You CAN succeed in your own information empire. Self-publishing valuable, how-to information is in great demand by people today. In today's busy society, people are pressed for time. They need concise, simplified, practical information. They will pay dearly for it if it will improve quality of their lives.

Even if you have never written for money before, you can do so if you apply information in this report. Lack of formal education should not deter you. Large sums of cash are not required. What is required is application of information in this report.

You must have more than good intentions, though. Your strong desire to succeed, not only in making money, but in making a difference in other peoples' lives, will motivate you. Then, following through, you will execute your planned tasks to reach your goal.

2. WHY IS SELF-PUBLISHED INFORMATION THE PERFECT PRODUCT?

Information can be sold on basis of its value. For example, if you could receive a thousand dollar tax-free grant, would you pay ten dollars for that information? Most persons would. They'd be $990.00 ahead. Yet, that information might fit on one printed page. So, cost of producing information has almost no relationship to value of information. Thus, potential for high markups and profits exist in this business.

Information products (unlike other hard goods like cars, refrigerators, et cetera) are relatively light and so incur lower shipping costs. In fact, post office gives preferential treatment for shipping books.

You could sell other peoples' products, but then you would not have control over your business. At any time, your suppliers could change their commission structure, let your competitors sell product, or even discontinue your relationship. If you own your own proprietary product, your own copyrighted information product, no one can legally sell it without your permission. You control its production, promotion, and distribution.

3. WHY SELF-PUBLISH SPECIAL REPORTS INSTEAD OF BOOKS? A Special Report (sometimes called a folio) is a written document of from one to several pages on a specialized subject of interest to certain readers. It should be concise and practical information of value to a particular audience. It might be professionally bound with a cover and personalized for reader or it might just be a few pages stapled together or it may even take form of a computer file or electronic book. This publication is an example of a Special Report.

Books and booklets must be produced in certain minimum quantities. This is fine, when you're well-established financially. However, Special Reports can be produced on demand, one copy at a time, if necessary. This means that if you receive one order, you can publish it from your home computer by simply printing a copy of your file.

Even if you have no computer, you could type one copy of your report and have it photocopied as required. This results in virtually no money being tied up in inventory. You spend money only when you receive orders. Books are lengthier and require more time and effort to produce. Therefore, it will take you longer to make money from your efforts. A Special Report, being only a few pages long on average, is a product you can develop and produce quickly and economically.

Many customers will appreciate concise treatment of a particular subject in a Special Report. They could pay forty dollars for a complete book on home-based businesses, but maybe they just want information on self-publishing.

Perhaps they have already bought books on How To Publish Your Own Book, but area of Special Reports wasn't really covered. For a few dollars (and often for considerably less expense than a book), they can get essential information they need to accomplish their goal.

If time is money, then your customer will really appreciate your to-the-point consideration of his selected subject. You are not being paid by word; you are being paid for results.

As you write further Special Reports in your area of expertise and interest, you will find you will have a number of products to sell, instead of just one. Then, you will have diversified your income, having developed multiple income sources. Instead of making money only when you are working, these products could generate passive income for years to come. While on vacation or while sleeping, orders could be coming in for these products you developed.

As well, a series of Special Reports or folios on related subjects could be combined later to produce a book. If, for example, you produced twelve different folios on various ways of making money from self-publishing, they could be combined in a book on same subject.

Thus, Special Reports can be used as basis for creating other information products, such as books, booklets, audio cassettes, videos, courses, software, speeches, website content, electronic books, business kits, and so on. The more products you have and more choices you offer your customer, more income streams you will generate for yourself.

4. WHAT SHOULD YOU WRITE ABOUT?

Of course, it is natural that you would want to write about something that is of interest to you. However, is what you are writing about of interest to others? You may be an excellent poet, but market is very limited for poetry.

I'd like to offer a few suggestions that might help you to overcome your fears and write that book.

1. Read everything you can.

I good writer is often a good reader. I read to point of obsession. In 2001, I read just over 100 books. Most were novels though I managed to fit in a few biographies, poetry collections and technical books. I spend half an hour reading every morning. I get up, make coffee for two of us, then read until children come bouncing into bedroom. Again at night, I try to spend a bit of time reading too. You can always find somewhere or sometime to read.

2. Work out an achievable workload.

I work at home. So I can set myself a demanding target. I normally aim to write 2000 words per day minimum. I take weekends off, so it should be perfectly possible for me to write a full-length novel in a couple of months.