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Using a Kindle book to test niches/product ideas? Opinions wanted...

by JohnMcCabe
16 replies
It seems to me that most niche research seems to revolve around keywords and SEO possibilities. Or around subjective observation (skimming forums, news sites, blogs, even real life).

I'm looking for opinions on using the Kindle (or other ebook platform) as a form of self-funding research. Create a short ebook or what Kindle calls an article, put it up and do a quick marketing splash (a couple of days worth of work). See if it draws interest. See if it sells.

If it does, then it may be worthwhile to develop a more comprehensive product offering with a more developed back end. (No Kardashian jokes, please! )

Your thoughts, opinions, ideas?

Thanks to all in advance...
#book #ideas #kindle #niches or product #opinions #wanted
  • Profile picture of the author KenJ
    Hi John

    Judging from some of the forum posts on a number of kindle forums I think some writers are doing this already. They are writing mini books and then selling full length books on the back of them.

    I am certainly going to try it for a niche product idea I have.

    I've no idea what a Kardashian joke is,however.

    Kenj
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    • Profile picture of the author Amy Harrop
      I think this can be a good idea. I will say that some of the Kindle ebooks I've sold are in niches that I didn't think would be as popular as they are. My bestsellers are not in the categories of the top products on Clickbank, for example.

      If a product does well on Kindle then scaling it up to an online information product with affiliates could be a good option.
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by kenj View Post

      I've no idea what a Kardashian joke is,however.

      Kenj
      Kenj, it's an American pop culture thing. There's a family of media addicts on US television, one of which is an attractive woman with a rather pronounced bottom. In fact, as a publicity stunt, she had her buttocks x-rayed to prove they were natural. Among American comedians, she's the 'butt' of several of their jokes.

      Hence, my reference to the family after talking about a "more developed back end".

      Not really that amusing after explaining it...
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      • Profile picture of the author KenJ
        I'm smiling but I don't know why???
        Must be the whole Butt thing.

        Kenj
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  • Profile picture of the author art72
    John,

    I think this is a great idea. It shares a similar interest I am exploring as my first 3-part eBook product is in the beginning stages. It would be nice to see some feedback/results from others or yourself if you decide to explore this option.

    I've been meaning to research this subject further myself, but IMO it seems self-publishing mini-eBooks and breaking into larger established niche markets such as Kindle and Amazon with full-length back-end products could be huge for writers and marketer's alike.

    Look forward to gaining any insight this thread offers, as I am still 'green' as to how one gets published through these established markets.

    I recall Amazon having made a statement to 'other' publisher's that they were recruiting and funding author's to expand in the publishing of independent writer's; but I'll have to research the facts a bit more, as at the time it seemed a 'touch out of reach'. Now I'm growing a bit more optimistic to the idea.

    If you do proceed forward, please do 'update' us on your success!

    All the Best,

    Art
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    Atop a tree with Buddha ain't a bad place to take rest!
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    • Profile picture of the author KenJ
      Seriously John,

      I have added a sig to my profile to show what I do with a kindle book. That is... I build a website devoted to it. I know what the keywords are and I have 50 of them. so by Christmas I will have 50 posts all pointing to my kindle or createspace book. (createspace book out in about 2 weeks)

      In this case I didn't do a mini book as I am confident of the subject.
      My next project needs more research.

      Good luck with your project

      Kenj
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    • Profile picture of the author angela99
      The OP said: "I'm looking for opinions on using the Kindle (or other ebook platform) as a form of self-funding research."

      Here's what I do. I get an idea I think may work, and create a blog on it. (I recommend this to my students, too.)

      If the idea gets traction (readers, commenters), then I create an info product.

      For added oomph: I send some PPC advertising to the blog.

      Would using the Kindle platform for the same purpose work? Maybe...

      The only reservation I have is that you're throwing your best ideas out there for others to steal. :-)

      I've always said that I can create faster than others can steal, but I'm protective of my babies. I hate sharing what I'm working on until it's ready to be seen. On the Kindle, I'd have to share early in the creation process.

      With blogging, you're not outlining your idea, but with Kindle publication, you have to throw it out there...

      The short answer: it should work, but it may increase the competition for your final product. Whether it would work for you depends on your temperament.

      Angela
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      • Profile picture of the author KenJ
        Originally Posted by angela99 View Post

        The OP said: "I'm looking for opinions on using the Kindle (or other ebook platform) as a form of self-funding research."

        Here's what I do. I get an idea I think may work, and create a blog on it. (I recommend this to my students, too.)

        If the idea gets traction (readers, commenters), then I create an info product.

        For added oomph: I send some PPC advertising to the blog.

        Would using the Kindle platform for the same purpose work? Maybe...

        The only reservation I have is that you're throwing your best ideas out there for others to steal. :-)

        I've always said that I can create faster than others can steal, but I'm protective of my babies. I hate sharing what I'm working on until it's ready to be seen. On the Kindle, I'd have to share early in the creation process.

        With blogging, you're not outlining your idea, but with Kindle publication, you have to throw it out there...

        The short answer: it should work, but it may increase the competition for your final product. Whether it would work for you depends on your temperament.

        Angela
        Man this is a great answer!!

        I have had my best kindle book purloined and plageurised (Can't spell this word) three times. But I move on.

