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!