Well, I just can’t think of a single darn thing to say. Oh well, see ya!

Sound familiar? No?! We’ve all experienced this phenomenon when we absolutely have to write something, particularly on deadline. I’m talking about. . . . .uh, I can’t think of what the word is . . . oh, yes, it’s on the tip of my tongue . . . it’s: WRITER’S BLOCK!!!!

Whew! I feel better just getting that out of my head and onto the page!

Writer’s block is the patron demon of the blank page. You may think you know EXACTLY what you’re going to write, but as soon as that evil white screen appears before you, your mind suddenly goes completely blank. I’m not talking about Zen meditation stare-at-the-wall-until-enlightenment-hits kind of blank.

I’m talking about sweat trickling down the back of your neck, anguish and panic and suffering kind of blank. The tighter the deadline, the worse the anguish of writer’s block gets.

Having said that, let me say it again. “The tighter the deadline, the worse the anguish of writer’s block gets.” Now, can you figure out what might possibly be causing this horrible plunge into speechlessness?

The answer is obvious: FEAR! You are terrified of that blank page. You are terrified you have absolutely nothing of value to say. You are afraid of the fear of writer’s block itself!

Let’s try and be rational with this irrational demon. Let’s make a list of what might possibly be beneath this terrible and terrifying condition.

1. Perfectionism. You must absolutely produce a masterpiece of literature straight off in the first draft. Otherwise, you qualify as a complete failure.
2. Editing instead of composing. There’s your monkey-mind sitting on your shoulder, yelling as soon as you type “I was born?,” no, not that, that’s wrong! That’s stupid! Correct correct correct correct?
3. Self-consciousness. How can you think, let alone write, when all you can manage to do is pry the fingers of writer’s block away from your throat enough so you can gasp in a few shallow breaths? You’re not focusing on what you’re trying to write, your focusing on those gnarly fingers around your windpipe.
4. Can’t get started. It’s always the first sentence that’s the hardest. As writers, we all know how EXTREMELY important the first sentence is. It must be brilliant! It must be unique! It must hook your reader’s from the start! There’s no way we can get into writing the piece until we get past this impossible first sentence.
5. Shattered concentration. You’re cat is sick. You have a pile of dishes in the sink. You have a dinner party planned for your in-laws. Need I say more? How can you possibly concentrate with all this mental clutter?
6. Procrastination. It’s your favorite hobby. It’s your soul mate. It’s the reason you’ve knitted 60 argyle sweaters or made 300 bookcases in your garage workshop. It’s the reason you never run out of Brie.

FACE IT, IT’S ONE OF THE REASONS YOU HAVE WRITER’S BLOCK!

In the next article, I will share with you how to overcome Writer’s Block.

1. GOOGLE.COM

Google is the ultimate “idea hangout”.  There are so many ways to mine the gold in Google’s amazing search database that it would take another article to graze the surface of this enormous iceberg.What I want to mention are just two quick ways to find ideas by searching Google.

- Identify Listings.

Search for a broad topic related to your area of interest or expertise.  (I.E. “Tennis”, “Weight loss”, “Homeschooling”.)  Look at all of the web sites listed in the index of returned results.  You’ll likely find some ideas for information products right there in the first couple of pages. 

- Identify Advertisers.

You’ll probably notice small ads either at the top of the page or to the right of the page (or both!).  These advertisers represent your competition.  They also represent your thermometer for taking the temperature of your market and gauging interest in specific topics.  Chances are, what they’re selling you should be selling.In both of these examples, you can click through to the web pages of the sites listed and study their respective sales pages.  Look specifically at the “bullet points”.  Each of these represents a potential idea for your next ebook.

2. AMAZON.COM

From the world’s largest search engine we move to the world’s largest bookstore.  At Amazon.com you’ll really get your creative juices fired up.Again, you’ll want to search the listings by entering a keyword or keyphrase into the search box on the main page at Amazon.com.You’ll get a returned listing of numerous books, courses and other periodicals. Search these listed items for ideas for your own ebook.— Example —If you were to search for “Homeschooling”, you’d find a variety of ideas just waiting in the listing of books available, including:  homeschooling for special needs children, getting starting in homeschooling, choosing curriculum, homeschooling field trips, homeschooling support groups, homeschooling for various ages (I.E. Pre-K, Elementary, Junior High, High School, etc.), homeschooling for Christians, etc.) Any of these listings (and the dozens of others listed) would be great ideas for the topic of your next ebook.— Example —Pay particular attention to the first page of the listing.  Amazon ranks their listings based on popularity of actual sales volume.  In other words, #1 is a better seller than #50.  This is a ready-made indicator of demand!

