Interesting article…

Jimmy Brown wrote a great article about finding ideas for creating an e-book, so I wanted to share it: 

Idea Hangouts:  Where to Find Hot Product Ideas to
Use For Creating Your Next Best-Selling eBook

By Jimmy D. Brown of “Small Reports Fortune”

…………………….

46,094.

That’s how many times I’ve been asked “Where can I find
hot product ideas to write about in my next eBook?

Really.  I’ve been keeping count.  :o)

OK, so it’s probably not quite that many times, but you get
the idea.

I get asked that question a LOT.

And so, I’ve decided to share my favorite “idea hangouts”. 
That’s right … “idea hangouts”.  It’s been my experience
that there are specific places where hot product ideas are
always gathered.  I call them “idea hangouts”.

*** Idea Hangout #1 ***

One of the “idea hangouts” that I’ve identified is
Amazon.com.

Amazon.com is the web’s largest bookstore. 

It’s also a community center for new product ideas.  I use
it as one of my top brainstorming resources.  Again and
again I visit this site to come up with topics to write
about.

What makes Amazon.com so useful as a research tool for
getting new ideas is their searchable database of books. 
There are thousands of great ideas lurking in there if you
just know how to use it.

And that’s what I’m here for. :o)

I’m going to show you how to find hot product ideas with
Amazon.com anytime you want.

It’s really a matter of three simple steps …

STEP 01 : >>> Decide Upon A Broad Category.  When
brainstorming ideas, you must begin with a broad category
to work with.  Some examples might be:  weight loss,
marketing, dating, travel, baseball.

So, you need that ahead of time.  Figure out a broad subject
that you know is popular (I.E. You know that losing weight
is ALWAYS going to be a popular subject, as is “making
money.”).

As an example for this article, I’m going to choose GOLF.

STEP 02 : >>> Search Amazon’s Database.   After picking
your broad topic to research, it’s time to visit Amazon.com. 

Specifically, you’re going to SEARCH their database of
books they are selling.

Upon arriving at their site, locate their SEARCH form.  At
the time of this writing, it was in the upper left hand
corner of their main page.  Pull the menu down and select
BOOKS from the options.

In the space provided, type in whatever broad category you
chose.  I’d type in “Golf”. (You don’t need quotation marks)

If you did indeed start with a broad category, then hundreds
(or even thousands) of book listings should appear as a result
of the search.

STEP 03 : >>> Brainstorm Ideas From The Listings.  Let the
brainstorming session begin!  Now it’s time to look at the
books that are listed and write down as many possible ideas
as you can find.

Look for the different TYPES of books written about the
subject, identifying different THEMES, STYLES and
SUBCATEGORIES.

Let’s look at an example …

When I searched for “Golf”, I was able to immediately spot
dozens of great ideas.  Here are a handful …

1. Becoming a better golfer.  There are many golf books
available in this area, covering everything from “A-Z of Golf
Shots” to specific topics such as “Improving Your Short
Game.”  There were lots of different themes from “learning
to break 100″ to “shaving 10 shots off your score” to “7
shots that will change your golf game forever.”

2. Guides to Golf Courses.  Again, we have many different
ideas here.  Specific golf guides like “Florida golfing”,
“golfing in Tennessee” and “golfing the Robert Trent Jones
trail” appear, as well as books on “the best golf courses in
America,” “best kept secrets:  great golf courses you’ve
probably never played,” and “golf vacation guides.”

3. Profiting from Golf.   More ideas pour in with “opening a
golf repair business,” “becoming a golf retailer,” “learning
how to caddy” and “buying & selling used golf clubs.” 
What about “running an online golf auction”, “organizing a
golf tournament for profit” or even “writing information
products about golf!”

4. Golf and Business.  There are millions of dollars in
business deals negotiated on the golf course every single
year.  And there are books available to teach folks how to get
it done.  “How to negotiate business deals during golf
outings,” “Legal golf tax deductions for businesspeople,”
and “business seminars and golf:  how to mix training and
fun for maximum profit” are just a few more ideas worth
exploring.

5. Golf Products.  My, my, my there are so many ideas
floating around in here!  Everything ranging from reviews of
the latest golf equipment to ratings of golf courses to
discounts on golf packages.  Resource guides to finding the
best deals on golfing products, how to negotiate discounts,
and how to find the best products for your specific golf game
also come to mind as product ideas.

One Broad Category (Golf)
+ Amazon.com Searchable Database of Books
= 28 Potential Product Ideas

See how easy that was?  I found TWENTY-EIGHT potential
new product ideas (and there were MANY MORE that I
didn’t mention in this article) from a simple brainstorming
exercise using ONE “idea hangout.”

There’s got to be a best-seller in that bunch somewhere. 
And certainly with a little “mix -n- match” I can come up
with a hit product with these ideas.

Not bad, eh?

So, now it’s YOUR turn.  It’s a simple system for coming up
with product ideas anytime you want.

Like right now.

…………………….
Jimmy D. Brown is the author of “Small Reports Fortune” – if
you can write 7-15 page small reports, you can earn a living
online working just a few hours each week from your home.
Look for his EXCLUSIVE formula “Creating A Six-Figure Income
With Small Reports”
…………………….