Monday 2/21/11: I’m really proud of this post and I want to make sure all of my readers see it… and comment on it :) So I’m not posting today. My next post will be Wednesday, 2/23.
[This looooong post is also available as a PDF ebook that you can download here.]
I love ebooks. I love reading them. I love writing them. I love collecting them. Heck, I even love thinking about writing them.
But I think some bloggers are a little bit afraid of writing ebooks, and most bloggers don’t bother. For those bloggers I’ve compiled a list of 31 ebook ideas that can be applied to any niche.
I could see all of these ebooks being offered as free linkbait or listbait incentives, and you could probably even charge for some if they were good enough.
The below ideas are loosely grouped together with similar ideas. For some ideas, I give made-up examples. I’ve taken great care here to make sure those who don’t blog about internet marketing or blogging can still find each one of these ideas useful and relevant.
Time to a Goal
All of these ebook ideas have something to do with meeting a specific goal after a certain period of time.
30 Days to ____
This could be 31 days, too. The first ebook like this that comes to mind is Darren Rowse’s 31 Days to Build a Better Blog. His ebook is pretty hefty, but yours certainly doesn’t have to be. If you blog about mountain biking, your ebook can be 31 Days to Better Mountain Biking or Be a Bike Mechanic in 30 Days or something like that, and then just list a tip every day.
____ In a Week
Again, you could have 7 different sections to this ebook, one for every day of the week.
Example: Poker Mastery in One Week or 7 Days to Poker Domination
____ In 365 Days
This would be a pretty epic ebook, and Chris Guillebeau’s Empire Building Kit (not an affiliate link) is the only one I can think of off the top of my head, even though it doesn’t say “365″ anywhere in the title.
How rad would something like Become a Professional Blogger in 365 Days be?
____ in 24 Hours
Language learning publishers are the king of this kind of thing. Ever noticed one of those French in 24 Hours! books at the book store? There are usually 24 chapters in the book and each chapter/lesson takes an hour to complete. So if you blog about health and fitness, you could create ebook along the lines of Everything You Need to Know About Your Body in 24 Hours.
____ in an Hour a Day
This is pretty similar to the above idea. I’ve seen a bunch of tutorial-type books like this: C++ in an Hour a Day, or Photoshop in an Hour a Day.
Golden Numbers
All of these ebook ideas include numbered lists that we all love so much.
101 ____ Tips
This is essentially what I’ve done with my free 101 Ways to Battle Blogger’s Block ebook. It’s usually not too hard to come up with 101 tips, it just takes a bit of a think.
101 ____ Mistakes
This one is pretty close to the previous one, but they’re not the quite the same. 101 Biggest Blogging Mistakes was the first working title of my 101 Ways You’re Killing Your Blog ebook (which you get for free when you sign up for my awesome newsletter).
Example: 101 Drawing Mistakes or 101 Huge Travel Faux Pas (I just found out that that’s apparently the singular AND plural form of the word. Hah! Cool.)
365 Ways to ____
It’s a bit harder to come up with 365 of anything, but with some hardcore brainstorming supplemented by clever Google-fu it’s usually not TOO difficult. And the Ways in the title can be changed to anything, really.
This is different from the ____ in 365 Days idea because these ebook doesn’t outline any kind of process that leads to a goal. It’s just 365 different… things. Does that make sense?
Example: 365 Ways to Be Happier or 365 Animals to See Before You Die
10 Commandments of ____
Take ten basic yet essential principles and apply them to your niche.
Example: 10 Commandments of Digital Photography
7 Deadly Sins of ____
If I ever start up a rock climbing blog again (I’ve had one in the past and quit it when I started Blogging Bookshelf), I think I’ll have to create an ebook called The 7 Deadly Sins of Rock Climbing. Because you know, you really could die if you mess something up.
Processes
How to Easily ____
Take a common problem in your niche and tell your readers how they can solve that bad boy.
Example: How to Easily Sell Your Car would be great for an automotive blog.
How to Make Money ____ing
Now you might be thinking, “Bah! This one can’t apply to my niche!” But oh it can. I’d venture to say that there are people making money in pretty much every niche you can think of.
Example: How to Make Money Reading would be great for a book review blog. You could talk about being a book indexer, copyeditor, or blogger who reviews books online (and links to Amazon as an affiliate).
How NOT to ____
This kind of ebook would go PERFECTLY with a great personal story. Let’s say you blog about home improvement and learned the hard way how to mess up installing the new tile in your bathroom. You could title your ebook How NOT to Tile Your Bathroom and it would probably be a big hit.
This could also be called How to Suck at ___ or How to Fail Miserably When You ___, etc.
The Step-By-Step
Come up with a step-by-step list or guide on how to do something. This could be something like How to Install WordPress, where you list each of the 10 (or however many) steps and include an accompanying short description/more detail for each step. Or you could make it something bigger…
So there’s this ginormous cliff in Yosemite National Park in California called El Capitan. There are a couple hundred different routes that rock climbers can take to get up the thing, with the original (and most classic) one being The Nose. One ebook publisher that specializes in rock climbing guidebooks created a Road to The Nose ebook that went through the step-by-step of how to climb The Nose, and it goes through everything from which routes to train on to gear you should take and skills you should have. Pretty cool.
Knowledge
Things You Need to Know About ____
Example: 10 Things You Need to Know About Skin Cancer would be great for a blog about skin cancer.