3. MAGAZINES.COM

After visiting the world’s largest search engine and the world’s largest bookstore, it’s time to take a quick stop at the world’s largest periodical store, Magazines.com.You’ll find every imaginable magazine listed at this site.  The interesting part (and useful to you as a research tool) is this:  you’ll also find the COVER of usually a recent copy of each magazine.That is, you can search for “Parenting” and the engine will return a listing of magazines related to that topic.  You can then click on the image of the magazine cover and you’ll be shown a larger copy of that cover where you can read the contents.  (I.E. “How To Raise A Stubborn Child”, “27 Ways Discipline In Public” and “The Real Key To Your Child Getting Better Grades”.)Each of these “cover stories” represents an idea for your next ebook.The best part about it is this:  the publishers of these magazines have done the research for you!  They’ve measured the level of interest for these ideas and found it high enough to warrant not only writing content about them, but referencing that content on the cover of the magazine!That’s your hint.  People want this information.So, there you have it, 3 “idea hangouts” where you can find ready-made, in-demand, red-hot topics for your next ebook.Happy hunting!

1. K = KEEP it concise. 

One of the biggest mistakes ebook writers make is starting their project with the idea in mind that their ebook must be a certain number of pages in length.That is, they assume the ebook should be 50 pages or 100 pages or even 200 pages in order to be desirable to consumers.Wrong.  Ding. Thanks for playing. Much more important than QUANTITY is QUALITY.  Almost every potential customer in your target market is considerably more interested in learning something useful than they are reading a bunch of commentary that has little or no real value to them.The ability to concisely (yet comprehensively) share content that is practical is a must if you want to be successful in the information business.  No fluff.  No filler.  No fat.  Just the meat.That’s what consumers want.  Especially today in our fast-paced, instant, I-want-it-now society.And chances are you are much more likely to write a 30 page manual and get it done than you are to slave over trying to measure up to a 200 page masterpiece. Your first key to success is “keep it concise”.  Share what you need to share in the least amount of pages as possible.  It doesn’t have to be the great American novel.  This isn’t Hemingway.  

 2. E = ENJOY yourself.

I simply must mention that if you enjoy your “work” then you are exponentially more likely to complete your ebooks than those who reluctantly or grudgingly write.Seriously, don’t underestimate what I’m saying here.  You’ll get much more done as a writer by having fun with your subject matter.That’s the beauty of information publishing.  YOU get to pick the topic.  A topic of interest – of passion – to you as the author.  Something you find enjoyable, even exhilarating.To be sure, you want to choose topics that are in demand and have a ready-made audience awaiting who are willing to purchase them.  But, at the same time, you can look for those marketable topics that appeal to your interests and expertise.I don’t care how “profitable” a subject may be, I’d never take it on as a project of mine unless I got some sense of satisfaction or enjoyment in writing about it. Instead, look for those things that you are already talking about anyway.  And then write what you’ve been talking about.

3. Y = YIELD results.

Finally, I must exhort you to “yield results”.  That is, you simply must stick to it and finish the job.I cannot tell you how many people that I’ve met online who struggle with the affliction “short-of-the-finish-line-it is”. They begin running the race with gusto.  They pick their topic like it was a Nike outfit.  They outline their ebook like they just heard the starting gun fire.  They come up with ideas to include in their work like they were sprinting down the track.And when they round the first corner, they start slowing down.  Before they know it, they’re up in the stands watching others cross the finish line.That’s why I am adamant about telling you the golden rule of ebook content:  Never start something you can’t finish in 30 days.With any new ebook you are planning on writing, choose the topic and outline it in such a way that you can complete the content within one calendar month.  Anything that goes beyond that period of time is likely going to be discarded somewhere past the starting gate and before the finish line.It’s important that you set for your goal a reasonable, reachable amount of pages for your ebook … such as 30 pages.  Then, divide that goal number of pages into your 30 days.  In this example, it would mean writing just ONE page per day (very realistic!) for 30 days and your ebook will be completed.Victory!  The finish line!Certainly there are a wide variety of other “keys” to being successful as an ebook writer (choosing the right topics, learning to outline well, brainstorming ideas, marketing, etc.) but these three form a solid foundation for you to build upon as you continue to learn more about information publishing.K = KEEP it concise.E = ENJOY yourself.Y = YIELD results.See you on your victory lap!

