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, Fred Gleeck

Packed with income-generating ideas about creating a variety of saleable written works, this guide includes information for researching and writing effective, instructional materials and calling upon a variety of publishing channels, including magazines, traditional book publishers, self-publishing, and the Internet. The mechanics behind becoming a successful writer and information packager are presented in this resource that explores how to write and sell simple information in multiple formats, allowing writers to turn specialized knowledge into money-making books and products.

Genres: Writing, Business, Nonfiction

252 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2010

About the author

Bob Bly is a freelance copywriter with 4 decades of experience in direct response and business-to-business marketing. He is the author of 100 published book on topics ranging from science, sex, satire, and science fiction -- to small business, writing, advertising, and online marketing. McGraw-Hill calls Bob Bly “America’s top copywriter.”

Reviews

[Daniel Wieser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I've read on information marketing and how to make money with How-To books. Everyone who wants to be like Anthony Robbins, Brian Tracy, Dan Kennedy or other motivational speakers - who made millions with books and audio CDs - should read this book.

It explains thoroughly what kind of formats there are and when you should use what - for what purpose. How to create them, price them, sell them. There isn't anything I could think of which is missing in this book.

Please be advised that the pricing strategies with books probably won't work with German books, since there is the "Buchpreisbindung" (you can't just reduce and raise the price at your own will).

[Tony Rogers Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most helpful "how-to" content creation guide on the market, period. I read it once a year and keep it handy to dip in and out of when need be.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dated applications of timeless principles.

Don't be turned off by the dated references to selling physical media like CDs and DVDs, the real substance of Bly's book is the principles of how to adapt your specialized knowledge into forms other people will find useful and be willing to pay for.

If you're considering making a go of it as a how to writer, this book may help show you the way!

[Jonathan Rodriguez l · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book change my career and life

If you are planning to sell info products buy this book . Bob teach you how to do it from scratch. He shares all, nothing is hidden and a lot of useful and actionable information.

[Liz Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. very informative. Some information is slightly outdated, but the key points are solid.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent resource for anyone interested in writing, especially non fiction. Loaded with tips on writing, earning income, marketing and more. It is very entertaining and a joy to read.

[Alicia Randolph-Lucchesi · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT information for those of us who enjoy writing but most importantly, love helping others through our writing.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is aimed mainly at freelance How-To writers but anyone interested in producing information products can learn a few things. The writer covers quite a bit of ground including two particularly good chapters on producing your first ebook and contracting speaking engagements. He also offers insight into pricing strategies; a few points were counterintuitive but make sense now. Across the various types of media, you learn how to tighten the content for your market, the levels of content needed and steps and processes to quickly produce content. Bly even takes time to make a correlation between content, adult learning style and the best publishing medium.

It's unlikely that anyone would attempt to create all of the information products covered but it's a great book to keep around as a reference as you add new products to your mix.

[Karlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a keeper! Full of resources, tips and how-to's for the writer - whether you are just starting out blogging, writing for your local or online newspaper or getting ready to write your first novel. My copy of this book is highlighted and dog-eared all over the place. Bly lays the information out so that it very do-able. If you like to write or want to start writing for fun or profit, this book is a must-have.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having been a fan of Robert Bly's work for some time, this one did not disappoint. This is a great resource to help you make the realization that you already know enough to write a great book, and Bly walks you through the process of turning that knowledge into a product.

With the boom in popularity of ePublishing, I would have liked to see a little more covered on that topic but overall this is a great addition to the library.

[Monica Villa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found a lot of good information in the first few chapters; there was a lot of direction on selecting a niche and getting started. I ended up just skimming the rest, however, because it had such a slimy-salesman tone to it. Bly provides examples of ways to gain extra income in a very degrading manner for his customers.

[Don Holliday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a book that covers a lot of valuable information. It is overflowing with lessons and advice on how to package and profit from your writing. To get the most you can out of this book, I recommend you STUDY it -- not just read it.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like this is a really great companion to 'The 4 Hour Workweek' because it helps you flesh out ideas and ways that you can profit from information and the things you know and are interested in.

[Nate Jordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I should have read this book years ago. Not just a necessary resource for the how-to writer, Robert Bly's book is a valuable resource for all freelance writers, whether veteran or rookie.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one to own! Valuable content, practical information that is simple, clear, and inspiring.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Packed with information, a lot to digest from a tiny book :)

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is only really useful if you're writing how-to articles and books. Even then, I would have liked more resources on where, when, and how to pitch.