From the Experts
Do some research and figure out what the leaders/experts in your niche have said about a certain subject. For example, I plan on creating a What Google Has Told Us About SEO ebook sometime in the near future. Or if you blog about golfing, create a free Tiger Woods on Golf ebook (though that’s not the best example because he’d probably sue you and then get drunk and crash his car into your house or something).
The ___ Planning Kit
I’ve done this with my free Blog Planning Kit ebook. If you’ve got a travel blog, create a Road Trip Planning Kit. In it you could include packing lists, lists of games to play on the road if you’ve got kids, general pre-trip car maintenance tips, etc.
How to ___ Better
Everyone wants to get better at what they do. I want to be a better blogger. I also want to be a better mountain biker. I’m sure lots of you out there would like to be a better parent. Each one of these ideas could have an ebook dedicated to it.
You’d need to make the title more interesting, though. How to Blog Better really isn’t too exciting, but How to Blog Like William Shatner Sings… Now THAT is exciting.
What I Wish I Knew Before ____
This is a powerful ebook if you’ve got a blog dedicated to helping beginners with something.
Example: What I Wish I Knew Before I Started Eating Competitively. [Note: I have no interest in competitive eating, but I can't help but think that this ebook would be really, really entertaining.]
Common Myths/Misconceptions
There’s a lot of inaccurate and incomplete information floating around out there. No matter what your niche is, there are surely some common misconceptions or misunderstandings about certain things. Set the record straight with this ebook idea.
Example: The Truth About Search Engine Optimization
Compiled Information
There’s not a whole lot of depth to these ebooks but you can make up for that through quantity of information.
Best Websites/Blogs
I’ve done this before on one of my blogs as the newsletter opt-in incentive. It worked surprisingly well and took all of 15 minutes to create.
Example: 20 Best Kayaking Websites or 45 Favorite Wedding Photography Blogs.
Most Valuable Tools
These can be digital tools (50 Greatest WordPress Plugins or 20 Sweet Chrome Extensions) or physical tools (25 Patterns Every Crocheter Needs).
Greatest Books
If you came up with a list of the 100 Greatest Books for Bloggers, I’d read it (and yes, I know there are already lists out there like that). But only if you (or maybe with your readers’ help) have really read them and can vouch for them. I hate it when I see lists like this where the compiler hasn’t read them.
Example: 15 Essential Books for Every Small Business Owner
Best Quotes
I’ve seen this a lot on personal development blogs, with ebooks like 101 Inspiration Quotes to Help You Through Your Day.
You could just list a bunch of quotes, but that’s not very substantial. To add more value to the ebook, expound on each quote and say why it’s helpful. I did this with my free 68 Blogging Tips from Confucius ebook (BTW, if you haven’t read that ebook yet, you should definitely check it out. The cover itself is enough of a reason to take a look. I’ve very proud of that cover.)
Best Blog Posts
Let’s say you blog about, oh I don’t know… blogging. Compile a big ol’ list of the best posts about writing hadlines from around the web and slap them into an ebook. Ta-da! Linkbait.
History Of ____
You don’t see this kind of ebook very often, but I think it’s a pretty cool idea. If you’re into yoga, for example, wouldn’t you love to read a history of yoga?
Best-of-My-Blog
Compile your greatest blog posts into one nifty little package.
Other
Journal templates
This is another one I have in the works for blogging, so don’t steal it. It’ll be a single-page PDF that you can print out to monitor your daily blogging activities. It’ll include little boxes to check off for number of comments you make, lines for writing down how much time you spent doing whatever, etc.
But how is this an ebook? Just include a few pages with a sample one filled out, plus some explanation on how to best use it.
Example: I created one of these for my personal use (I never posted it on my climbing blog, though I could have) to track the rock climbs I do. For each climb, there are spaces for the name of the climb, when I climbed it, the difficulty, the type of climb, the kind of rock it’s on, gear needed for the climb, and so on.
Group Interviews
Pull a Mark and ask different people in your niche the same questions and compile their responses into an ebook.
Interviews
Interview someone and plop it into a PDF.
Software instruction
Create software tutorials. But how would that work for any niche? Well, if your niche doesn’t have any specialized software for it, create a tutorials on how to use more common software.
Example: WordPress for Photographers or Facebook for Lawyers.
Final Words
Hopefully this was enough to get you excited about writing ebooks. They’re really not big and scary, I promise. They’re a lot of fun to write (“Hey! I really am an author now!”), and people share them like crazy. Get after it!
- What other ebook ideas can you think of (if they’re good, I’ll add them to this list and give you a link back to your blog)?
- Which of these have you used already?
- Which of these would you like to use in the future?
- Which of these would you like to see from me in the future?
{ 137 comments… read them below or add one }
hi Tristan! you make things so easy for us. i have been planning to do one but i never seem to get around to it. maybe part of it is being scared about how it will turn out and if people would even bother to download one. my confidence level is not there yet but i hope it wil rise soon. thanks again for sharing! great post as always! c”,)
Awesome! My job is to make things easier, Ao :)
I don’t think anyone really needs to be worried about how their ebook turns out, especially if it’s for free! I’ve never heard someone complain about a free pdf…
You should definitely start writing one!
Hey Tristan,
I absolutely love this list. I’ve been in a writing mood lately, but wasn’t quite sure where I wanted to go with it.
