Uh, almost.

I think pretty much everyone has a book in them. The difference between an ebook and a book-book? Well, ebooks are better suited for non-fiction. And maybe not everyone has a non-fiction book in them.

But most business owners and entrepreneurs have an ebook just simmering inside…

So, yeah…I would say you could write an ebook out of nothing.

I used to make tombstones for a living. Yes, those granite memorials you see in the cemeteries. (Hold the “people must be dying to see you jokes” – I’ve heard ‘em a kazillion times). Immediately a couple different titles come to mind:

- How to Market Your Memorial Business to the Masses Without Turning Them Off

- How to Handle Emotional Customers Through the Sales Pitch and Beyond

The marketing book would obviously be a very defined niche, only interesting to those within the industry…but guess what? Sometimes the niche titles are best!!! You have a clearly defined audience and that makes it easier promote and sell.

The Emotional Customer ebook will have a wider audience, but it’s still a good topic. I’m sure I could think up other industries that experience customers who are crying, or are pissed off at the world.

So…if you’ve been tossing around the idea of writing an ebook, here’s what you do:

Think about what you know. Ideally it relates to something you are doing NOW. Because your ebook will either be a marketing piece for your business, or it will be a sales product. And there’s no point in creating a marketing piece on something that doesn’t not relate to your biz. And it’s easier to sell something that has to do with your active work. (Point in case, my WAHM Agent series…yeah, I’m still licensed as a real estate agent and I still work a transaction here and there…but you don’t see me updating a real estate site, or talking real estate all the time. Yes, I’ve sold some ebooks…but it would be oh so much easier if I had written something that actually pertains to what I do on a daily basis – writing and managing a writing/coaching business.)

Think about who could benefit from the information. There are people out there in the world who want to know what you know. Seriously. By unlocking the vault of information in your head (trust me, you DO have something in that noggin of yours) you are helping others. Doesn’t that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Something else that might make you feel all warm and fuzzy is the traffic driven to your site from a free ebook you’re giving away, or the sales you make off your ebook while you’re sound asleep in bed. VERY warm and fuzzy.

Think about how you can provide the information to your audience with a “twist.” This is especially important if there are other books out there. What angle of the subject can you provide that is different? Nobody wants to read the same ol’ stuff over and over again. They want something new, something fresh. You need to give it a twist!

Think about how you can present the material in a way that makes sense. This means structure. Start jotting down the various points you want to make in your ebook. I’m an outliner. But some people like to use mindmapping. Do what is comfortable for you, it really is a personal thing. Brainstorm yourself silly. But in the end, you need to organize all those ideas and thoughts and place them into an understandable, logical order so readers can follow.

Guess what? Out of “nothing,” now you have something…the beginnings of an ebook. Now all you need to do is keep writing…