writing. It will also make it easier and faster for you to write. This is easy for me to write because I enjoy inspiring new writers and because I’ve written so many books over the years that the process is like second nature to me.
It can also be helpful if the topic you choose can be easily expanded into a series of books. Series books tend to sell well because people feel compelled to buy the next one in the series. At the very least, make sure the topic you choose has room for multiple book releases even if they aren’t in a series.
If you do choose the series route, I do caution you to approach your series with the knowledge that each book should be able to stand on its own. The books should complement one another, but not be incomplete without one another. The book you’re reading right now is part of a series. Each one stands alone yet they pack an even more powerful punch when you read them together.
Also remember to try to be specific with your topic for these shorter books. For example, if your topic is “weight loss,” that’s way too broad. You should be focused on finding one problem your audience has and offering one solution or a few solutions for them within your book.
So you might target weight loss but a more specific topic would be getting a flat belly. An even more specific topic would be getting a flat belly by using the Paleo diet. It goes without saying that if you’re in any sort of health niche that you need to pay close attention to the advice you give and whether you’re qualified to give it—the flat belly niche is just an example of how specific you can get within any broader topic.
Focus on a narrow interest, passion, or subcategory. That’s the best way to break through on Amazon as a new author because there is less competition that way. It also makes it easier to write these shorter, yet extremely helpful books. Just make sure there’s a buying audience and similar books that are doing well.
The Brainstorming Stage
You can breathe a sigh of relief now that you’ve chosen your topic. It may have felt like the decision was a long time coming, but you can rest assured that you’ve chosen the right topic and you’re well on your way to releasing a successful book on Kindle.
Now, it’s time to brainstorm angles and topics for your book and get your thoughts down on paper. Brainstorming is an extremely valuable yet underrated creative process. Don’t think you have to just stick to the same old stuff all the other writers are sticking to when you write. No one wants to buy a dry, copycat of a book. They want something written in a unique voice that helps them or touches them in a way no other book can.
Take a look at what other authors are doing and brainstorm ways you can make your book and content unique and different. What unique angle can you take to stand out? Some authors like to brainstorm book titles first as a way of finding a unique angle. This can be a fun and motivating exercise. Get inspired by related book reviews on Amazon, social media chatter, and the questions and things people are talking about on related niche forums.
Go ahead and write down everything related to your topic you think your audience would want to know. Reflect on their problems, passions, and desires.
If you could look inside the head of one real member of this audience, what would they be thinking? What would they want more than anything else? What is their ideal book that they would buy in a heartbeat if it were available? Write that book.
If you’re having trouble coming up with a reader avatar (a profile of your typical potential reader), Amazon makes it really easy for you to get inside the customer’s head so you can create one. Go back to those top 20 books related to your topic. Pay attention to the top selling few in the top 20 as well as the bottom selling few in the top 20. Make notes on the reviews those books have received. Pay particularly close attention to the top reviews that give the books five stars as well as any reviews that give them one star.
Make notes on what it was these customers liked and did not like. We’ll talk about how to do this in more detail later on when it comes to the niche research part of things, but this can help jumpstart you if you’re feeling starved for ideas when you’re brainstorming.
After you’ve gotten a little refresher on the likes, dislikes, and desires of your typical reader, go back to brainstorming. Now you have a feel for the reader and what people in this audience need and want. Brainstorm what you think you should include that relates to those desires, problems, passions, and interests.
Think freely – let your mind make new connections. Be creative and think outside the box. You’ll be surprised at where your mind takes you if you allow yourself to freewrite and brainstorm.
The worst mistake you can make at this stage is censoring yourself – just don’t do it. Write down everything that comes to mind even if it seems sort of silly right now. Later, you’ll choose from the very best ideas you’ve brainstormed. But don’t let that “editor” come out quite yet.
Allow yourself to be as creative as possible based on what you know. Follow your gut and your creative instinct when you’re brainstorming these ideas. Your brainstormed ideas will help give you some direction when you dig more deeply into your niche audience.
Niche Research
You’ve probably already done a bit of this, and perhaps again if you needed fodder for brainstorming, but now it’s time to approach niche research in a more focused way.
