Review: How to Sell Simple Information for Fun and Profit by Robert W Bly

I purchased How to Write & Sell Simple Information for Fun and Profit by Robert W. Bly because I'm interested in creating information products for my membership site, and for other purposes. I wanted to discover tips on how to improve the presentation of information to make it more user-friendly. And I also thought that some of my readers might be interested in knowing if such a book is worthwhile reading.

The book has 18 chapters, two appendices, which include further reading, resources documents and forms (Sample query letter, permission letter, copyright form and much more). And it is structured so that you can start anywhere depending on what your needs are. For instance, five of the 18 chapters are titled, Make an Online Fortune Selling E-Books, Recurring Revenues With Membership Sites, Speeches Presentation and Workshops, Training Coaching and Consulting and Managing Your How-To Information Empire.

While reading How to Sell Simple Information for Fun and Profit I often felt like Bly was personally speaking to me and giving me the content I needed to do what I wanted to do. In the past, I have felt frustrated when I purchased a product expecting to learn how to do a certain thing, and was given the "what-to-do" and not the "how-to-do" so I was no further ahead. Bly goes down to the basics, clearly presenting the steps, which I'm sure readers will appreciate. In fiction writing, they often say show and don't tell, How to Sell Simple Information for Fun and Profit demonstrates the "what" and the "how".

Bly provides 10 Topics That Are In Demand for How-To Writers to assist you in choosing what how-to topics to write about that will have a good audience.
Saving or making moneySaving timeSex and relationshipsInvesting and tradingCollecting (Art, stamps, coins and so on)HobbiesMarketingSmall business adviceSelf-helpPets

If you'd like to create information products and are not sure how to choose your niche, here are 10 questions to answer:
What do I like?What am I interested in?What am I good at?What do I have the aptitude for?What is my education?What do I know?What is my experience?What have I accomplished?Which of the above areas afford the least competition?Which of the above areas pay high rates?

After you have answered all 10 questions above, possible niches should become clear to you.

There is a lot of information in the book that I knew already, but it was a great reminder, and I like the idea of having all the information in one place. As a researcher I appreciated Bly's attention to detail, and I particularly liked the pricing information that he included. Now that I have read How to Sell Simple Information for Fun and Profit, I have a new sense of awareness about the scope of information and information products that anyone can create and sell. When I thought of information and information products, it involved the usual suspects like books, webinars, teleseminars, articles, CDs, DVDs, newsletters - I wasn't thinking about consulting.

There is lots of information out there, but you can differentiate yourself from the crowd by picking out the salient points from the information and creating clear actionable steps for the client. That's the way to add value. I read this book from beginning to end because I am reviewing it, but for those who are interested in creating high impact information products whether it be e-Books or webinars, I recommend that you look at the Table of Contents and focus on the types of products that you are interested in creating.

How to Write & Sell Simple Information for Fun and Profit: Your Guide to Writing and Publishing Books, E-Books, Articles, Special Reports, Audio Programs, DVDs, and Other How-To Content by Robert W. Bly is a great book which I recommend, but don't take on too much so that you become overwhelmed. And instead of starting off with new content when creating your first how-to information product, take a look on your computer hard drive to see what information you can repackage and sell.

Avil Beckford, Chief Invisible Mentor, has over 17 years writing, research and analysis experience. If you enjoyed this article, please subscribe to The Invisible Mentor Blog by email or by RSS Feed.

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The One Minute Negotiator: Simple Steps to Reach Better Agreements

There are tons of negotiation books, and that's just on my shelves. However, there is always room for another, especially if it is an easy read with some practical suggestions, and that is just what "The One Minute Negotiator: Simple Steps to Reach Better Agreements" by Don Hutson and George Lucas provides. It has a Foreword by Ken Blanchard, author of "The One Minute Manager," and like that classic text, this book is written as a parable with the negotiation lessons coming out as the main character of the story learns them. It's not earth shattering, especially to someone who teaches mediation and negotiation skills. But it is a good, simple book, that will help those who suffer from what the authors call negotiaphobia.

The story is about Jay Baxter, who works for XL Information Solutions, and who embarks on a company cruise. It just so happens, that a speaker on the cruise will be presenting a seminar called "Treating Your Negotiaphobia." Jay is reluctant to attend, and even puts his foot in his mouth while talking to the negotiation instructor the night before the seminar, as he does not know who he is talking to. (Yes, it is predictable, and you the reader know right away the mistake he is making.)

Jay decides to be committed to the course and see what he can learn. To his surprise, the concepts the instructor teaches make sense and he embraces the information and enjoys the seminar. Obviously, he uses the newly learned strategies and concepts after leaving the cruise to succeed in his position.

So, yes, it is a simple story and predictable. But you are not really reading it to be entertained and kept in suspense. The key to the book is the formula the instructor teaches during his on board seminar. It is a simple process that entails recognizing you are in a negotiation and reviewing the viable strategies, evaluating your tendency to use each of the negotiation strategies, as well as the tendencies of the other side(s), and selecting the proper strategy for the particular negotiation.

The authors do a good job of explaining the concepts and why they are important. At the end of each chapter there is a summary of the chapter's insights. At the beginning of this review, I commented on how many negotiation books are out there. Many of them teach specific negotiation strategies and tactics. This book is different in that it teaches a framework to look at negotiations and I would encourage people to look at the techniques and tactics learned elsewhere through this framework.

One thing about the book is that it is very easy to read. It's not long at all, and if it provides a framework for you to look at negotiations differently, especially if you suffer from negotiaphobia, it will be worth your time. We negotiate all of the time, and any time you can learn to increase your effectiveness in this valuable skill, it will pay off. This was a good addition to my conflict and negotiation resources, and I'm sure I'll review it now and then as I continue to teach others, learn, and negotiate myself.

Alain Burrese, J.D. is a writer, speaker, and mediator who teaches how to live, take action, and get things done through the Warrior's Edge. He is an expert on conflict and mediates and teaches conflict resolution and negotiation. Alain combines his military, martial art, and Asian experiences with his business, law, and conflict resolution education into a powerful way of living with balance, honor, and integrity. He teaches how to use the Warrior's Edge to Take Action and Achieve Remarkable Results, as well as resolve conflict and negotiate. Additionally, he teaches physical conflict skills in his Hapkido and Self-Defense courses, lectures, and seminars. Alain is the author of Hard-Won Wisdom From The School Of Hard Knocks, the DVDs Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking series, and numerous articles and reviews. You can read more articles and reviews and see clips of his DVDs as well as much more at http://www.burrese.com/ and http://www.yourwarriorsedge.com/

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