I recently finished up a short guide (I don’t know if it’s enough to call an eBook) for my site called 5 Days, 5 Ways to Make Money Online. I think the title would fit nicely on this list. It’s not quite 365 days of content, but that’s ok because I think that’s my next goal.
365 what? Well, I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.
Thanks again for the inspiration.
Sweet, I’m glad you liked the list so much, Matt!
I love 365-type lists and ebooks. It’s just a freaking rad number. And I look forward to it, so be sure to let me know when it’s done… Hopefully it’ll be sooner than in 365 days :)
Hi Tristan,
Your list is completely perfect. When I visit any blog including yours I see same ideas which have been implement for e-books.
Great Priya, I’m glad you liked the list. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment!
Excellent list Tristan,
As I’m reading the list, I’m thinking what great headlines! One that I would be very interested is the Journal Template. Keep us posted when you have it available.
Roberto, I’ll for sure let everyone know when the daily journal template thing is finished. Tomorrow (or in about 4 1/2 hours, to be more exact), I’ll be posting a monthly blogging planner, so be sure to check that one out, too.
Thanks for commenting!
Hey Tristan,
Fantastic post as usual. I love this ebook ideas and you made the whole ebook writing thing seem so easier :)
Thanks for sharing. Have a great weekend!
Mavis
I’m glad this made the whole ebook writing thing seem easier because… It really is easy!
Thanks Mavis, and I hope you’re having a good week so far! As always, I really appreciate your comment.
Hey Travis,
Nice list! You’ve got me itching to write another ebook now. :)
I’ve used some of them – step by step, group interview, valuable tools.
What also caught my attention is that all of these make for great articles too.
Thanks,
Peggy
Travis??? Why did I write Travis???
Sheesh, that’ll teach me to try and type intelligently at 6:29 am!
Sorry TRISTAN!
Yep, these for sure could all make great articles. Ebooks are fun to write just because they’re so… substantial. And far fewer people write ebooks than blog posts, so it makes you stand out.
And I’ve been called much worse than Travis, so I’ll take it :)
Thanks Peggy!
Great list, Tristan.
I can’t stay long for a more in-depth comment— I have 31 books to write :-)
Rick
Ahhhh… Awesome comment, Rick :)
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and leave a comment!
Hi Tristan,
Thanks for this great list! I’m going to use one of these titles as an “affiliate” bait in the near future, based on your idea in a previous post of offering a freebie to people who buy from your affiliate link. It’s not just that you’re bringing us great ideas, it’s that you’re giving us sets of ideas that can work together! Thanks once again!
Caroline, I like that you mentioned “sets of ideas that can work together.” Even if I do do that, it’s not something I consciously think about, so I’ll try to keep it in mind more in the future. Because it’s a good idea :)
I’m glad you like the list, and let me know when you come out with your ebook!
Hi Tristan…
I like doing compiled information e-books because I’m a mega research geek to the core. But if you’re going to sell compiled information, it’s always a good idea to show readers how to use all that information.
For example, I put together a list of over 1,100 products on Amazon that met a specific criteria. (This information is specifically for Amazon affiliates.) Then I wrote a brief e-book showing how to write articles/reviews that sell these products. People love the list. But they also appreciate the direction I give them in the e-book.
Of course, this isn’t going to work for all types of compiled information. And you may only want to take this extra step if you’re selling the information – which I do. But it’s a good technique to use when you can.
Lovin’ your work!
Dahlia
That’s a pretty cool idea, Dahlia! I’m curious as to what your criteria is for including products in your list. Are they more expensive items, or items with especially strong reviews? Hmmm… Interesting… I’ll have to think about how I can apply that to my niches. And you sell the information, you say? Hmmm… Very interesting…
You’ve given me some great food for thought. Thanks!!
These are great as ebook titles, but could also be used as post titles. Maybe a version .01 starts out as a post on a blog, gets some feedback and what not, which can then be incorporated into the ebook itself. Just brain spitting :-)
Dino, I like the way your brain thinks.
That’s a great idea, because then you won’t have wasted your time writing a crappy ebook that nobody wants. Excellent.
Tristan;
Hell yeah! This post definitely got me real excited on finishing my e-book that I have already started. Just the motivation I needed to start busting my ass and get it done!
Thanks man – you are one super cool dude!
No Adam, YOU are one super cool dude :)
Thanks for the kind words, and I’m looking forward to your ebook!
a very cool list. One thing I would add (might have skipped it) is a preview chapter for a longer or paid ebook.
*saves list for later*
Yessss. I love hearing when people save my posts for later :)
And good idea with offering a preview chapter for a longer or paid ebook.
Thanks Donace!
Tristan:
Oh boy did you give me some tips!! I agree also with Dino that these could be great post titles as well.
I do think a lot of bloggers fear their work might not be received well….but as you say, we are our own worst critic. Sometimes, we gotta pull up the boot straps and just go for it. The only mistake is NOT trying.
Cheers,
Lisa
I’ve always thought it strange that bloggers are afraid that their ebooks might not be well received. I mean… If people like your blog, why wouldn’t they like your ebook??
Odd. But you’re right, the only mistake is not trying.
Thanks Lisa!
Hey Tristan,
Thanks for the awesome post!
I am all the way with you here. I love writing too, and I currently writing my first ebook. I have been working on it for about 4 months now and I can honestly say I love writing it. Its just something I do on the side you know.
