Introduction
The Amazon Kindle marketplace has presented an AMAZING opportunity. Writers, entrepreneurs, independent publishing companies- there are thousands of people making passive income with this powerful platform.
Amazon.com is the 11th most visited website in the world. Kindle ebooks are sold not only to the millions of people with Kindles, but also tens of millions more. People are reading Kindle books on their phones, computers, iPads, and all kinds of places.
But of course you realize all of this, right? That’s why you’re interested in setting up a passive income stream with this amazing platform. And that’s what I’m going to help you do in this report through outsourcing and marketing your ebooks properly.
Are you ready? Then let’s get into the meat.
Where to Start
I’m going to assume that you already have a Kindle account set up. If you don’t, go ahead and do it right here: https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/signin?ie=UTF8&ld=AZEbooksMakeM
Its FREE, and easy to set up.
Once you’ve done that, it’s time to figure out what niche you want to get into. There are a few schools of thought here, but I’ll break it into 3 main ones:
1) Pick a niche/market that you love
2) Pick a huge, evergreen niche (health, wealth, relationships, etc.)
3) Pick a niche that’s conducive to outsourcing
Here’s a brief explanation of the advantages and disadvantages of each:
1) Pick a niche that you love.
- Advantages- You already know the subject. You can spend a lot of time writing or learning about it without it feeling like work. You may already have contacts in the industry to help with ideas or co-publish. You can be the big fish in the small pond.
- Disadvantages- It may not be large enough to make good money. You may get tired of the niche if you focus 100% of your efforts on it. It may not be easy to outsource.
2) Pick a huge, evergreen niche
- Advantages- TONS of money to be made. Always new research or methods to sell. Huge marketplace- millions and millions of people.
- Disadvantages- TONS of competition. May require creative marketing strategies. May not be interesting to you. Usually expected to have TONS of content (longer books).
3) Pick a niche that’s conducive to outsourcing
- Advantages- Best opportunity to be passive. Don’t have to do most of the work yourself.
- Disadvantages- Fairly high competition. May not be interesting to you.
So what’s the best method?
To be honest- there is no “best” method. It all just depends on how you want your business to run.
That said, I personally recommend using either outsource-friendly niches or those that are evergreen.
Evergreen niches are great because if your book becomes a bestseller, you have the potential to make hundreds of thousands of dollars from just one book. The problem with these is that they can take a long time to write, plus you still have to market them.
Meanwhile the more outsource-friendly niches can usually be shorter books and easier to manage. This report is going to be discussing these niches more than the evergreen ones.
The Top 3 Kindle Niches for Outsourcing
After doing quite a bit of testing, I’ve determined that there are 3 niches that are MUCH easier to outsource than the rest. Those are
1) Tips and Tricks (weight loss, relationship, investing, etc.)
2) Survival/Apocalypse
3) Game guides (like Angry Birds)
Why are these so great? For a few reasons, really, but the main one is simple- the information is VERY easily accessed and reformatted.
For example, there are dozens (or probably more) of huge weight loss sites online. If you’re writing a book on weight loss tips, you just have your outsourcer do 5 steps:
1) Find the websites
2) Copy, and paste the tips into your book
3) Copy the tips URL into the resources section of the book (give credit where credit is due, folks)
4) Re-write the tips into your (his/her) own words
5) Format the book per your instructions
6) Create an automatic table of contents
Then you’re pretty much done!
Pretty easy, right?
Now there are a few places here where mistakes can be made, but in a nutshell that’s the whole process.
Let’s talk now about how to select your e-book topics.
Choosing Topics
Once you’ve selected your niche, you can start looking at specific keywords within that niche.
If it’s a niche that you know a lot about or is fairly common knowledge, start with things that you know.
For example, let’s say that you’re gonna sell books about weight loss. From there, we can break it down into certain places where people want to lose weight. Maybe we can look into how to lose belly fat, thigh fat, or neck fat.
