All over the Info Product industry, the debate continues. Or does it? Most of the “How to Ebook” guides out there centre on profitability, and give us methods to search and find the most profitable areas to write an eBook for. Terms like niches, keywords, search, analysis, markets…it’s all very dazzling for this wannabe writer here, who sits quite heavily in the seemingly smaller passion side of things.

Although I certainly understand the need to not waste my time spending months writing a lovely eBook for a market which doesn’t appreciate or even want it (see my review of Desperate Buyers Only or more on this), I’m also still of more than two minds. Passion will always win over practicality in the creative front, won’t it?

I’m doing Yaro Starak’s Blog Mastermind program at the moment. It’s based on bringing out the principles he gives away in his highly recommended Blog Profits Blueprint eBook. Yes, you heard me correctly - the eBook is free. Incidentally, for any eBook writer who hasn’t already built themselves a frontend blog (or has, and it’s not working), Yaro’s Blog Mastermind program is unbeatable, and I would highly recommend that also, as an investment in your own business strategies.

Although Yaro’s Blog Profits Blueprint talks about the Profit Vs Passion argument from a blogging perspective, the blueprint report has a little sidebar explanation which added some fire to my own thoughts.

Again, regarding a blog, the Passions Vs Profit discussion to the left makes ideal sense. Make sure you are interested enough in the topic to keep writing about it consistently.

Now, does that make an easy passage into eBook writing, I wonder? There are “How to Write or Publish an EBook in seven days” guides out there (and the previously discussed Desperate Buyers Only) which espouse choosing a profitable niche - a topic which buyers want to find information on, and getting the eBook out there - quickly.

Even whilst I go about creating an eBook on a crafting project, the longest term I can think that it might take would be three or four months (I chose a topic which takes this long because it’s based on a season). Perhaps some other eBooks out there take up to six months of intermittent work - but being able to maintain our interests in the topic no matter what period the project may take - from a few hours, to a few months. It still seems an applicable principle, doesn’t it?

Yes, there are eBook authors out there who are possibly quite happy in spending a few hours or days writing up a report on something they have no liking for, for the sake of making a bit of money - but for me, Passion still sits firmly in my soul. I’m not suggesting those Profit authors are soul-less - for them it’s about the process - their passion is the process of analyzing and writing and marketing itself.

But I think there is something else which sits here between the two for me. It’s something which all those “How to Ebook” or even “How to Blog” or “How to Info-Product” guides are ingraining into me with more and more reading. Between my Passion, and the potential for profit must sit a good lashing of practicality. I am currently thinking of this aspect as a central insert between the two. Given that I’m writing this just after the 2008 Summer Olympics, the graphic looks a little like the Olympic logo also.

So, do I choose an eBook topic because it has a greater potential for me to make money from it, or because I’m passionate about it? My first reaction would be to choose a topic which I like, or am interested in. That way I have enough interest to maintain my own writing momentum, and enough knowledge to write about the topic, and to know where to go to find out additional information, and to market it. But between the two must sit an inner practical working - analysis of the topic and market - what do they really want to know about? Instead of me telling those faceless people what I think they might be interested in, I need to maintain a practicality about my own strategies, feelings and a pragmatic realism to my own passions.

The Practicality Measures

When Assessing a Topic You’re Passionate About for a Possible EBook

1. What does the potential audience really want information on? (And not what I think they might like)
2. Is the information already available elsewhere, for free, and it’s well known how to find it?
3. Is the information already available elsewhere, but it’s difficult to obtain, out of date, or pricey?
4. Are there potential marketplaces to give away or sell your eBook from within the topic industry?
5. Are there possible affiliations or alliances within the topic industry?
6. What is your reputation like within the topic industry? Do people refer to you? Do people know how and where to find you, and therefore find the info product once published?
7. Is there a sub-niche or sub-topic which needs exploring?
8. What are your intentions for the eBook - is it to be given away to get a mailing list or interest in another planned info product, or your website etc? Is it to be sold outright? Is it a trial eBook to test the topic industry or niche itself?
9. How much time do you have to put to the project, and researching the topic industry wants?
10. Ultimately, What’s the problem you can (or maybe you can’t) resolve with this eBook on this topic?

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