Make More Money Self-Publishing Special Reports
1. YOU CAN DO IT! WILL YOU?
You CAN succeed in your own information empire. Self-publishing
valuable, how-to information is in great demand by people today.
In today's busy society, people are pressed for time. They need
concise, simplified, practical information. They will pay dearly
for it if it will improve the quality of their lives.
Even if you have never written for money before, you can do so if
you apply the information in this report. Lack of formal education
should not deter you. Large sums of cash are not required. What is
required is the application of the information in this report.
You must have more than good intentions, though. Your strong desire
to succeed, not only in making money, but in making a difference in
other peoples' lives, will motivate you. Then, following through,
you will execute your planned tasks to reach your goal.
2. WHY IS SELF-PUBLISHED INFORMATION THE PERFECT PRODUCT?
Information can be sold on the basis of its value. For example, if
you could receive a thousand dollar tax-free grant, would you pay ten
dollars for that information? Most persons would. They'd be $990.00
ahead. Yet, that information might fit on one printed page. So, the
cost of producing the information has almost no relationship to the
value of the information. Thus, the potential for high markups and
profits exist in this business.
Information products (unlike other hard goods like cars, refrigerators,
et cetera) are relatively light and so incur lower shipping costs. In
fact, the post office gives preferential treatment for shipping books.
You could sell other peoples' products, but then you would not have
control over your business. At any time, your suppliers could change
their commission structure, let your competitors sell the product, or
even discontinue your relationship. If you own your own proprietary
product, your own copyrighted information product, no one can legally
sell it without your permission. You control its production,
promotion, and distribution.
3. WHY SELF-PUBLISH SPECIAL REPORTS INSTEAD OF BOOKS?
A Special Report (sometimes called a folio) is a written document of
from one to several pages on a specialized subject of interest to
certain readers. It should be concise and practical information of
value to a particular audience. It might be professionally bound with a
cover and personalized for the reader or it might just be a few pages
stapled together or it may even take the form of a computer file or
electronic book. This publication is an example of a Special Report.
Books and booklets must be produced in certain minimum quantities.
This is fine, when you're well-established financially. However,
Special Reports can be produced on demand, one copy at a time, if
necessary. This means that if you receive one order, you can publish
it from your home computer by simply printing a copy of your file.
Even if you have no computer, you could type one copy of your report
and have it photocopied as required. This results in virtually no
money being tied up in inventory. You spend money only when you
receive orders.
Books are lengthier and require more time and effort to produce.
Therefore, it will take you longer to make money from your efforts.
A Special Report, being only a few pages long on the average, is a
product you can develop and produce quickly and economically.
Many customers will appreciate the concise treatment of a particular
subject in a Special Report. They could pay forty dollars for a
complete book on home-based businesses, but maybe they just want
information on self-publishing.
Perhaps they have already bought books on How To Publish Your Own Book,
but the area of Special Reports wasn't really covered. For a few
dollars (and often for considerably less expense than a book), they can
get the essential information they need to accomplish their goal.
If time is money, then your customer will really appreciate your
to-the-point consideration of his selected subject. You are not
being paid by the word; you are being paid for results.
As you write further Special Reports in your area of expertise and
interest, you will find you will have a number of products to sell,
instead of just one. Then, you will have diversified your income,
having developed multiple income sources. Instead of making money
only when you are working, these products could generate passive
income for years to come. While on vacation or while sleeping,
orders could be coming in for these products you developed.
As well, a series of Special Reports or folios on related subjects
could be combined later to produce a book. If, for example,
you produced twelve different folios on various ways of making
money from self-publishing, they could be combined in a book on
the same subject.
Thus, Special Reports can be used as the basis for creating other
information products, such as books, booklets, audio cassettes,
videos, courses, software, speeches, website content, electronic books,
business kits, and so on. The more products you have and the more
choices you offer your customer, the more income streams you will
generate for
yourself.
4. WHAT SHOULD YOU WRITE ABOUT?
Of course, it is natural that you would want to write about something
that is of interest to you. However, is what you are writing about
of interest to others? You may be an excellent poet, but the market
is very limited for poetry.
On the other hand, practical and simple "how-to" information sells.