From there, it goes kinda like this:
- Go to the Google Keyword Tool at https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal
- Enter in your food/video game/whatever into the top box, then fill out the captcha box like so (here I chose the keyword thigh fat)
- After you hit search, a bunch of results will come up. This will tell you some good keywords to consider using related thigh fat. In this case, the results look like this: (image not uploaded)
- The term “how to lose thigh fat” gets 90,500 broad searches a month across the world- not bad. I can tell you that pretty much all of those people are looking for tips to lose weight- very few people are looking for a website called HowtoLoseThighFat.com or something.
But take a look further down- the term “burn thigh fat” gets a lot of searches as well! That gives us an idea for another possible title for our Kindle book.
- Choose either a generic keyword with a ton of searches, or a more specific keyword with fewer searches. The broader keyword has higher earning potential, but more competition. The more specific keyword is more likely to convert visitors into buyers, so it can do well, too.
This keyword is going to be in the title of your Kindle book. So if you go with the keyword burn thigh fat, your title might be “Burn Thigh Fat- 25 Tips to Help You Get Slim, Sexy Thighs in One Month”. This will help your e-book rank higher in the Amazon and Google search results.
- Rinse and repeat. You can stay in pretty much the same niche, or go a completely different direction. Hopefully you can see how much potential there is with things like tips or tricks! Just with weight loss, you can have books on
- Thigh fat
- Belly fat
- Neck fat
- Arm fat
- Butt fat
- Etc.
And there are a TON of other niches you can find tips and tricks for!
Now that you’ve got your keywords, let’s do a small amount of web research (to make outsourcing run smoother).
Web Research
Even though your outsourcer will do most of the legwork, it’s a good idea to do a little research yourself first.
Basically you want to give your outsourcers a few places to do their research. For example, let’s say you’re going to be making tip books on investing. In that case, you may want to help your outsourcers find some good investing sites.
Well a quick little search in Google for “investing sites” turns up these results:
- Fool.com (The Motley Fool)
- WinningInvesting.com
- Finance25.com
- InvestorPro.com
Several of the results are mini-directories that tell you some of the best sites to check out as well.
Maybe you’re not doing investing- instead you’re doing video game tips. Searching for “video game tips” in Google, you get results like these:
- Gamefaqs.com
- Gamespot.com
- Gamesradar.com
- Cheatcc.com
- Supercheats.com
Also, know that YouTube is an AWESOME resource for gaming tips, tricks, cheats and strategies.
Remember that these are just to help your outsourcers get started. Giving them a short list of possible places to get their information will save them some time and save you money.
Now let’s get into the outsourcing section.
Finding the Right Outsourcer
I’ll say upfront that this is NOT a complete guide on how to find outsourcers. Some marketers have written courses for $97 or more on the subject, so it can get pretty detailed.
Instead, this is a short-and-sweet guide to help make this as painless as possible. I’ve broken it down into 5 steps.
1) Determine the skills they’ll need
2) Sign up for freelancing/outsourcing sites
3) Post a job with a detailed description of what you want
4) Hire the top 3 candidates and have them complete a simple task to test them
5) Hire the one that did the best job (or repeat if none of them were great)
Now let’s get more into the details:
Step 1: Determine the skills they’ll need.
Really, this is going to boil down to a few basic skills:
- Web research (to find your content and determine if it makes sense)
- Writing (to edit the tips/tricks/advice you find)
- Copy-paste
- Microsoft Word or Open Office (formatting, spell check, table of contents creation)
If they have those skills, they’re off to a good start should be good to go.
The reason that they need these skills is that you’ll have your outsourcers doing 95% of the legwork. After all, that’s the basis of this course.
For them to be able to do that, they’ll need to be able to find the content you’re looking for, copy-paste it into Word or Open Office, and do some minor editing.
**NOTE: I know that I haven’t discussed the graphic cover of your e-book yet. We’ll cover this later.
Step 2: Sign up for freelancing sites
There are LOTS of sites where you can sign up. Here are just a few to consider:
- http://odesk.com/
- http://elance.com/
- http://www.freelance.com
- http://www.yourmaninindia.com/
- http://virtualemployee.com
Personally I’ve mainly just used Odesk, but it’s up to you.
This is definitely something where you just want to go with one site. Even though you’ll have access to more freelancers by using multiple, you’ll get PLENTY of applicants (I mean, hundreds) using Odesk, so you’ll be fine with just one.
