How to Start Writing a Book: My Top Book Writing Tips and Ideas

Writing books and publishing them on Kindle is one of my favorite ways to create a steady stream of income. The work you put into writing a book can be over in a day or two, and it could make you money for months or even years to come. And self-publishing on Kindle means that you don’t have to be the next Stephen King to make money by writing books. Anyone can do it, and you don’t even have to be a decent writer to make it work.

When average people begin thinking about how to start writing a book, several red flags immediately go up. While writing a book is typically a time-consuming project, it really doesn’t have to be as difficult or lengthy as you think. If you have a book idea rattling around in your brain, you could feasibly get it written and published on Kindle within 24 hours. I typically publish nonfiction books, but if you have something more creative in mind then you should go for it!

There are many ways to approach a book writing project. Deciding on a plan of action that will work best for you requires a bit of consideration. Here are a few of the important decisions you must make to ensure that your Kindle publishing project works for you.

What should I write a book about?

Deciding what your book will be about might be the most difficult decision of the entire project. But without a topic, there will be no book, so it’s best to get through this decision first. I recommend brainstorming a list of topics you feel that you could easily write a book about. If you are an expert in a certain field, this part is easy. Simply write about what you know.

However, if you're considering publishing your book to Kindle, then it's important to do the proper research beforehand to ensure that you're publishing into a profitable niche.  If you do this correctly and there are people out there searching for your book on Amazon, then Amazon will do the selling for you.  In Mastering Book Publishing, I cover my step-by-step method to finding a profitable niche on Amazon and publishing to Kindle.

If you want to use your book to boost your business and bring in more prospects, then pick a topic related to your field and share some of your wisdom. Giving away some knowledge is a fantastic way to establish yourself as an expert or thought leader in your profession. And then when you’re done giving your audience a taste of your expertise, you can offer a soft sell at the end of your book. After all, selling products and services is how most of us make money, right?

Last, if you’re not exactly an expert but there are some topics that deeply interest you, write down those ideas too. You might surprise yourself at how much you actually know about those things. And if there is a sizable market out there for books on those particular topics, writing about these hobbies and interests could pay off big time.

But how can I be sure this book will make me money?

For best results, try to pick a topic that fits into a profitable niche. Carefully choosing a niche with a passionate, proactive audience means dipping into a pool of ready buyers. Determine what the audience’s pain is – what problem do they need to solve? And then, figure out how your book can resolve that problem for them. If you follow this formula, you are more likely to sell piles of books. If you can find a niche with few existing competitors, that’s even better.

Another good way to help ensure your Kindle book’s success is to conduct careful keyword research, right on Amazon. Try typing in some search terms related to your chosen topics, and see what comes up. The fewer results there are, the less competition you’ll face and the better your opportunity to create a book that can perform well in that niche. Here are a couple of tips to help you pinpoint just the right keywords:

• Use specific keywords. For example, the keyword “health” is extremely broad. Select a narrower topic, such as “weight loss diets” to locate a niche with far less competition.
• Try typing in part of a keyword phrase into Amazon’s search bar, and see what suggestions come up in the auto-fill list. This might help you narrow your niche down perfectly into an area you didn’t even think of on your own.

Later, it’s important to remember that putting those keywords in strategic spots – including the book title and description – will help ensure that people find your book when they’re looking for it.

Again, if you're unsure about this, then check out my step-by-step method to niche research in my Mastering Book Publishing program.

Should I write the book myself, or hire a writer?

Some people truly enjoy writing. There are people out there who are really good at conveying a message and striking a tone that readers like. The best writers can efficiently organize their thoughts and share them in a way that compels readers to keep going and absorb all that information in one sitting. If this sounds like you, then congratulations! You will find your book project to be easy and pleasurable.

But then… there’s the rest of us.

If you’re not a born writer, it’s okay. Don’t worry – you can still make money by publishing on Kindle, even if you failed high school English. Or maybe you just don’t have the time or the attention span it takes to sit down and write your own book. That’s an extremely common problem, so just know that you’re not alone.

This is where a hired writer comes in handy – you know, those born writer types we were just talking about. There are excellent writers for hire out there who will take your thoughts and notes, and create a fantastic Kindle book for you in no time. And many of those writers won’t charge you an arm and a leg. Check out sites like UpWork or Elance to see all of the writers out there, just waiting for the opportunity to transform you into a published author.

There are many more steps in the process of actually publishing and marketing your new Kindle book, but following these steps will give you a great start. I’ve honed and streamlined my Kindle book publishing process through my own publishing experiences. With several successful Kindle books under my belt, I am committed to helping others find their own success with Kindle publishing.

Do you want my proven step-by-step system for publishing books on Amazon? CLICK HERE to purchase my new and improved Mastering Book Publishing course!