        I am currently working in another field that is nearly impossible to do this copying with.

        Kenj
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        • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
          Originally Posted by angela99 View Post

          The OP said: "I'm looking for opinions on using the Kindle (or other ebook platform) as a form of self-funding research."

          Here's what I do. I get an idea I think may work, and create a blog on it. (I recommend this to my students, too.)

          If the idea gets traction (readers, commenters), then I create an info product.

          For added oomph: I send some PPC advertising to the blog.

          Would using the Kindle platform for the same purpose work? Maybe...

          The only reservation I have is that you're throwing your best ideas out there for others to steal. :-)

          I've always said that I can create faster than others can steal, but I'm protective of my babies. I hate sharing what I'm working on until it's ready to be seen. On the Kindle, I'd have to share early in the creation process.

          With blogging, you're not outlining your idea, but with Kindle publication, you have to throw it out there...

          The short answer: it should work, but it may increase the competition for your final product. Whether it would work for you depends on your temperament.

          Angela
          Angela, it's answers like this that make this place as good as it is. I had not thought about having to put the best ideas out front so early in the process. Definitely something to think about.

          All of you, this is exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for - sometimes you start focusing on the trees so much you forget you're in the middle of the dang forest...
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      • Profile picture of the author Jon Patrick
        Originally Posted by angela99

        I've always said that I can create faster than others can steal
        This is a great point. I used to be overly protective of my ideas... to the point that many of my extended family members didn't even know my main website URL (for fear that they might reveal it to a potential competitor in the course of a casual conversation). Silly, right?

        I'm still reasonably protective of my ideas, but I try these days to operate on the premise that if someone tries to steal one of my ideas... good luck keeping up with me.
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  • Profile picture of the author mokka
    hi john!

    (sorry if this is totally unrelated, but i can't seem to send private messages to users :-/)
    i'm writing to you because you might be the john mccabe who owns "lila.net"? if that is the case, would you sell that domain or do you want to use it for your own projects? otherwise i would be interested in buying it from you.

    hope to hear from you,
    all the best,
    mokka

    p.s.:
    as for the kindle idea: why not setting up and adwords campaign that leads to the sales page and there you track if people would buy?! i read that in the fourhourworkweek book and it seems to be a smart idea.
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    • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
      I'm looking for opinions on using the Kindle (or other ebook platform) as a form of self-funding research. Create a short ebook or what Kindle calls an article, put it up and do a quick marketing splash (a couple of days worth of work). See if it draws interest. See if it sells.
      Hi John,

      In the last month, I've put up about a dozen little ebooks on Kindle (repurposed from things I had previously written) and have been surprised at which one rose to the top. It was #1 on a niche Amazon best seller list two nights ago. It has been teetering from #2 to #4 since then.

      From what I've seen so far, this is partly a function of publicity I happened to get for this ebook in the last week, partly that there is not a lot of strong Kindle competition in this niche and partly that there actually was a neatly defined and obvious niche into which this ebook fell.

      When you're using this as a test, it does seem to be a good test of what will sell on Amazon. Because of the factors mentioned in the previous paragraph, I do not believe it is a good test of what will sell well in general, off Amazon.

      If you can, I suggest you follow my experiment and don't just test one ebook, test several.

      Good luck,
      Marcia Yudkin
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      Check out Marcia Yudkin's No-Hype Marketing Academy for courses on copywriting, publicity, infomarketing, marketing plans, naming, and branding - not to mention the popular "Marketing for Introverts" course.
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      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        Originally Posted by mokka View Post

        hi john!

        (sorry if this is totally unrelated, but i can't seem to send private messages to users :-/)
        i'm writing to you because you might be the john mccabe who owns "lila.net"? if that is the case, would you sell that domain or do you want to use it for your own projects? otherwise i would be interested in buying it from you.

        hope to hear from you,
        all the best,
        mokka

        p.s.:
        as for the kindle idea: why not setting up and adwords campaign that leads to the sales page and there you track if people would buy?! i read that in the fourhourworkweek book and it seems to be a smart idea.
        I'm not the John McCabe who owns the domain you want, sorry...

        As for the Adwords idea, I'm not ruling it out. I've done that to test other ideas. It just occured to me that with something as hot as ebook readers like Kindle right now, it might be another way to test what the mass market might go for.

        As Marsha said, it may be better for judging what will sell on Kindle's marketplace than the world at large. Of course, knowing what will sell well (along with a clue why) is valuable information in its own right...
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  • Profile picture of the author celente
    John reese had a great webinar on kindle the other day, and a guy who is making $30k per month on there.

    john-reese | Kindle Cash Flow

    I must warn you it is over 2 hours long, but full of good content.
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    Create a $5000 USD a month Business. 1-on-1 Coaching. By 6 figure marketer! - CLICK HERE
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    • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
      It just occured to me that with something as hot as ebook readers like Kindle right now, it might be another way to test what the mass market might go for.
      Kindle is not mass market. Not yet. It's gone beyond being just early adopters, but it has a long way to go until you can consider what sells well on Kindle to be a bellwether for the general population.

      Marcia Yudkin
      Signature
      Check out Marcia Yudkin's No-Hype Marketing Academy for courses on copywriting, publicity, infomarketing, marketing plans, naming, and branding - not to mention the popular "Marketing for Introverts" course.
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