Need An E-book Ideas? Choose a Niche for Your E-book

Jennifer Mattern
So, you’ve decided to write an e-book, have you? Well what are you going to write your e-book about? One of the most difficult parts of e-book writing is finding your final e-book idea (or the niche for your e-book).

We often have a general idea about what we want to write about. We can use a tool like the Adwords Sandbox to help us narrow it down to a specific topic (and even e-book title), based on search volume (it’s a better idea to write an e-book on something people are searching for, because it shows they’re interested in the topic, than to write an e-book that no one may want to read).

Let’s do a walk-through on choosing a niche for a few general topics. Let’s also assume that we know people love how-to style pieces (they do - it’s why how-tos, guides, etc. work so well in headline writing). But first, the basic process:

1. Visit the Adwords sandbox
2. In the box labeled “descriptive words or phrases,” type “how to” and then your general subject matter (such as “how to write,” “how to dog,” “how to jewelry,” etc.).
3. Leave the synonyms box checked.
4. Type in the letters from the image (you should only have to do it the first time you search each time you visit the site).
5. Look through the results provided for something specific that interests you, and has a relatively high search volume. If it also has high advertiser competition (people are paying more for ads for those keywords), that’s going to be a good thing too. It means you may have better luck monetizing articles and such that you write on your site, blog, etc. to help promote your e-book.

To the examples:
Example 1: Let’s assume you know you want to write an e-book on some aspect of writing itself. Type “how to write” in the descriptive words or phrases box, and follow the rest of the instructions above. Here are some of the ideas that come up with a high search volume (compared to other how-to topics on writing) and high advertiser competition:
• How to Write a Novel
• How to Write a Book
• How to Write a Cover Letter
• How to Write a Business Plan
• How to Write an Essay
• How to Write a Business Letter
• How to Write a Screenplay
• How to Write a Resume
• How to Write a Love Letter
• How to Write a Children’s Book

Example 2: In this example, let’s say you know very generally that you love dogs, know a lot about them, and want to write an e-book about dogs, but you aren’t sure how to narrow that down into something workable that people will really want to read. Follow the steps above again (this time typing “how to dog”), and you’ll get some of the following ideas:

• How to Potty Train a Dog
• How to Stop a Dog from Barking
• How to Stop a Dog from Digging
• How to Draw Dogs
• How to Choose a Dog Breed
• How to Make Dog Treats
• How to Build a Dog House
• How to Teach a Dog to Fetch
• How to Make a Dog Bed
• How to Leash Train a Dog
• How to Train a Guard Dog

Example 3: Now let’s say you’re interested in jewelry, and you know you want to write an e-book about it, but you’re not sure how to narrow that down. Again, follow the above instructions, this time using “how to jewelry.” You’ll find these ideas and more:

• How to Make Jewelry
• How to Wire Jewelry

You’ll notice that you don’t get many results here. That means it’s time to narrow down your search on your own a bit. In this case, let’s assume you want to go with making jewelry (you could also go with something more like “how to choose jewelry”), so type in “how to make jewelry” for the following additional results:

• How to Make Hemp Jewelry
• How to Make Beaded Jewelry
• How to Make Silver Jewelry
• How to Make Wire Wrap Jewelry
• How to Make Costume Jewelry

What you’ll notice is that these say “no data” in the search engine volume column. In this case, you may want to run the phrase through the free keyword suggestion tool from Wordtracker just to see if anyone’s actually searching for the topic.
While tools like the Adwords sandbox can help you choose a niche for your e-book, don’t let it do it all for you. Go into the process with at least a vague idea of what you want to write about, and then use tools like this to help you narrow it down. If you’re not truly interested in the subject matter, you’ll have a harder time writing the e-book in the first place.

Also understand that using the how-to method is a great start, but you should embellish those phrases for your e-book title if you want to increase interest or sales. Here are a few possible title examples, from sample search results above:

• How to Write a Resume (That Will Land You Your Dream Job)
• How to Write a Novel (in 30 Days)
• How to Write a Children’s Book (That Sells)
• How to Write a Love Letter (That Will Win Any Woman’s Heart)
• How to Build a Dog House (in a Weekend)
• How to Make Costume Jewelry (That’s Safe for Small Children)

Hopefully you get the idea, and you’ll use these tools to help you choose the perfect niche for your next e-book.
- • Jennifer Mattern

101 NICHES TO WRITE ABOUT

Jennifer Mattern
Whether you’re a freelance writer or blogger, you’ve probably had to choose a niche to write about at one time or another–perhaps a niche for your new blog or e-book, or choosing what topics to specialize in for client work.

