I was just browsing SmartBlogger and thought some of or all of you might find this article interesting.
31 Insanely Useful Resources for Writing a Bestselling Book in 2017
The following resources will help you come up with ideas and road-test them so you’re sure the book you’ll be spending months of your life on will be one that people actually want to read:
#1. Got a Book Idea? These 4 Steps Reveal if It Will Sell
Author: Dave Chesson
Source: Make a Living Writing
This post is all about creating a book that people already want. It’s a guide to doing market research on Amazon, with lots of handy links to free and paid tools you can use.
Key Takeaways:
Unless you have a huge email list of your own, you won’t write a bestselling book without having an idea that’s “organically discoverable” (i.e., people are searching for it on Amazon).
You can use the ABSR (Amazon Best Seller Rank) for existing books on similar topics to judge whether your book is likely to make money.
A popular idea isn’t enough; you also need to find a topic where you won’t have too much competition.
#2. Writing: How to Get to Know Your Target Readers Better and Craft Your Self-Published Books to Resonate with Them
Author: Dan Blank
Source: Self Publishing Advice Centre (the Alliance of Independent Authors’ blog)
In this post, Dan explains how you can take very specific steps to find out exactly what your ideal audience likes, based on the books they’re already reading and the authors they’re already following.
Key Takeaways:
One of the best ways to learn about your market and refine your idea is to look at similar books that already exist.
When you’re using social media, focus on making a connection — don’t just be promotional.
Be consistent with reaching out through different channels (social media, emails, events, etc). Do a little bit each week.
#3. 9 Essential Tips for Researching Your Nonfiction Book Idea
Author: Debbie Reber
Source: Debbie Reber Writing Coach
Although this is a short, succinct post, Debbie offers great practical tips for digging deeper into your idea — for thinking not only about how to position and sell your book, but also about what to include in your outline and plans.
Key Takeaways:
If you already have an audience, survey them to ask for specific feedback on your ideas. Surveys can even give you useful statistics or quotes to use.
Look for existing conversations around your topics: in blog posts and comments, in Facebook groups, in news coverage, and more.
Set a specific end date for your research so that it doesn’t drag on and on.
Stage 2: Create a Rock-Solid Structure to Make Your Book Easy to Read and Write
Once you’ve got an idea that you’re confident will sell, it’s time to figure out the structure of your book and create a full chapter-by-chapter outline.
Your outline is particularly essential if you want to submit a book proposal to agents or publishers. But even if you’re self-publishing, having a solid structure means you’ll end up with a much better book as a result.
Read the full article here
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