by Rohi Shetty

Have you always wanted to publish a book on Amazon but not sure what to write about?

Do you have a good idea for a book but don’t know how to get started.

Or have you started writing your first book but are not sure how and where to publish it?

Digital publishing is a great way to turn your passion for writing into a viable business and make a comfortable living income from it.

Self publishing is a proven business model if you treat it like a business. This means that you have to write, publish and promote your e-books on Amazon Kindle and other platforms such as Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, etc. Once you have published a few e-books, you can sell print on demand books, audio books, online courses, and even membership sites.

The foundation of the self-publication business model is to find an audience who are interested in a specific topic, write books for those readers, and build a platform on serving their needs.

You can do this by using a simple 3Ps framework: passion, personal experience and profit.

Here are the four steps to go from newbie writer to successful digital publisher:

  1. Brainstorm or Mind Map your passions and personal experiences
  1. List everything that interests you including your hobbies, favorite activities, favorite books, favorite movies, favorite TV programs and so on.
  2. List all your experiences and skills. What skills have you used to help others? What problems and challenges have you overcome in the past? What big transitions or upheavals have you experienced?
  3. List some of the interesting stories or inspiring experiences that you could share with others.
  4. What are you eager to learn more about?

Shortlist the best five ideas, which you would enjoy writing about, and select the best among them for the next step.

  1. Match your topic to a mass market

The four biggest markets are:

  1. Money
  2. Health
  3. Relationships
  4. Self-Development

Which among your ideas fit in these major topics and / or their sub-topics?

For example, the self-development niche includes meditation, positive psychology, time management, emotional intelligence, habits, goal-setting, and so on.

Select one or two sub-topics that also fit your three criteria: passion, profit, and personal experience.

  1. The 50 Topic test

Best-selling authors Steve Smith and Barrie Davenport suggest that you set out an hour or longer and brainstorm all the potential book ideas for your selected topic. You can do this exercise as a mind map or in free-writing mode.

You should be able to list at least 50 potential book ideas if you plan to become an authority publisher in your selected topic.

  1. Research the market

This is a crucial step on the path of self-publishing success and it may take a few weeks. Don’t skimp on it because it can make the difference between success and failure.

Make sure you include websites and products related to your selected topic in your research. Your research should include:

  1. Google: besides simple search, also search for “topic” + blog, “topic” + forum, “topic” + e-book, and so on.
  2. Google’s Keyword Planner for keyword research
  3. Facebook groups
  4. Book Promotion sites such as Buck Books, BookBub, etc.
  5. Twitter
  6. YouTube
  7. E-book platforms such as Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, and Apple iBooks
  8. Online learning platforms like Udemy, Teachable, Skillshare, etc.
  9. Other sites such as Quora, Reddit, Alexa, Ask and so on.

Compile and organize all your findings in a spreadsheet or in Evernote.

The final step is to look for books on Amazon with Bestseller Rank of 30,000 or less.

Roughly speaking, books with Amazon Bestseller Rank of 30,000 make about five book sales a day or about $300 per month. The lower the rank number, the greater the book sales. Also read the book reviews, which will give valuable ideas for your books.

Free Resources:

Buck Books

Free promotions, great bargains and a super publication research tool to check out hot new book releases and the best book cover designs.

Breakthrough Bestseller video series

Free three-video training series about the authority self-publishing method used by Steve Scott and Barrie Davenport

My Amazon Author Page

All of my Kindle books are available for free download from 3rd May to 7th May 2016, including How King Goldwish Became King Goldheart: An Illustrated Fairy Tale for Children (which is my personal favorite).

Join the conversation.

How do you plan the above four-step strategy to publish your first book?

Let us know in the comments below.

(4 May 2016 2016)


Rohi Shetty has published nine Kindle books and all his book are available for free download from 3rd to 7th May 2016. To get free review copies of all his books, please sign up here.


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