Like, I usually just write in my book when I’m ahead on things. I only write for maybe about and hour a so every now and then, but that is perfectly okay. I just want to take my time with is and build it into a awesome ebook and go viral! The best way I know how to do that is to have patience.
I love this post because I love reading ebooks, and its totally unique the way it’s constructed. Keep doing doing good things around here, and I can’t wait to get into reading some of these ebooks. i have really been wanting to set a side time for just that.
Thanks again!
God bless,
William Veasley
4 Months?! Wow. Dang, that’s a long time, man. But very cool. Sounds like it’ll be quality.
As far as finding time to read ebooks goes, I’ve found that printing them out and keeping them on my bedside table ensures that I read them. Otherwise they just get lost on my computer. I just staple the shorter ones and put the longer ones in binders.
Thanks William!
Tristan, awesome job my friend. I’ve been meaning to write short reports or ebooks for the new business site I’ve launched (this isn’t a plug) but I kept getting stuck on the usual ‘Top 10 X’; adding the variety to the mix will definitely add a ton of extra value. I think I’ll also be applying these to this other venture that I’m doing in a few months time :D
It’s ok Murray, in the future you’re allowed the occasional plug for your business in the comments here :)
“Top 10″ is pretty boring. Upping the number to at least 20 or 25 I think really increases the perceived (and actual, for that matter) value, without being too much more work.
Thanks Murray!
Tristan,
I think we have a tendency to think we do not know enough to put an ebook out there. This post is perfect for getting those creative juices flowing. Like you said, these titles could work for any niche. There is always someone that does not know what we know especially if it comes with some experience behind it.
Great points, Sheila. I think a lot of times people don’t realize how much they know. And then they can easily be reminded of other things via some Google magic. Simple.
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment, Sheila!
Thanks dude for the great post. I too am itching to write another ebook Tristan. What a cool and great resource! My mind is racing with possible ebook ideas :)
Sweeeeeet :D Glad you found the post helpful and thought-provoking, Edwin! I appreciate the comment, man.
Hi Tristan,
Wow – you really did cover all niches (or many of them)!
Thanks for doing that.
How about 30 Days To Write and Publish Your First Novel (although I think there is probably an ebook out there somewhere with a similar titile ).
Mmmm, if I can do that, maybe I could write that ebook. Thanks for all these awesome ideas. I am about to retweet it!
Also a couple of questions I have are – do you use Microsoft templates to create your ebooks ? And, once you have written the book in Word, do you just save it as a PDF and then upload the file to your blog? What if you wanted to sell it, not give it away for free, then would you have to use a site like ejunkie.com ??
I think I have a title for an ebook for you there – “Learning The Tools To Create Professional Looking Ebooks For Your Blog ” or similar.
Thanks again Tristan.
Mon
30 Days to Write and Publish a novel sounds pretty awesome, but it’s not really something that is applicable to a bunch of niches. Although it would be kind of cool write a novel and figure out how to lace it with blogging tips :D
I usually use Adobe InDesign for my ebook layout. For this particular ebook I did use Word because I’ve been wanting to see how easy/hard it was to create a good looking ebook there. Whether it’s in Word or InDesign, I do all of the layout and design work myself.
And yep, once the ebook is written, I convert it to a PDF (I have Adobe Acrobat for that but there are a bunch of free and easy online tools that can do the conversion) and upload it to the blog.
And yes, in the past when I’ve sold ebooks, I’ve used e-Junkie. It’s super easy to set up, plus it’s really cheap. It’s a great service.
I have thought about creating a course on how to create professional looking ebooks :) But I need to finish my infographics course first! I’ve also thought about just creating and selling a bunch of Word templates. Or maybe they’d be included with the course. Sigh. So much to do, so little time…
Thanks for the great questions, Mon! Let me know if you have any other questions about ebooks.
Tristan, you make life so much easier on us :)
I mean with a list of ideas like this, I have a feeling half of writing is done. Cause I spend most time on ideas and titles, the writing comes easier.
It would be a cool challenge if someone made a deadline (like several months) for people to write e-books for each title, in their niches of course :)
That’s what I’m here for, Brankica :)
That would be pretty cool write an ebook for each one of these! But geeze… That would be a big, big challenge! Maybe you should start it :)
Thanks for the kind words and I’m glad the list helped. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
That’s a long and interesting list of ideas, and certainly some I can use. It seems that you’ve covered most of the ebooks I have read about marketing :)
What you’ve covered are what works, especially when it comes to ebooks. Because the title is explaining the content.
The titles I really like are the short ones, the ones that are only two words. Like “content rules”, “trust agents”, “delivering happiness”, “permission marketing”, “purple cow” and many many more. But I guess you can’t use them in any niche :)
Thanks a lot for another awesome post, you are a brilliant blogger.
I’m going to have to kind of disagree with you, Jens :) I don’t like it when ebook titles are only 2 words long! I think they’re great when they’re actual book (not ebook) titles because you can hold the book in your hands at the book store and flip through it. But I think that people’s attention spans are a lot shorter online, and if you’re ebook title doesn’t make sense, no one is going to spend too much time trying to figure out what you mean. I think ebook titles should be clever… But not TOO clever.
Thanks for the kind words, and thanks a ton for the great comment.
Reading what you’re saying I have to disagree with myself :-)
I think two words titles are awesome, but as you’re saying it’s not good for business. Usually a two word title need explanations like Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust (wow, what a long title) and Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable.
