I used to think that the biggest problem with writing ebooks is getting started. We all have dreams, and passions, and knowledge — or simply a desire to sell something online — but a whole bunch of us have trouble actually writing those first words.
It turns out, though, that I might have been wrong.
The biggest problem is NOT writing those first words.
The biggest problem is writing those first words FIRST.
Okay, that’s got to be a bit confusing to you, so I’ll explain.
There’s a big difference between writing a small-money (or no-money) ebook, and writing an ebook that sells continually, throws off lots of money, and builds a business for you — what I call a Big Money Ebook.
Because, look, quite honestly, writing just any old small-money ebook is actually easy. Just type what you want to say into Microsoft Word. Tap. Tap. Tap.
You may feel fulfilled that you got it all down on "paper", but you’ll spend all of your time struggling to make it sell. It won’t.
(I just got an email the other day from a reader in Africa. He said, " I have several ebooks on a $18,000,000,000 yearly industry and yet i cannot seem to find the people (to buy it). " Sheesh.)
Great example. But just typing the words is not what we’re talking about here.
We’re talking about building the marketing right into the ebook…in a way that actually makes the book BETTER than it otherwise could be.
I imagine there will be a lot of resistance to this idea. "I don’t want to put sales messages into my ebook" or "My audience is different. They wouldn’t go for that." Or … "I don’t want to seem like a huckster."
And I don’t want you to, either.
I’ll give you an example that might help you understand, because I want you to GET IT about this concept. <– Notice that last word!
In the first few pages of "All Marketers are Liars", by Seth Godin, Seth writes about George Reidel.
George makes wine glasses. But not just any glasses.
George makes wine glasses that make wine taste better.
And each glass is designed specifically for a different kind of grape. So your Cabernet glass is going to have a different shape than what you’d drink your Pino Noir from.
George says that "It is the RESPONSIBILITY of the glass to convey the wine’s messages in the best manner to the human senses." And how could the glass do that for your Cab if it’s a glass made especially for Pinot?
If you ask the editor of wine spectator magazine, he’ll say "The effect of these glasses on fine wine is profound."
He’s a fan.
Tests done among wine experts, who drink wine out of Reidel glasses as compared to other, plain wine glasses, notice a huge difference. Even novices, when invited to a Reidel tasting where they are told the story about how the glasses are designed, shaped, and made, overwhelmingly notice a difference.
A big one. (Admission: I have four Reidel glasses.)
But double blind taste tests, done where the subject cannot discern the shape of the glass, prove otherwise.
In fact, they prove that the shape of the glass has absolutely no effect at all.
So then WHY do so many people buy Reidel Glasses? And why do they all enjoy their wines more when they drink them out of a Reidel Glass?
Because the wine actually DOES taste better out of a Reidel glass. People enjoy their wines more.
But it’s not because of the glass.
It’s because of the STORY. The story actually makes the wine taste better.
SO WHY DOES THIS MATTER TO YOU AND YOUR EBOOK?
Central to the idea of writing an ebook is understanding WHY you are writing the book.
More importantly, WHY should someone buy it, read it, and do what it says?
The answer is the "concept".
Most people would call this "the point of the book" or the "premise" or the "summary." But it’s much more important than that.
And unfortunately, most people don’t ever have a concept in their ebooks at all, even though it’s the most important part of the entire ebook.
George Reidel’s concept is that a glass has a "responsibility" of its own.
To be a Big Money Ebook, your ebook needs to have a concept, too.
And then you need to be able to tell a story about the concept, like George does about his glasses.
And you should discover and develop your concept before you start writing your ebook.
It’s not hard, once you understand how to do it.
Here are some other concepts that you might have heard of. All of them SIMPLE and CLEAR ideas. Immediately understandable — and compelling.
* "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind" by Harv Eker. He says "Think Rich to Get Rich" and his book proves it.
* "The One Minute Millionaire" by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert Allen, who say you can get rich "One minute at a time" The whole book is about that.
* "The Four Hour Work Week" by Timothy Ferris, who says that you can "Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich." Awesome book. (I’ve read this three times already. Not coincidentally, he advises that you write an ebook, too!)
There are thousands more.
But chances are, the book you’ve been thinking about doesn’t have a concept — at least not one that will SELL.
During my upcoming webinar called "The Big Money Ebook Kickstart," we’ll fix that problem for you.
Anyone can write a small money ebook or a no-money ebook. Those are the ones developed for those 18 billion dollar industries that can’t beg for a sale at $30.
The funny thing is that it doesn’t take a whole lot of effort to create a Big Money Ebook instead.
In fact, the weird part about it all is that creating a Big Money Ebook is EASIER than creating a small-money ebook. Big Money Ebooks — developed around a properly created concept — almost write themselves, because everything relates back to the concept, and its story.
And the marketing for Big Money ebooks — well, it’s all built right INTO the book itself. And there are six other easy ways to build the marketing into your ebook AFTER creating the concept.
It will be hard to find the dividing line between what makes someone buy your ebook, the book itself, and how your customers USE your ebook.
If that doesn’t make sense to you yet, it soon will.
I can’t go into everything about the course right now, but if everything goes well, you’ll be able to register starting tomorrow at about Noon PST, 3pm EST.
Because of the nature of this course, space will be limited. So, I’ll do my best to meet that 12 Noon deadline, and let you know when to be at your computer if the registration page is going to be delayed for any reason. (There’s a lot left to do.)
To Your Success,
–Mark Widawer
P.S. Let me point out just one more thing — Who is this Big Money Ebook webinar for?
Frankly, it’s for you, if you’ve ever wanted to create an online business based around an ebook or any kind of information. (Everything we’re going to cover applies equally well to Teleseminars.)
But it’s ESPECIALLY for YOU if you are looking to start your second (or third) career. There are a LOT of people with a book inside of them, and who suddenly find themselves with a lot of spare time on their hands because of the economy.
If you’re 40, 50, or 60 years old or older, I’m planning on taking very special care of YOU.
I’m 45, and I’ve noticed that there are a lot of people who try to teach, but who assume that the people they’re talking to already have years of experience on line.
I’m not going ot make those assumptions.
I’m going to take things down to a low level and bring you up so that you can understand everything, and get started right away.
This webinar really is going to be a KICKSTART for you and your successful online business.
I’m looking forward to seeing you on the webinar.
Remember, registration is Thursday at Noon PST, 3pm EST.
–Mark