-Domain name

Your first step is to get a domain name. Use the most popular keywords in your niche and add a community-oriented suffix like club, group or team. For example, your weight loss membership site could be hosted at www.loseweightclub.com.

-Website

Your website design will have a big impact on how your members use your website and how often they come back. You’ll need a welcome page, a blog, a downloads page and perhaps a forum, depending on the nature of your membership site. If you want the best look for your membership site, consider hiring a professional designer who can give you a consistent look from start to finish.

-Sales letter

Your sales letter should convince visitors why they should join your membership site. Some would consider it to be the most important part of your site because it gets people in through the door. The sales letter needs to emphasize the benefits of your membership site as well as mentioning the features. Build desire to become part of the “in crowd” within the membership site and you’ll make the decision easy for them.

-Order Processor

You won’t make any money with your membership site unless you have this set up properly. While many people use Paypal to process their monthly subscriptions, you can also use Clickbank, Paydotcom or Ejunkie to process payment. These three options are your best choices if you want to have an affiliate program for your membership site.

-Membership Site Script

A membership site script will keep your website secure. The script will build a registration form into your site, which will allow paying members to sign up and access the site. It will also keep visitors from accessing your content without paying. Thanks to membership site scripts you don’t have to hire a coder to set up a custom script for you.

-Autoresponder program

You’ll want to keep in touch with your members and let them know what is going on inside of the site. Using an autoresponder e-mail list is a great way to keep people active in the site. You can send out a new message each time there is a content update, or you can e-mail a weekly newsletter. Place an opt in box on the welcome page that members get to after they’ve successfully subscribed.

-Startup Content

Before you launch your site, you should have several articles, reports and other forms of content available for your members to enjoy. If you plan on having a certain amount of updates per month, you should have at least twice as much content when you start. This way the members know that they’ll be getting quality from you in the future. Write the content yourself or have a ghostwriter do it for you.

-Editorial Schedule

Just like traditional newspapers, your membership site needs an editorial calendar. You don’t want to scramble around each month trying to get your content together. Plan ahead at least a few months of content and get it prepared before you need to post it.By following these steps, you’ll be ready to promote your membership site and start earning monthly income.

1. Outsource content creation

Your membership site’s success depends on the new content that you deliver each month, every month. If you want to cut down on your content creation time, consider hiring a ghostwriter to provide your site with articles, reports and blog posts. When you use a ghostwriter you’ll be able to concentrate on your strengths (like promotion) rather than struggling with the writing. When you outsource, you don’t have to worry about being a good writer or knowing a lot about your topic. You can have professional content that gives the site value without writing it yourself.

2. Get professional graphics

Studies have been shown that outstanding graphics can compensate for average content. Of course, this isn’t an excuse to produce lackluster content. But if your site looks good, people will want to be part of it! Your site’s graphics don’t have to be overly fancy, but they do need to look good. If you’re not a pro at graphics, you should find a website designer to give you the professional look that you need to draw in customers. You may be able to barter with a designer for free graphics by offering a free membership to your site.

3. Have two or more levels of membership

Creating two levels of membership or more can help you draw in a wider customer base. You can help people join the site who might not be able to if the price is higher, but you still have the opportunity to get a higher monthly fee from those who want the added benefits of being in the top tier. To encourage more sign ups, you can have a free membership level, a silver level and a gold level.

4. Use a blog to promote your membership site

Create and maintain a blog outside of the gates of your membership site in order to build traffic and increase your presence within the niche. You can maintain your blog as part of your main website or create it on a completely different domain. Blog about popular topics in the membership site’s forum and give teasers about the content that members are receiving. When you give quality content and mix in references to your membership site, you’ll create credibility and get new members for your sites.

5. Add video to your membership site for major impact

Video marketing is the next revolutionary step on the Internet. You can be part of this growing movement by adding video to your membership site. Most anything that can be expressed in writing can be made into a video. Whether you use traditional video where you talk in front of the camera or screen capture video technology like Camtasia, you can offer top quality content for your members through this new media.

Life is the sum of all your choices.  ~Albert Camus