It’s a lot better to only have one title, a title that explains what the ebook is all about.
I had a great time reading around your post as I read it extensively. Excellent writing! I am looking forward to hearing more from you.
I suspect this is a spam comment, so I deleted the link to your website. Thanks for the comment, though :)
Wow! This is an excellent list of doable ideas. If I can’t write an e-book after reading this post, I am not trying very hard!
Great comment, Susan :D Let me know if you end up using one of these ideas for an ebook!
Thanks!
How do you do it, Tristan? Every week you flood my mind with new ideas. I’m amazed at how you can keep consistently do this. I’m bookmarking this page because I don’t want to lose these great suggestions. I haven’t written an ebook yet, and I’m out of excuses. Hopefully, this will give me the kick in the pants I need.
It’s all about being a fierce editor of what you publish on your own blog, Brad! (Like I wrote about in this post: http://www.bloggingbookshelf.com/writing/blog-post-rejection/ )
I have a LOT more ideas for posts that I start writing but don’t end up finishing or publishing because they don’t make the grade. I try to make sure that only the best posts make it through to the end!
That and I’m an idea guy. I love making lists of ideas that I won’t be able to act on myself because of time constraints, so I might as well share them!
Let me know if you use any of these ideas for an ebook in the future! Thanks for the comment and kind words!
Tristan – love the way how you deconstruct a concept (in this case, ebooks) into its basic components and then multiply its potential applications. It’seems simple, but you do a great job with it.
Great stuff,
papalogic
Thanks for the comment and kind words! And thanks for pointing out to me what I’m doing here (the deconstructing thing). I hadn’t really thought of it like that, but now I’ll try to keep that in mind now and do it more often :)
Thanks again, Papa!
What a great list of title ideas that can be applied to any area of expertise. And this is tmely too as I am just about to try my first PDF book. I’ve been looking at various compilers from a free on-line program to Adobe Acrobat for almost $300. Do you reccomend any particular program?
One thing I’ve noticed in some of my tests is that the PDF file they save only displays the Adobe logo when a directory of e-books is viewed in thumbnails view. How do you embed a cover image so that shows as the thumbnail?
OK, skip the part about getting the cover to show, that is solved. I was viewing the directory as tiles not thumbnails — DUH!!
What exactly do you mean by “compiler,” Allan? I use Adobe Acrobat because it came with the Adobe Creative Suite version I have. I use it for several things, but I don’t think it’s quite worth $300.
But you could just write the thing in Word and then convert online to a PDF using one of the free tools. Or send it to me and I’ll convert it for you.
Tristan – another brilliant list!
I really think you have found your calling here. There must be some kind of idea button on the back of your head. This is kind of like the idea of writing titles that inspire people to read a post, only backwards.
Some really good ones, too. The deadly sins one is dramatic, and the wishing you knew something earlier one is vital.
Downloaded, bookmarked, dugg, and a few other things.
Much appreciated & have a great day!
Thanks Mark!
I do think I’m pretty good at coming up with more ideas than I could ever use myself, so I have no problem with sharing them!
Thanks for the kind words and the comment, Digg, bookmark, and the “few other things” :)
Everyone should read at least these books, but there are many more out there and it helps on healthy filtering the information, because you need to make comparisons and choose the method that’s best for yourself.
For sure, Alex. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
That’s a good idea composed of a lot of good ideas!
My favourite titles are those that catch my attention straight away; if it’s something that I associate with, then I’ll be interested.
I also love how you break the whole thing down here and make it easier all-round. That’s the sign of an awesome blogger! :-)
Thanks for the super kind words, Stuart! I do try to be an awesome blogger :)
I’m glad you liked the list, and let me know if you ever have any questions about ebook creation or just want to bounce some ideas off of someone.
This is really a great blog and I enjoyed the information given about my favorite ebooks.
I’ve removed the links from your post and name. Please don’t spam my blog in the future.
Wow – that was a far more polite response than I would have given! Out of curiosity when you suspect a ‘spam’ comment why do you not just delete it straight away?
Because I like having more comments :) And it’s like having a severed head on a pike in front of your tent… It’s a warning to others that I’m serious :)
What a great idea! I’m gonna ask my friendly neighbourhood coding geek if there’s a way of actually attaching a severed head on a pike avatar next to those kind of posts. That would be really cool! LOL :)
That would be pretty easy, actually! Since as the admin I can edit all the comments, I could just edit the commenter’s email address to be one with a gravatar of a head on a pike :)
Hey Tristan,
Wow my friend, what an awesome post. These are some really great tips and now I have something to look over when I get ready to write my next eBook or report. I can just go back over this list and let the words start flowing.
Really appreciate the time you took to put this all together for us. Have I told you lately just how awesome you are? Just in case, you’re awesome Tristan. You always provide such relevant and wonderful information. It’s always a pleasure to visit your blog.
Thanks again!
Adrienne
That, Adrienne, was an awesome comment :)
I think that most bloggers are way more afraid of ebook creation than they need to be. If you can write a blog post, you can write an ebook!
Thanks as always for taking the time to comment and for the super kind words! Please come back any time :)
Geez Tristan, talk about a fountain of ideas, this was awesome bud!
Seriously, if one really goes about it the right way (look above for the right way), the process of coming up with an ebook idea is almost unlimited.
Thanks for the value you bring every time my friend to the blogosphere.