There are millions of niches out there that you can write about or blog about, so it always baffled me that people have a hard time choosing one. I’ve shared some resources and examples previously about how to choose a niche.

Today I’m going to do some of the work for you, and break down several popular topic areas into more specific niches you can blog about, write an e-book about, or specialize in as a freelance writer. Here are your 101 niches to write about:

Business / Money
1. Legitimate ways stay-at-home parents can earn extra money from home
2. Living on a budget in college
3. Starting and running a restaurant (or insert any other type of business)
4. Managing credit card debt
5. Social media marketing
6. Accounting for small business owners
7. Securing business financing

Arts & Entertainment
8. Insert name of your favorite television show here
9. How to get acting gigs
10. How to play the guitar (or any other instrument)
11. Insert name of your favorite celebrity here
12. Broadway shows
13. Tourist attractions or “things to do” in your city or state
14. Video game strategies or reviews

Green Living
15. Raising “green” children (or focus solely on green baby products)
16. Document your own efforts to go green
17. Green business tips
18. Green travel
19. Reviews of environmentally friendly products

Sports
20. Soccer news (or insert any other sport name)
21. How to play (insert your favorite sport here)
22. Write about your favorite athlete (history, stats, news, etc.)
23. The history of (insert any sport here)

Pets
24. How to train a dog
25. How to choose a dog (or other type of pet)
26. Pet health (general or for specific types of pets)
27. Exotic pets
28. Create a pet photo blog

Home & Family
29. Recipe blog for 30-minute or less dinners
30. Parenting (insert age range here–teens, preschoolers, etc.)
31. Family-friendly day trips and destinations
32. Romantic vacation spots for couples
33. Review kitchen appliances and gadgets
34. Home decorating ideas for small spaces
33. Organizing parties and family get-togethers
34. Home organization (tips, product reviews, etc.)
35. Recipes using chocolate (or any other favorite ingredient)
36. Growing an indoor herb garden

Technology
37. Insert your favorite gadget here (iPhone, netbooks, etc.)
38. Social media news and tools
39. Automotive news and reviews
40. Mobile technology for travelers
41. Computer software reviews for small businesses (or another target group)
42. Open source computing
43. Google tools, tips, and tricks
44. Blogging
45. Designing websites
46. Simple computer fixes (like dealing with Windows error messages)
47. Careers in technology fields
48. Camcorder tips (shooting better videos)
49. Home theater equipment or setting up a home theater
50. Podcasting
51. Online videos (creating, uploading, finding, etc.)
Health & Wellness
52. Insert any disease or disorder name here (symptoms, treatments, coping, etc.)
53. Getting better healthcare on a budget
54. Pregnancy
55. Stress relief tips, product reviews, etc.
56. Insert your favorite exercise here (walking, running, yoga, etc.)
57. Alternative medicine / natural healing
58. Diet plan reviews
59. Tips, products, and programs to help people quit smoking
60. Better health at work (ergonomics, healthier lunch options, etc.)

Fashion & Style
61. Celebrity fashion watch
62. Everyday fashion tips for the busy working woman
63. Designing or creating your own clothes or accessories
64. Getting style on a budget
65. Makeup tips (get specific with certain skin types, colors, etc.)
66. Wedding and formal fashion

Education & Learning
67. Learn how to speak French (or any other language)
68. How to choose a college or university
69. How to secure more scholarships
70. Online degree programs / distance education
71. Going back to school / adult education
72. Math tips for teens (or insert any other subject)
73. Study tips for better test taking
74. How to write papers and reports

Crafts & Hobbies
75. How to become a better chess player
76. Knitting / crocheting / insert other sewing technique
77. Painting better portraits
78. Taking better digital photographs
79. Jewelry making
80. Collecting (stamps, trading cards, etc.)
81. Card games
82. Simple magic tricks for kids
83. Researching your family history / genealogy (or Irish genealogy, etc.)
85. Making candles or other homemade gifts