Go back to the subcategory of your niche again and look at books that are very similar to the one you’re writing. Yours, of course, will take a unique angle and will stand apart from the crowd. But for now, you’re looking at books that most closely match the profile of what your book will become.
You might choose around five books to analyze for this process. Again, this is not an exact science, but it should give you enough information to work from.
Take notes on these books. What have they thought of that you haven’t? Go ahead and look at their table of contents. You might be able to get some additional ideas and do some brainstorming for what you can include in your own table of contents. It goes without saying that you should never copy their exact topics, but it’s important to get a feel for what people are discussing in their books.
You may or may not want to purchase related books to use as research. There are two schools of thought here. The first school of thought is that you should read everything you can get your hands on related to your topic. This gives you a well-rounded education and helps you get an intimate feel for what other writers in your niche tend to do.
The other school of thought says not to buy these other books because you might inadvertently make your book too similar or overlap too much. Some writers want to write completely fresh without having read the competition.
Honestly, as long as you’re coming up with your own ideas and you’re never copying anything, then you can do whatever you’d like. I tend to like to read everything I can get my hands on, on topics I’m interested in and write about. Everything I write is completely unique and based on my own experience, however I’m also a customer and reader in many of the niches I write in. I frequently read things related to improving mindset and setting goals, for example. I also write on those topics. This topic is near and dear to my heart and I think that shines through in my writing.
Remember to take notes on what you find. You might come up with a brilliant idea as you’re going through these different books so you’ll definitely want to write it all down. Don’t assume that you’ll remember it later – in fact the odds are against you! You probably will not remember that brilliant idea you came up with if you don’t write it down – especially ones that occur to you in the middle of the night or when you’re focused on something else.
Great ideas pop up in the most unexpected places, so always be prepared to take notes. You could even use a note taking or mindmapping app on your phone or tablet—there are many available these days. Write everything down, even if you’re not sure you’ll use it. It’s so important that you capture your brilliance as it comes to you, because that’s how creativity works.
One of the most important things you can do as part of your niche research is to take a look at the reviews of similar books on Amazon.
You absolutely must know what real people in this niche like and don’t like about the books that are already out there. This information is so simple and it’s right at your fingertips. It’s astonishing how few authors take the time to do this.
Take a look at those five books you’ve been analyzing. Go to their pages on Amazon. Read the reviews – pay extra close attention to the most helpful favorable reviews and the most helpful least favorite reviews – you’ll see what I’m talking about when you get to the review section for the book on Amazon.
These reviews tell you exactly what people like and expect from books on this topic. More importantly, it will tell you what authors have left out – what people wish had been in the books that are currently on the market. Take notes feverishly as you comb through these reviews.
That way, you can fill in the gaps when you create your outline and write your book. You can make sure you’re giving people in your niche exactly what they want because they’re telling you what they want. This step is absolutely critical.
You can also search social media for clues as to what people in your niche need and want. Again, you have to go where the people of your niche hang out because they will tell you exactly what they expect and want.
Join Facebook groups and “like” related Facebook pages. Pay attention to what people are talking about. What are the hot topics? What are the topics of controversy? What are the most frequently asked questions?
Take note. Look at what’s trending on Twitter related to your topic. Do some searches on Facebook related to your topic. Visit related niche forums and look for the hottest and most commented on threads. Look for those common questions.
The idea is to take notes on all the current buzz surrounding your topic. You need to know what people are talking about, the very specific topics people are most likely to buy books on, and exactly what people are desperate to know. Which hot-button issues are they desperate to solve?
This might sound like a lot, but really this process doesn’t have to take that long at all. And if you do it upfront, then the research you do now can serve you over the course of several books.
Look at the notes you’ve taken related to your niche and combine these notes with what you brainstormed in the previous section.
I recommend that you go ahead and brainstorm again now that you’re armed with even more niche knowledge. Let your creativity shine through. Write down the ideas that come to you in the shower, while you’re driving or commuting, and so on. Always keep ideas by your side for your short Kindle books.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download