Marcus
Yeah, coming up with ideas for ebooks really isn’t too hard! It’s funny because I think it’s something a lot of bloggers are intimidated by. An ebook is just a long blog post!
Thanks for the great comment and kind words, Marcus. You’re the man.
Hi Tristan,
I love writing and reading books too and you’ve covered some great ideas here. I write all the time and these are things that I’ll definitely be using for ideas.
Thanks so much,
Liz
Awesome Liz! I’m glad you found the post useful, and let me know if you ever have questions about ebook creation or if you just need to bounce some ideas off of someone.
Hey Tristan,
You gave some great ideas here for an ebook. I think your Golden Numbers idea is great because people really love lists and numbers. I think you pretty much covered the ebook ideas that I could come up with. This post got my creative juices flowing and when I do decide to write an ebook I will keep these ideas in mind. Thanks for sharing your insights on this topic.
No problem, John. Thanks for the kind words and, as always, the great comment. If you need any help with an ebook or want someone to bounce ideas off of, let me know.
This post was a godsend to me! I now know how I’m going to spend the evening. Picture this:
Me, a pizza at my favorite joint, several beers, my iPad, and this post on Evernote. Then I brainstorm. YAY! I know it will be successful. I just needed a really CLEAR kick, one that got me going down the right road. I’ve been a-lingerin’ too long. :D
Thank you, SIR!
Sounds like the perfect evening, Paula :D
Let me know if you need any help or further kicking on your ebook journey :)
Brilliant ebook ideas – don’t know about the professional blogger in 365 days though; it wouldn’t really go well as people usually want the quick way to success.
Exactly! You’re right… to an extent. People want the become-an-awesome-blogger-fast stuff… until they realize that it all sucks. Then they get serious. There’s definitely room in the market for a REAL, legit, step-by-step guide on how to become a professional blogger.
Hey Tristan,
I go through the post, really very informative idea. Ebook is best option for blogger. It’s sure that some one not use it.
Thanks for the comment! But in the future, please leave a real comment that makes sense. If you leave another like this, I’m going to delete it.
Thanks for ideas.
No problem, thanks for commenting!
Hi Tristan
This is a great resource. I love writing (much more than simply enjoying it). I struggle with titles though so anything that helps on that front is gold to me.
The fact that this post explains what type of book a title could relate to is a bonus. I am inspired with many different ideas for writing an ebook.
No to just get one idea off the ground and run with it properly.
Let me know if you ever need some help with titles in the future, Simon. You can run some ideas past me or we can come up with something good for you.
And let me know if you end up using one of these ideas!
Thanks!
That’s great, Tristan. Much appreciated. Am pretty close to finishing my first ebook so I will definitely take you up on the offer when the last word is written!!
Hi Tristan .. just trying to catch up a little! This is great – thanks for the thoughtfully put-together post .. useful .. for the future. You are a star!! Cheers Hilary
Aw, thanks Hilary :)
I’m glad you liked the post! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Tristan,
Great list buddy! I’ve used many of these as blog titles and free offers as you’ve suggested. I find that even though it goes against my nature, the negative stuff typically resonates really well with people.
For example, the “7 Deadly Sins”, “top mistakes”, or “top problems” breed of animals.
People usually want to address their fears first, then move on to the other stuff….my take anyway.
Thanks, Tristan, for this wealth of info!
Thanks Jason! Yeah, I’ve noticed the same thing with the negative stuff. People see that and think, “What if *I* am making those deadly mistakes!? MUST READ!”
I’m glad you liked the list, and thanks again for commenting and the kind words! I hope your week is going well so far. It’s only Tuesday and I’m exhausted already!
Thanks for these awesome ideas it has always been difficult to select the topic on which you have to write the book.
Yep, figuring out what to write about usually is hard for a lot of people, but it really doesn’t need to be!
Thanks for commenting, Ankur.
Wow Tristan,
I had to print that one off. Not only can I use the incredible ideas in here for my “other” niche, but I’ll definitely be passing this on to one of my clients who’s looking for this very information.
Thank you for putting it together!
Susanna
Yes! I think it’s pretty much the holy grail when I hear that someone printed out one of my posts :) Thanks for the comment and kind words, Susan! I hope your client find the list useful.
Hi Tristan, I think your post might have given me the kick up the kyber pass that I needed to finish my poor ebook that has been sitting almost abandoned for a while on my hard drive! Thanks for the great ideas, I enjoyed your writing style, You had me chuckling, particularly at the thoughts of competitive eating! Thanks so much I don’t blame you for taking a break for a day! Jayne
“The kick up the kyber pass”… Hahaha. Priceless :D
Thanks for the kind words, Jayne. I’m glad you liked the post and found it useful. I had a lot of fun writing this one.
Finish that ebook! And let me know if you have any questions about it or need to bounce some ideas off of someone.
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment. I really do appreciate it.
Hey tristan
Excellent list. Got a question for ya, my friend.
Do you have a particular strategy in mind for sharing eBooks to further your reach? Do you post them to eBook sites? Or places like Scibd? Or do you just rely on the viral nature of the old interwebz?
Paul
Paul, you ask some seriously awesome questions. Thanks!
Nope, I have no strategy other than just letting the web do its thing. I should, though. I’ve been wondering about Scribd for a while and your comment made head on over there and upload a few of my ebooks to see if I get any traffic from it. I’ll keep you posted one way or another. If it works, it might be a great new (for most of us, anyway) way to get traffic… Like how some people create videos for every post they do, but creating a little PDF ebook out of each post instead. Hmmm…
And frankly, I don’t even know of any other sites where you can upload an ebook. Do you know of any?