Travel
86. Backpacking through Europe
87. Cheap international travel destinations
88. Historical travel (traveling to see historical sites)
89. Adventure travel destinations and tips
90. Preparing for travel (booking trips to getting through airport security)

Writing
91. How to write a novel
92. How to write nonfiction books
93. How to market yourself as a writer (or your work)
95. Freelance writing
96. Writing for the Web
97. Writing screenplays / teleplays / stage plays
98. Developing characters
99. Writing e-books
100. Self-publishing
101. Writing book proposals

That’s just a very small sampling of the available niches you can specialize in or blog about. Use it as a starting point to help you brainstorm other ideas, and remember–niches should neither be so broad that you can’t compete or so narrow that there’s no audience. Best of luck finding your own happy mediums!
-Jennifer Mattern

IDEAL WAYS TO WRITE YOUR BOOK TO SELL WAY MORE THAN ITS COMPETITION

Did you define an intense problem and solve it within your book? Congratulations!
You now have the ingredients to make your book a top seller in your field or expertise. With the right mix, your book is destined to sell way more than its competition. But, wait; don't rest in your success just yet. You still have work to do to become a successful author with a book selling way more than its competition.

After you have defined a problem and solution, researched your competition, you now have to develop a different approach. With all the books in the world on your topic, it's not enough to know the solution; you have to present the solution in a different way than existing books do.

You need to develop a way of making your book special. You need a different viewpoint, a niche, and a unique spin on sometimes the same information. Look at the problem again and the solution your book solves with the goal of developing a way to describe and present your knowledge in a different manner than existing books.

Here are seven ways you can do this:

1. Affinity. Perhaps you have a relationship with a well known organization that has benefited from your ideas. You can repurpose your expertise by leveraging off your association: The United Teachers Financial Program or the Stanford University Weight Loss Program.

2. Benefits. Organize your existing information around benefits of achieving the goal: Free Again, Healthy Again!

3. Broad market. Consider appealing to a broad market: Lose 14 Pounds in 14 Days: A Guide for Baby Boomer Men & Women.

4. Experience. Target your niche market with their previous experience with a topic, i.e. The Last Diet Book You'll Ever Need!

5. Focal point. Attack a huge problem by emphasizing a particular tool or technique that you have experience with. For example, show how cancer survivors can regain their health and vitality faster through herbs, minerals and raw plant foods.

6. Market section. You can develop a niche by focusing on an age group, profession, or sex, i.e. Lose 14 Pounds in 2 Weeks: A Guide for the new 40, Lose Weight Safely Before, During and After Multiple Birth Pregnancy.

7. Program. I love easy steps; don't you find yourself looking for the easy way out? Support your solution on the way you solve a large problem by breaking it into steps or ways, i.e. eBook It: 10 Ways to Profit from Your Passion Program for ebook writing.

You might notice in each one of the above examples of the same market, the contents of the book would most likely be the same! The books would contain the same basic thoughts, suggestions, guidelines, etc. For example, all the books about diets would probably stress the significance of eating right, choosing the right foods in right portions and daily exercise. Yet, each book presents a different viewpoint targeting a different market.

So, don't be afraid to approach the same subject as existing books. Focus in on your unique ideas and viewpoint. Remember, according to the writer of Ecclesiastes, "There's nothing new under the sun." Bernice Fitz Gibbon said, "Creativity often consists of merely turning up what is already there. Did you know that right and left shoes were only thought up only little more than a century ago."

Are you ready to write a book to sell way more than its competition? Did you find a way to present your book of solutions in a different way? Great! Now that you know how to make your book unique, go ahead take the plunge. Don't hesitate any longer. Start today. Your audience is waiting for YOUR solution-oriented ideas and viewpoint. Make it different. Make it count. Make it yours.

Earma Brown, 12 year author and book coach
Get a Free Book Writing Kit when you take the Write a Book Challenge. Send any email to wabc@bookwritinghelp.com for 7 lesson mini-course "Win with the Writer Inside" or visit her at How to Write a Book for more resources and tips.
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