As an example, you presumably obtained this report to accomplish a
number of objectives. First of all, you wanted to make more money.
Secondly, you wanted to learn how to create valuable information of
use to others, so that they could pay you for it.
Is there a market for moneymaking information like this? You bet
there is! Just check out the business opportunity magazines at the
newstands to see that this is true. Use internet search engines to
find moneymaking or other how-to subjects and to learn about what
your competitors are doing.
The key to making money from your self-published information is to
write on a subject that is of interest and benefit to your reader.
There must be a sufficient number of persons interested in your
subject in order for you to justify the time and expense required
to undertake writing about it.
You must be able to reach these persons economically (through the
internet, magazines, or other means). Most important, what you
write should address a concern, want or need of your reader.
Provide the benefits implied in your title and advertising.
Provide good value for the money charged, and your customers will
be happy and buy other products from you.
5. HOW TO PRODUCE A SPECIAL REPORT
It is likely that you already possess information, knowledge, and
skills in areas of interest to others. Meditate on what you already
know. Sometimes we assume that other people already know what we know.
This is not the case. If this knowledge can help others save money,
increase their income, improve their health, be better liked, improve
their happiness, or give some other important benefit, you can use this
knowledge as the basis of producing your information product.
As well as your own expertise, you can consult other sources to add to
your knowledge. Research at the public library, in bookstores, on the
internet, through personal interviews of experts, and by taking
educational courses on your chosen subject will all help you develop
additional expertise needed to write your folio.
As for writing ability and skill, practice makes perfect. Get
constructive criticism from others. Have a friend proofread your
report. Check your grammar and spelling. Use simple sentences.
Don't get too complicated or you'll lose most of your readers.
Use of a personal computer will help you immensely. Prepare your
document in text format so that you can use your information in
different formats, such as for your website, in electronic books, for
e-mailing to a printer, et cetera. If you wish, you may export a copy
of the text file you used to prepare your own Special Report to a word
processing program to format it for printing. Only print the
copies needed to fill orders.
Writing any information product requires self-discipline. You must
find a suitable time to write each day. Buy out the time from less
important activities such as TV viewing or idle conversation. If you
have specific goals and stick to them and your schedule, you are
likely to accomplish your objective of making more money with
self-published special reports.
If, for example, your goal is to produce one Special Report per week,
you will need to schedule the required time for research, then writing,
editing and corrections.
Be realistic about your goals. If you can only produce one special
report per month, don't be discouraged. Adjust your goals to what
reasonably can be accomplished. Just think! Producing only one
Special Report per month would produce a line of twelve different
products in a year and could form the basis of a newly published book!
6. HOW TO SELL SPECIAL REPORTS
Writing, although hard work and akin to giving birth, is only part of
the battle. Now you need to sell your Special Reports.
Remember, you didn't just write on any subject that interested you.
You deliberately chose a subject that was marketable. You wrote a
subject others were interested in. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to
sell it.
Whether you use a website, magazine ads, direct mail or other methods
of advertising and promoting your Special Reports, make sure that all
your communications stress the benefits to the target reader. They
must be convinced that your folio is a product that is needed by them
and is worth the money.
Don't forget to take advantage of free publicity for your products.
Send press releases and try to get your publication reviewed or
featured as a new product in appropriate magazines or other media.
Special Reports can be adapted as articles that you can offer for sale
to magazines. Some consultants and professionals use Special Reports to
promote their own business and to establish credibility as experts in a
certain field.
7. THE BEGINNING OF YOUR INFORMATION EMPIRE
>From small beginnings come big things. Your following through on the
information in this report could result in many benefits. A steady
production of appropriate Special Reports will give you control and
ownership of profitable products in high demand. These products can
create income for years after they are produced. They can also form
the basis of other products: books, audio tapes, videos, courses,
internet content, software, and other salable, unique products.
Establish your credibility as a respected expert in your field.
Don't delay; follow through. Best wishes to you in building a profitable
and enjoyable information empire!
About the Author
J. Stephen Pope, President of Pope Consulting Inc.,
http://www.popeconsultinginc.com/ has been helping
clients to earn maximum business profits for over
twenty years.
For more valuable Work at Home Business Ideas,
visit: http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/