Yeah Baby!
Firstly the ‘PDF’ sites – google the names, you’ll find them:
Scribd
eSnips
DocStoc
Calameo
Issuu
Yudu
ButterflyReports.com
The eBook sites I’ve heard of are http://www.free-ebooks.net and http://www.getfreeebooks.com.
For my offline business I submitted some articles to the PDF sites I listed above – got some traffic and leads from them. Not many admittedly, but it’s a very specialized market (people getting married in the south of england who need a band).
The eBook sites I’ve read about in various places – but never tried out myself. Yet.
(Notice the Yet. That’s sending a note to self to get ass in gear, and get out there doing it!)
HTH
Paul
IN fact I just decided that when I’ve finished writing my mini-series on writer’s block I’ll bundle the articles together, slap a cover on, add in some graphics, and load them up to these sites under the title AVOIDING WRITER’S BLOCK FOR CONTENT MARKETERS.
Be interesting to see what happens.
Paul
Sounds like a great idea! We’ll have to compare notes and see what’s working and what isn’t.
Awesome, Paul! I’ll definitely give those a shot.
So it’s been a day since I’ve submitted 3 of my ebooks to Scribd, and they’ve been read 40 times total. I haven’t looked at my stats to see if I’m getting any traffic, but I doubt there will be much. Still, though, any traffic is good traffic, especially if it’s do-it-and-forget-it traffic like these ebook sites.
Let’s say 40 times a day is average – in a month that’s 1200 views. I’m assuming you’ve got links sprinkled into the eBooks back to Blogging Bookshelf. Let’s say 10% come here as a result – that’s an extra 120 web visits a month….every month.
How long did it take to upload to scribe – 15 to 20 minutes per eBook? The compound interest effect of that over time will be well worth it, especially if you keep adding to the number of eBooks you have loaded AND add them to the other sites I listed.
The real benefits of following this through will come when you have one or more products for sale on your website. All it takes to really make this strategy worthwhile is to get one or two buyers a month who find you via these uploaded pdfs and eBooks.
That I think is the important metric to keep in mind.
Awesome list. I’m bookmarking it more for my benefit. Would really get my hands into that ebook with Confucius’s blogging tips :D
The link is in the post there for the free Confucius blogging tips ebook. Go give it a read!
Thanks Anne!
Got it, thanks.
Hi Tristan,
This sure is a great list of ebook ideas! Haven’t made one yet, but I sure will when the time comes. I bet you’re an expert in the ebook writing field. :)
Writing an ebook is pretty much just like writing a long blog post. People make it out to be a lot harder than it really is.
Thanks for commenting, and let me know if you ever need help with your ebook!
Jackpot, Tristan. This is a must bookmark page for anyone that is struggling to get the ebook written. The fleshed-out lists with odd numbers and resource compilations seem to be the ones that get the most curiosity clicks so those are perhaps my faves (as you can see, this very post has been well-shared being a hybrid list post/best…type).
Before you go dont forget to download my – it will help you improve and optimize your website for free!Well its taken me months in my spare time but I am proud to say that I have finally finished writing my first free website optimization ebook!.Called Improve Your Website for Free Tips Tricks and Tools and How to Stop Wasting Money on Your Website Marketing I created this ebook to not only help improve websites but also to help people stop wasting as much money with their online marketing..Its 18 pages long and perfect for anyone wanting to improve their website and lets face it who doesnt want to? – from one person website entrepreneurs to people working at major online companies. And its also great for anyone involved with website marketing who is looking for some ideas on how to save money with their online marketing spend..In 18 short pages Rich provides a essential primer on important starting points for understanding and improving your websites performance..Avinash Kaushik Web Analytics Evangalist at Google.The best news is that this ebook is free – no catch!
Before you go dont forget to download my – it will help you improve and optimize your website for free!Well its taken me months in my spare time but I am proud to say that I have finally finished writing my first free website optimization ebook!.Called Improve Your Website for Free Tips Tricks and Tools and How to Stop Wasting Money on Your Website Marketing I created this ebook to not only help improve websites but also to help people stop wasting as much money with their online marketing..Its 18 pages long and perfect for anyone wanting to improve their website and lets face it who doesnt want to? – from one person website entrepreneurs to people working at major online companies. And its also great for anyone involved with website marketing who is looking for some ideas on how to save money with their online marketing spend..In 18 short pages Rich provides a essential primer on important starting points for understanding and improving your websites performance..Avinash Kaushik Web Analytics Evangalist at Google.The best news is that this ebook is free – no catch!
.I have read Blog Monteization Strategies and I really suggest that you fill in the form above and get it since it is very worth it. ………………..Comment by Matt Jones ………… 2008-02-28 10 13 23 ……………………………I had said only 1 post per person incase people started creating spam blogs just to make a post about it However if you have multiple blogs that are of a reasonable standard Im sure they are then you can get 100 entries per blog post about the e-book..I look forward to your entries!…………………
Hi Tristan,
What an awesome list – thank you. Have downloaded the PDF, thanks again and shared this with my followers who I am sure will jump at the value too. :)
~Marcus
Hi, Tristan:
I really want to get into publishing and ebooks will be my initial path to get there. I actually have one written on paper, just never got it transferred to PC. Which brings me to a tip on ebook writing – “don’t start an ebook on paper or it may never see the light of day – waiting for the author to transfer it to digital form”. Ha!
