Cashing In by Writing How-tos

If you enjoy explaining how something is done step by step, you may just have an saleable article or book idea. How-to articles and books are favorites at many magazine and book publishers. And the range of topics is practically endless. Think about it for a minute. Almost anything that you have had some experience in doing has potential. For example, can you explain how to install a hardwood floor, make paper toys, choose good doctors, invest money, buy businesses, or start a relationship? Of course, a subject such as how to make those sit-ups more effective might be a great magazine article. On the other hand, a subject such as how to make wooden toys might be effective as a book.

Okay, let's say that you're interested in writing a how-to. Choose something that not only interests you, but something that you would enjoy explaining to others. Perhaps it is something that a lot of people ask about. Since you've done that many times, you are in an excellent position to explain that to a wider audience of beginners or even experts on that very subject!

Once you've decided on a subject, brainstorm titles. Using the words "how to" is a good idea, but you may wish to consider numbers in your title, such as "Five Great Ways to Amuse a Toddler."

If you're writing an article, remember to include a small introduction and perhaps a list of tools. Then write out the steps, beginning with the first. Always assume that your beginner audience knows nothing about your subject. Try to visualize that audience performing the task(s) that you are telling them how to do. Suppose that they have just completed the first step. What should the results look like and what should be done next? Sometimes your subject may lend itself to drawings or visuals accompanying each step. Doing this will help your readers to compare their results with yours.

After listing and explaining all of the steps, remember to include a final paragraph. Before submitting it to an editor, ask someone you know to "test" your article by following each of the steps. Pay attention to questions and concerns and address those before submitting your article.

But suppose that your subject is more involved? In that case, you should consider writing a book. Draw up your book's outline by making a list of chapters. Perhaps the first chapter will include an introduction and an explanation of a few basics. The next chapter will cover the first step and so on.

Of course, you need not complete the entire book before describing it and your qualifications to potential editors in a query letter.

You may find that writing one or more how-to articles and books not only establishes you as an expert, but allows you to become a published author so much sooner.

Dorothy Zjawin's how to book, Teaching Ideas for the Come-Alive Classroom, was published by Parker Pub./Prentice-Hall. Most of her Instructor articles are also how-to's. Get more ideas by checking out her website at http://www.profitable-pen.com

---

Electronic Books And Magazines Can Be Among Your Cost Effective Servicing Tools

Electronic servicing is, as they say, a "growth industry". With... Read More

How eBooks Can Be Very Valuable

EBooks have a number of benefits over the traditional book.... Read More

20 Ways To Increase Website Traffic and eBook Sales

Here's a fast, easy list for you. Use it as... Read More

Look How Easy It Is To Write Your Own eBook

What happens when you stumble across a promising market, idea... Read More

How One eBook Author Writes eBooks

How does this eBook writing process actually work for an... Read More

Invasion of the Amazons

The last few months have witnessed a bloodbath in tech... Read More

Resell Rights Power

The Quickest Way To Have A Product To Sell On... Read More

eBook Publishers Dilemma: Should I Use PDF or Exe Format?

If you write and publish eBooks, sooner or later you... Read More

5 Tips To Help you start self publishing for profit

Here's a really simple way... to start your own business... Read More

Why eBooks Are The Most Overlooked Path To Online Prosperity

The ebook revolution is here! The Internet now makes it... Read More

How to Use eBook for Marketing and Promotion

There are innumerable ways to use ebooks to promote your... Read More

7 Secrets to Explode your eBook Sales! Part 6

Secret #6: Creating momentum and identity through Book Sellers!Aho99% of... Read More

Ask and Ye Shall Create

How do you decide to create a new speech? A... Read More

Ebooks - How To Bring Them Into The Market

So, you have decided to start an ebook business. The... Read More

An eBook Publishers Dilemma: Should I Use PDF or Exe Format?

If you write and publish eBooks, sooner or later youwill... Read More

Your Guaranteed Path to Becoming an Information Product Money Machine

How To Turn Your Talks or Articles into Books, eBooks,... Read More

Using Internet Marketing E-books Helps With Business Issues

Using an Internet marketing e-book when starting a new home-based... Read More

Youve Got To Be Joking!

I don't know about you, but I get a lot... Read More

Convert Productive Articles to Profitable eBooks

How many articles, reports and discussion papers have you written... Read More

E-book Sales ? Will Your Cover Close the Sale?

Well designed professional looking e-book covers do much, much more... Read More

5 Sizzling Tips to Creating a Money Making E-book

5 Sizzling Tips to Create a Winning E-bookIf you have... Read More

Are Ebooks Overpriced?

Who ever thought that one day books would not be... Read More

Using Ebooks As A Highly Effective Marketing & Promotional Tool

Ebooks are part of the new frontier of cyberspace. They... Read More

Price your eBook to Sell Well

Q. The big question asked me in teleclasses or client... Read More

3 Powerful Types of eBooks That You Can Sell Online

A big part of knowing how to write and sell... Read More

Online Promotion: 20 Phenomenal Tricks To Sky-rocket Your Traffic And Sales With eBooks

There are many authors who have made a killing with... Read More

How To Create Your Own Info Product

In the last article we talked about why informational products... Read More

How To Create and Market Your own E-Book

The Internet presents an amazing opportunity foranyone who knows how... Read More

Ebook Marketing: How To Succeed In Your Ebook Marketing Without Trying Too Hard

If you want to succeed in your ebook marketing, there... Read More

How eBooks Can Be Used As An Online Business

Times are hard today! Though the economic data would indicate... Read More

Your First Step To A Digital Publishing Empire

There is only one way to climb a mountain -... Read More

How to Write Your First Ebook

Writing your first ebook may seem like a daunting task.... Read More

What Comes First - The Cover or The eBook?

One of biggest trend these days is related to ebooks.... Read More