Step 3: Post a job with a detailed description of what you want
The key here is to be as descriptive as possible without explaining exactly what you’re doing.
What I mean by that is you don’t want someone else to see what you’re doing and steal your idea (even though let’s face it- a ton of people are outsourcing Kindle books right now).
Instead, just give the basics of what the outsourcer will be doing. Put in the description that they’ll be doing research, copy-pasting it into a Word document, and editing it according to your directions.
Another thing to help you weed through the candidates is to have them provide a sample of something they’ve done before. Also ask them to explain why they think they’re qualified.
I’ve attached a template in the Resources folder that you can use to work off of.
**NOTE** You want to do a fixed price per book- say $10- instead of an hourly rate. You may get fewer bids, but this helps you stay within cost.
Step 4: Hire the top 3 candidates and have them complete a simple task to test them
What you’re trying to do here is figure out the best of the best. If 2 or all 3 of them submit great work, maybe you can even hire all 3. Chances are, however, that you’ll only pick one of them in the end.
Make sure the task you ask them to complete is simple but has very clear instructions. You don’t want them to be confused because they won’t always ask for clarification.
That said- if they do ask for clarification then that is a good sign of a quality outsourcer.
I recommend asking them all to do the exact same thing- same keyword, go to the same sites, everything. You want a level playing field. That way when Outsourcer A delivers high quality stuff after 1 hour and Outsourcer B takes 4 hours to do the same thing- you know who to pick.
I’ve attached a template for this in the Resources folder.
Step 5: Hire the one that did the best job (or repeat if none of them were great)
Pretty self-explanatory, right?
Now that you have your person picked out, you just have to point them the right direction and get them started.
Again, give them very specific directions including what keyword to research, how to format the book (you should have a sample), how to re-write the content quickly, etc.
Step 6: Staying on Top of Your Outsourcer
You don’t want to be a pain in the rear, but you’re also paying for quality work- make sure you get it!
The best way to do that is to check the outsourcer’s work every time that it comes in. After asking them to correct it a few times, they’ll understand exactly what you’re looking for and do better in the future.
I admit that upfront this requires a little work, but after just a few days it gets more passive. I can now just hand my outsourcer a few keywords, and a few hours later he comes back to me with near-perfect e-books for me to upload to Amazon!
Granted- I think I’ve got the fastest guy ever on Odesk- but you’ll be able to find someone too.
Step 7: Rinse and Repeat
If you like the stuff your outsourcer is cranking out and you’re making consistent sales on Amazon, consider getting another outsourcer- or 2 or 3. Train them the same way you trained your first guy/gal, and improve on the templates I provided to better suit your business.
Unlike some Kindle methods right now, this whole course is based more on quantity than quality. You’re still putting out easy-to-read e-books that solve the needs of readers, but they probably won’t become bestsellers.
But if you can pay say $1,000 to get 100 Kindle books set up- and each one makes you just 35 cents a day (one sale each), that’s $1,050 per month. So you basically get all of your money back within the first month.
That said- if you do some extra marketing, target good keywords or do SEO on your books- you can definitely make more.
Graphics- Creating Your eBook Cover
So far we’ve covered
- How to pick a niche
- The best niches to outsource
- Where/how to find your outsourcer
The next step (or you can do this while your outsourcer is doing their task) is to get the book cover put together.
There’s are a few easy ways to do this, and you don’t have to be very techie to do them.
Option 1: Hire someone on Fiverr.com. Find someone who make ebook/Kindle covers who has a high rating from previous customers. The problem with this method is that you’ll usually be waiting at least a few days before you get your cover.
Option 2: Do it yourself. Your cover doesn’t have to be fancy here. You can use something like Paint to just take a related image, fade it out, and then put your book cover on top and name in the middle or bottom. There are also a few websites online that allow you to create basic ebook covers for free once you have the photo you want to use. A good example is
http://www.nick-james.com/public/32.cfm (that’s not an affiliate link).
Option 3: Get a template pack such as the Kindle Cover Design Kit (that’s an affiliate link). These are what I usually use, because I can edit them FAST using GIMP– a free program similar to Photoshop (not an affiliate link).