It’s an abolsute shame. I won’t even mention how long I’ve had this ebook in paper format, but it’s been quite a while. Love this article and I don’t have to bookmark it, as it’s cemented in my head as one of your MANY awesome free resources.
Cheers,
Missy
I am trying to help a friend and we need to know what are the pros of niche marketing and what are the cons of it. if any of you can help me it would be highly appreciated.
Nothing like a good list to stimulate your creative powers. I love writing, but for me it’s a struggle to get ink on the screen. I’m learning to force myself to make progress. Your list above helps clear the fog and actually fire up the desire to write. Thank you for that.
Tim
Gee, thanks. I had a relaxing weekend planned and now you’ve got my head spinning with all sorts of ideas!
What an invaluable ebook titling guide, Tristan! This can come in handy for every blogger in any niche. It’s so awesome that I think I just might retweet it. ;)
Christina
Tristan,
I’ve been blogging for less than a month now and I have been contemplating about eBooks. You’ve given me a lot of food for thought. This will help me get started sooner, rather than later.
Thanks,
Rod
Exactly what I needed to give me more ideas on how to title some upcoming ebooks I’m launching…thanks so much!!
So I was contemplating all day about writing an ebook or doing a niche blog and I surf onto your site. Hmmm? I will do both, but what do you make money on? Lots of good info here!
Indeed a marathon read! But well worth it, especially for those who have set out for enterprising e books. Really loved the golden numbers’ section and I must say that truly makes plenty of sense!
Great post in real sense.
As I am also very big fan of E-book but I like to read it more than to write it.
But for writer you have shared very nice and unique stuff to them. I think many have started working on this.
Anyway thanks a lot for this. Keep sharing such post coz it is highly appreciated by US.
This is exactly what I needed.
I’ve been looking for a book idea and you gave me a list of them!
Thank you!
Warm regards,
Cathie
Whilst studying my fashion course many moons ago we had to keep what they called an “Ideas Book” to hand. Roll on many moons later I have all my ideas books plus created along the way ideas books for internet, social networking etc. Thank you for your 31 Awesome “eBook Ideas”.
I just found you blog (which is great by the way) and am now inspired to write my first ebook. Thanks for the great ideas!
I love the blog and I am very glad that I found it. I read through your ideas and think there are some great things on the list. Of course, I am still stymied as to what approach I can take towards something on crime &/or criminality. I recently left a career in Law Enforcement on one coast to move to a much better coast on O’ahu. Now here and settled I am feverishly consumed with the desire to write about my favorite topic (crime crime crime.) BUT I am helplessly stuck. I want to blog on a more professional level, but so far have only journaled about whatever odd thought popped into my mind at the moment of ‘composition’ (bigrojsgal.wordpress.com). In theory this was to get me up and running again with the goal being to shake off the creative writing cobwebs and shed some of my legal focused professional writing skills. That didn’t work and I have stopped posting because I don’t want to get too deviated from my plan. I have lots of drafts but haven’t published them. So, I started another blog on eBlogger (not up and running) and then couldn’t come up with a focal point for that either. Any ideas?! In my experience I know that people are fascinated with crime. I can’t tell you how many times someone, even a total stranger in line at the store who noticed my badge, has begged for stories when they found out what sort of work I did. I want to monetize that. ~ Thanks & keep up the motivation you provide the many of us out here! ~ Felicia
Thanks Tristan for a great Blog. These are practical ideas for Bloggers and eBook writers. These niche ideas focus the writer on very specific information improving the quality of the content. As a matter of fact, I used one of your ideas when I titled my latest eBook “How to Create Wealth Publishing eBooks”
Thanks for sharing your thoughts,
Larry Vingelman
hmmmmm…. now i don’t only have 31 ideas but 31 title cheat sheets! =)) something to share: http://productcreationblog.com/404/3-and-a-half-questions-to-ask-yourself-before-you-start-writing-your-ebook/ you can read it and see there are something that tickles your interest.
I definitely want to do an ebook. I have some ideas. I just need to fine tune them a bit more. The “time to a goal” suggestion looks like a fun and challenging type of ebook to put together. I’ll get my skates on and start writing! Making a PDF is so easy too! and there’s software out there for easily converting files into other ebook formats like Kindle or ePUB!
Great article. I’m creating a quick marketing report for every company I’m interviewing with and this will be a great way for me to get ideas from to support my reports. I just started a blog too and this will help me. Thank you for sharing.
Awesome! Here is a great publishing resource for ebook writers!
http://www.booktago.com
Thanks Tristan. I really am struggling for ebook ideas but I think I may have a few now qfter reading this.
Cheers
Liam
Thanks for the helpful tips. I am working on my first ebook now, combining my background in biology with my love of investing to create an ebook about biotechnology stocks. Coming up with a title has been tough though. These tips have given me some good ideas to get started. Thanks!
Aaron Wright
Wow am glad i m still able to find this article after 2 years. I m relatively new to ebook writing. I m planning to write an ebook based on real estate investing. Thanks for the valuable tips!
This is an amazing resource! I’ve already brainstormed 15 ebook ideas and I’ve not stopped yet! Thank you so much.
So, how can one make $$$ with said ideas for an e-book?
Write an ebook and then sell it!
{ 7 trackbacks }