#1 Find your Killer Idea

SCREW-UP SET-UP: It’s almost impossible to write an original work on self-publishing for Kindle. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of books on the subject, all of which cover the same information. However, this shouldn’t discourage you from taking the first leap. Many new authors quit because they believe they aren’t offering anything new, and people would probably not bother to read, even if it is free.

Common practice mistakes include not having a clear intention for writing a book, not knowing what to write, or not having motivation or a good idea.

History of the common practice mistake: Coming up with a new book idea has always been a challenge for authors. Whether someone is a brand-new writer or a seasoned author, finding inspiration for a new book can be incredibly difficult. Nevertheless, there is still room for another book on the subject because science moves forward, and discoveries are continually made regarding how to write, market, sell, and so on. The same may be said for both fiction and non-fiction books. Thus, experienced authors have learned to package their material differently, maybe targeting a different kind of reader.

Ways not to screw up:

• To get started in the writing game, look for that one killer idea that will motivate you to write it, market it, and then spark new ideas for you to move on to the next project.
• Focus on something that excites you and about which you can be sufficiently enthusiastic to create 30,000 words.

Ways to resolve the stated presenting problem –

• When you put your book together, look for a new angle to an existing topical subject. For example, the concept of “How to” is well-established, and it’s the opening phrase of a vast number of web searches, so there’s a big clue about how to title your book.
• When you write a nonfiction book, your intention should be to give people the information they need to solve a problem, educate themselves, or try something new, such as a sport, a cooking method, or even writing for themselves!
• There are some great “How-To” books about finding new ideas for non-fiction Kindle books. It’s a good idea to look into them.
• Write a series of books on similar subjects to build a faithful and loyal readership following.

In summary: Don’t screw up your career as an author before it starts by wondering if there is a scope or not. Remember, there’s always a scope for a new book as long as you know exactly what to write and your intentions are clear. It would help if you were motivated to engage people with your subject, bring something new, or simply be creative or ‘innovative’ with what’s already there. Find a killer idea that keeps you motivated to write more similar books.

#2 Research your Niche

SCREW-UP SET-UP: Not researching your competition is one of the worst mistakes you can make when deciding to publish a book. As discussed in the previous chapter, there may be dozens or thousands of books similar to your subject. This is why you need to analyze your competition to discover how powerful their content is. Some new authors come up with books that are too long or short for their genre, subjects, or titles that don’t interest people. Others aim for more competitive titles that have low chances of success.

Common practice mistakes include not researching enough on the genre you’re writing for, not taking advantage of available online research tools, and writing on a highly competitive subject.

History of the common practice mistake:  Research is time-consuming and complicated. To jumpstart, some authors who don’t know enough about a particular topic don’t even bother to learn about that and jump right away to writing and publishing a book without realizing that a convincing book needs vital research and an action plan. As such, there are also authors who, despite knowing enough about a particular topic, look into other authors’ writings to add sources, testimonials, and citations to make the book more persuasive and credible.

Ways not to screw up:

• Research should be an essential part of the book creation and publishing process. This will help you learn more about your genre, create interesting titles, and figure out your positioning in the KDP market before you start writing.
• Identify a niche that may not be so big and has disproportionately less competitive titles, and you will find it easier to climb the higher rankings for your category.

Ways to resolve the stated presenting problem –

• Start typing the subject you want to write about into the Amazon search box. Then, keep a close eye on the auto-fill titles (so-called Leading Indicators) that appear in the drop-down list below. This is the first hint if the subject is well searched for.
• Refine the search results based on various parameters: “new and popular”, “price” (low-to-high and high-to-low) “relevance”, and so on. Select “price: low-to-high,” and you will see that the first few titles are offered at zero. Don’t be fooled by assuming that free books are poor books when, in reality, they’re just on promotion at that particular moment. Download them all.
• Searching “New and popular” is also good because it will show you what’s selling. Now that you have a bunch of books on your Kindle or iPad that you can read quickly, it’s time to gauge your competition.
• Publisher Rocket is another invaluable tool for researching titles and marketing your book. You must create an account to use this tool.

In summary, Knowing what other authors are doing and how they are crafting their book titles and content is the key to writing a book that sells. Taking extra time to read through books from authority writers relating to your niche and researching for relevant keywords with low- to medium competition will greatly benefit you before publishing your first book.

#3 Figure Out What You Will Write About

SCREW-UP SET-UP: People frequently fail at new things they attempt simply because they do not have a system to follow. Some authors underestimate the importance of due diligence in deciding which niche to write on. They jump straight into creating the content without spending time and effort identifying a particular subject. Leave this vital step, and your book may not even sell!

A common practice mistake is not looking inside competitive books in your market and not spending time analyzing the quality of your competition.

History of the common practice mistake: Writing is a long process. Authors often skip this vital step of checking out the work of other published authors. As a result, the plot they come up with isn’t very powerful or influential, and all their efforts and time go down the drain. While it’s nearly impossible to find a topic no one has written about yet, the works of other authors can be used as a reference to approach your topic differently. While the content of your book should be different and unique, there is nothing wrong in taking inspiration from other authors.

Ways not to screw up:

• Read a few competitive books in your market.
• Ask yourself – “Do I have something unique or creative to offer?” You may be able to intuitively know if you can write a better book than anyone else in the KDP marketplace.

Ways to resolve the stated presenting problem –

• One of the best tools on Amazon is the opportunity to “Look Inside” and read the first few pages of all the competitive books in your market. Spend a disproportionate amount of time and effort on getting the first 10% of your book as close to perfect as possible.
• A couple of hours of browsing these 10% extracts will ensure you get a good idea about the quality of your competition. If the first 10% is excellent, there’s no guarantee that the rest of the book will be as good. However, if the first 10% is rubbish, it’s a fair bet that the rest of the book is just as bad.
• Don’t be discouraged if you find a few great books. The market is enormous. But if you have a few subjects to research, chances are you will discover that at least one is not as well represented. This will provide you with the encouragement you need to make a decision.

In summary: As it is said, books are your best resources. Check out your competition and their published books, and you’ll be able to find the right topic according to your interest and publishing goals. Using competitive analysis results will give you a bigger picture of your choices when selecting a topic in a niche that could use better representation.