And when I say fast- I mean about 5 minutes.
All you have to do is open up the template you want to use in GIMP, create a new text box with your title and author name, and you’re done!
Conclusion: Ultimately it’s up to you. If you use Fiverr.com, you’ll still be spending less than $10/book (if you have a fast outsourcer). If you do it yourself, you’re looking at less than $5/book!
Now let’s get into the description and title of your book.
**NOTE: Try to make sure that your image looks good as a thumbnail. It may look okay at full-size, but horrible when you shrink it down!
Description, Title, and Series
To help your book rank well in search engines, you want a good title and description. Put your keyword early in the title, along with something after it to make it sound more attractive. A book called “Mass Effect 3 Tips- DOMINATE on Multiplayer Today” sounds better than “Mass Effect 3 Tips”.
The description is your sales page for your Kindle book. The more detailed and enticing the description section is, the better!
Make sure you throw your main keyword in there at least once or twice. Explain to the reader why this book is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
With the series block- you don’t have to make it part of a series, but it can be a good idea. If you plan on putting out 10 breakfast cookbooks for example, setting them up as a series will definitely get you more sales.
Now let’s talk about formatting and uploading your e-book.
Formatting and Uploading
Some people make a really big deal out of this.
Personally, I haven’t had too many issues, but maybe that’s because I use Microsoft Word? Perhaps other programs cause issues.
Here are a few formatting things to keep in mind:
- Text shouldn’t be smaller than 11- size 12 is better
- Don’t use fancy font styles
- Kindle pages don’t have as much text as Word pages
- A table of contents at the very beginning is CRUCIAL (each chapter title of your book should be Heading 1)
- Don’t include too many pictures
- Include a resources section (DON’T steal the information- give credit where credit is due! Tell the reader where the info came from)
- Don’t save it to a PDF- .doc or .docx is fine
Once you think it looks good, you can upload it to Amazon and hit Preview to see how it would look on the Kindle. If it looks weird or distorted, make the necessary changes and try again.
To help make this process go faster, I have 2 recommendations:
Option 1: Kindle Formatter– I haven’t used this as much as the second option, but this is a software tool that quickly optimizes your ebook for Kindle viewing. That’s an affiliate link.
Option 2: Kindle Publishing Toolbox– I’ve used this a bit more. There’s a Microsoft Word template in there that makes it easy-peazy to format for the Kindle. That’s also an affiliate link.
Now let’s take a quick look at pricing your e-books.
Pricing
As far as pricing goes- it kind of depends on what kind of book you made. Generally, copy-paste books should be sold for less than a novel or longer non-fiction book. 99 cents is a good price point, but try other prices too like $2.99 and $4.99.
You may find that the $4.99 books will sell better, as they may be seen as higher quality!
Just like “regular” internet marketing, you should test multiple things. See what makes you the most money, then go with that price point.
You could also consider putting out a few books for FREE. If it’s part of a series, they may like the series and go check out the others you have that are for sale.
Note on KDP- DEFINITELY sign up! Here’s the website explaining how it works: https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/KDPSelect (not an affiliate link)
KDP basically has Amazon promote your book for you. Anytime someone “borrows” your book you still get paid, so it’s a win-win.
It also allows you to have 5 “promotion” days for your book. This means your book is free, and it’s a great way to get the word out there about your new book (or series).
Now you’re pretty much done, so let’s head to the conclusion.
Conclusion
So there you have it- the easiest way to outsource Kindle books for cheap. And considering the passive income potential of Kindle + the massive marketplace, I’m sure you can see by now how powerful this method can be.
The key to get out e-books for cheap is to find a great outsourcer. You may have to try a few more than you’d like, but it shouldn’t cost more than $20 or $30 to find a good one.
You also have to make sure that you edit their work as it comes in. It may show up in your email box in decent shape, but you should smooth out the rough edges.
Finally- make sure you include a resources section. One of the easiest ways to get in trouble online is to copy someone’s content without giving them due credit.
Good luck, and please let me know if I can help with anything!
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P.S. i was to lazy to upload all the images. If you need them I can send you the eBook for free. You may contact me here…
