Why Researching Is Good, And A Failure To Do So Is Not


What a lack of research could do to you.

When creating an ebook how well do you research the topic before hand?

It's absolutely crucial that you research what problems your target market is having and what they're spending money on.

The time to pay attention to detail is here.

If you don't research how will you know what problems exist in your target market, what their recommending for products to try, pay even closer attention to the dollars involved. Hope fully they're purchasing pattern will lead into 3 digit numbers.

This is why probing for the information you need you'll be in a better position to analyze the information to see if it's a worthwhile project to start, if not junk it.

Case in point, I recently had a young lad email me and explain he was a first time author of a 30 pg ebook targeted at teenagers.

He realized that because his target market is teenagers and teenagers do not purchase as frequently online as adults do that he was in a bit of a bind.

What was he to do? He'd put a bit of work into his project and knowing what he does now, he has to decide whether to sell or give it away. He needed some positive feedback, nothing to devastating. Instead of targeting students he could alter the ebook towards another target market, a market with money to spend and a hunger for his type of info product. Just a little copying, pasting, and editing.

Praise those accomplishments: The first thing I did was congratulate him for being a first time author.

Good topic, wrong market for low income earners: The topic he was covering was actually a good topic, but he realized after the fact that he had probably created a dud for an ebook because of the restrictions imposed on his target market...lack of access to purchasing power.

What would you do in his position?

His question to me was what he should do with the ebook. He had considered giving it away to people as an incentive for them to sign up for his newsletter, or selling the ebook at $5.00 a copy. Indication of his problems: I assumed that because he only put a price tag of $5.00 on the book that he was either not comfortable with the content he placed in the ebook OR that he was selling himself short. I would assume the latter.

Summary:

The collection of data, decision time. Once you've collected what you think is all the info required via surveys, it is now time for the decision making process

Why researching the right way the first time will save you hair loss and disappointment:

This is why doing a thorough job in the researching part of your work is so important. If he would have put a little more thought into who his target market was he wouldn't have created a dud for an info product.

Lack of researching is the number one mistake that most new authors make, take your time researching...what's the rush?

Copyright 2004 August

This article may be re-published as long as the source box remains. Notification of use would be appreciated.

Brian is a freelance writer and publisher of The Ebook King Chronicles. Brian's goal is to give you more ideas for your next project, step by step. www.theebookking.com


MORE RESOURCES:
RELATED ARTICLES
Get Published: The Nuts and Bolts of Good English, and How to Impress a Publisher (3)
A well-punctuated approach letter may make the difference between acceptance and rejection by a publisher's commissioning editor. In this article, I'll look at just one small, but often bothersome, piece of punctuation: the apostrophe.
Crime Writing Beckons
If your cash is running out fast and you have an incessant need to write, why not turn to crime?No! Not committing crime, but to writing about crime. Crime is all around us, and people want to know about it.
The Spectre Hound
And a dreadful thing from the cliff did spring, and its wild bark thrill'd around, His eyes had the glow of the fires below, 'twas the form of the spectre houndOne of the most chilling omens of death in English folklore is the large, spectral demon dog called Black Shuck. A death omen comes to collect souls and if you have the misfortune to see Black Shuck - expect death to come within a year.
8 Great Journaling Tips
Mix a martini, don't forget the olives, or pour yourself a tea, relax and enjoy!There are no hard-set rules for keeping a journal. How often you write, time you spend, and how rigorously you maintain a regular journaling schedule are matters of personal choice and circumstance.
Pairs/Groups Of Words Often Confused - Part 6 of 6
SALE, SAIL Sale is either offering something for purchase ("for sale") or offering it at a special price ("on sale"); sail is part of a ship or boat.SELL, CELL Sell is to exchange for money; cell is a small room.
Becoming the Total Package
Being a great writer is no longer enough if you plan to score a big publishing deal, especially as a nonfiction author.Particularly if your book idea falls into the how-to or self-help categories, you not only have to sell your terrific writing, but you also have to sell yourself as the books conduit to the world.
Writing is a Discipline
If a writer considers writing to be a task, he/she is doomed to failure. Since it cannot be a task, then what is it? It is a discipline.
A Writers Inner Battle
There is a psychological nuisance so powerful that can deflate the drive, self-esteem, and human spirit of many aspiring Writers of any age. These Writers are faced with an obstacle that make them stop, think twice and question their right to be a part of a respected community.
Local Knowledge: Background and Historical Setting in Novels
You're writing a story set in your local city, but one hundred years in the past. How can you recreate the feel of the past in your words of the present? Local knowledge, that's how.
Written Communications - 6 Tips on Language & Tone
In most aspects of business, we will be expected to write a message to a client or customer, in the form of a letter, memo or e-mail. Language and tone in these communications is vital to the relationship with the recipient, and can mean the difference between a sale and a lost prospect.
The Daily Rite
If you want to be a writer, then you must write - you must write something every day.If possible, have an established time to write every day.
Six Tips for Submitting Fiction - if you want it to get published
You can learn a lot about what it takes to place a story in an ezine by starting up one of your own.Last month I started work on a new ezine for writers, which I intended to use to publish high-quality, contemporary fiction, from writers all over the world.
14 Tips On Writing The Short-Short Story
The short-short story has been likened by some as being closer to writing a poem than a story. And that makes sense-every word has to be packed with power; every line has to move the story along.
Writers Who Consistently Cut The Mustard Do So Because...
Have you ever wondered why certain writers are able to churn out seemingly endless streams of published bestsellers while thousands upon thousands of others suffer an endless stream of rejection slips?Sure, you can get lucky first time out, once in a blue moon.I did.
Writing - Copyrights and Trademarks Protect You
When most people consider writing a book, they don't think about Trademarks. However, I highly recommend that you leverage your writing for multiple purposes, and that's why registering a Trademark for your concept is a good idea.
Proofreading for Profits
How to avoid mistakes that undermine your credibilityYou're probably already familiar with the spell checker built into your software. Some work automatically as you type, others only run when you activate them.
Writing for Local Veterinary Hospitals
Freelance writer STANLEY BURKHARDT has a passion for animals. He loves animals so much, he crafted himself a new career.
What You May Not Learn In College... (Part Two)
If you become a writer for any publication, private business, public entity, non-profit organization and/or large corporation that employs more than one editor, you may find that your job description, expected contributions, desired writing style and similar "guidelines" for your position - are subject to change daily/weekly/unpredictably - according to each editor's mood and/or personal preferences. It takes time, but eventually you will learn how to satisfy everyone to the best of your ability.
You Cant Always Believe What You See On Your Computer Screen
You may not remember this, but in the early days of the personal computer, many industry insiders were predicting a paperless society.Of course, this hasn't happened.
The Unwritten World Of The Reality Of Letterwriting
You may wonder why I have chosen this title of this post. Well from my experience is that it is really hard to put the feeling into words about what letter writing means to me.