Think about what interests you and those around you. Try and remember what problems you've had to solve, and what kinds of problems others have had to solve. The subject of your next book could easily be any problem that has been solved recently in your life. It helps people with problems to read how others have solved the same problem that they have.
Brainstorm a List of Problems
Therefore, the first step you should take is to brainstorm a list of problems in your life and in the lives of those around you. One of your friends lost his job? A family member became ill? How did they resolve their problems?
With the same ideas, start writing a list of other problems that haven't been solved yet. Any problems you were unable to solve but wish you had. Bingo! These are subjects that will make your ebooks fly off the digital shelves! "How to get a flat stomach." "The truth about aliens." "The quickest way to get rich." From your personal corner, a family member has a teen pregnancy? Your electric bill is twice what it used to be? Your garage leaks? These are problems that are ideal for your ebooks!
Google It!
The best way to find out what people are looking for at any given moment is the Internet. Anything can be found on the Internet. A popular search engine you can use is Google, or you can try others such as Ask Jeeves, or Yahoo. Enter search strings such as "top concerns of English public," "best-selling non-fiction books," or "popular how-to guides." "Common worries of 2007."
Find Out What People Are Currently Buying
The New York Times bestseller list, Amazon, and a Google are good places to find out the most popular non-fiction books. The results will inform exactly which subjects of books people are buying right now. Have a go at this. Go to Amazon, Click "Top Sellers" from the tabbed menu running along the top of the home page.
I did this in January 2006 and I learned just from spending a few minutes on Amazon that people are reading good fiction from already-best selling authors (J K Rowling, Da Vinci Code and others). Secondly, Amazon buyers buying over the Internet are fascinated about non-fiction topics such as saving money, making more money and improving their lives. It doesn't matter who the author is for these books, people will still buy them even if the author is unknown because the information is valuable.
Therefore, the fastest way to profiting from ebooks is in the non-fiction ebook market. This is because of many reasons. Readers of fiction will like to snug up in a chair with an actual book. Some may attend book clubs around someone's kitchen table with wine and cheese where the physical books are brought by people. Readers of fiction will often purchase from authors who they are already familiar with. It can be more difficult to write and deliver fiction well. Also, many classic fiction novels are available as free ebooks. These could be simply downloaded by someone. So unless you're feeling particularly bold and experimental, non-fiction is the way forward.
Some more amazing news is that ideas are not copyrighted, therefore anything you see, hear, or read anywhere or at anytime and that you formulate into an idea is yours to use for an ebook! You can get ideas from the Amazon best seller list and using the same ideas, create your own ebook on the exact same subject!
You want to make sure that you do not plagiarize or copy book text outright because copyright law does protect the way ideas are expressed. You must also bear in mind that you cannot have the same title wording neither. But there is absolutely nothing keeping you from creating another book or ebook that describes the same subject with a varied opinion. It's all completely legal and also rewarding, which is why looking at bestseller lists are a great way to get topic ideas.
