Part 1- How to Choose the Best Ebook Topic (That Actually Sells)

kitkat53
Jan 5
5 min read

Updated: Jan 9

TL;DR: Don’t guess. Pick ideas where your expertise meets real demand. Spend a couple of hours validating before you write 10,000 words. Use the 5-Question Topic Validator below, run a tiny micro-test, and let ChatGPT speed up the rest (positioning → outline → draft → launch). Want me to draft the outline for your winner? Paste your top idea and I’ll write it.

Why the topic matters more than the writing

You can be a brilliant writer and still sell zero books if no one needs what you wrote. The worst scenario: you pour heart, time, and caffeine into a beautiful ebook that…crickets. The best scenario: you turn one clear, useful idea into a tidy digital product that people actually pay for.

So the job isn’t just writing — it’s choosing the right idea and packaging it so it’s findable, desirable, and useful. That’s where a little strategy and a few fast tests pay off huge dividends.

The one-sentence rule

If you can’t explain the ebook in one sentence that names who it’s for and what they’ll get, don’t write it yet. (For example: “A 30-Day Cozy Lighting Guide for people with small homes who want to make every evening feel romantic and effortless.”)

If that sentence sounds promising, keep going.

A quick, repeatable 5-step process (do this first)

I want you to spend no more than a few hours validating each idea. That’s the sweet spot: fast enough to keep momentum, rigorous enough to avoid wasted effort.

1) Brain dump (10–20 minutes)

Set a timer: 10–20 minutes. Write every ebook idea you love. No editing. Pull from:

questions people ask you
top-performing blog posts
past workshops or IG lives
things you can teach in steps

You’ll be surprised how many winners start as throwaway notes.

2) The 5-Question Topic Validator (5–10 minutes)

Answer these for each top idea. If 3+ answers are strong and you have at least one “interest signal,” move to micro-testing.

5-Question Topic Validator

Specific audience: Who exactly will buy this? (one sentence)
Clear result: What measurable result will they get?
Interest signal: Have people asked for this or engaged with content on it? (list sources)
Search & market check: Do Google, Amazon, or Pinterest show demand? (Yes / Somewhat / No)
Unique offer: What makes this different or more usable than competitors?

(Scroll down for a copyable PDF-style version you can drop on a landing page.)

3) Micro-test demand (fast and cheap)

Before hundreds of hours of writing, run one micro-test:

Option A — Landing mockup: one page with headline, 3 benefits, price or “pre-order/waitlist” CTA.Option B — Lead magnet: a short checklist or cheat sheet related to your idea.

Promote very small: a $5–$15 Pinterest ad, one post in a niche Facebook group, or a handful of DMs to your warm followers. Real signal = clicks, email signups, or pre-orders.

If nobody bites after an honest test, either pivot or shelve and try another idea.

4) Quick competitive gap scan (20–60 minutes)

Look at 3–7 competing books or posts. Ask:

What’s missing? (worksheets, practical steps, visuals, templates)
Can you angle it differently? (beginner vs advanced, checklist vs deep dive)
What small bonus could you add that competitors lack?

Often the easiest win is packaging — add a workbook, templates, or short video demos.

5) Commit & automate the rest

If the micro-test looks good, commit. Use ChatGPT to generate positionings, outlines, chapter drafts, cover prompts, sales page copy, and even email launch sequences. I’ll show you exact prompts you can copy/paste further down.

A tiny real example (so you see how it plays out)

Idea: 30-Day Cozy Lighting Guide for Small RoomsWhy it passed: similar Pinterest content gets lots of saves + blog comments asking for actionable plans. Gap: no month-long plan with printable checklists. Package idea: ebook + 30 printable checklists + 3 short demo videos. Micro-test: simple landing page + promoted Pin → 120 clicks, 18 emails in 72 hours = go.

Integrate ChatGPT — the practical prompt pack (copy/paste)

Pin the SYSTEM text once, then use the user prompts for each stage.

SYSTEM (one time): You are my ebook co-writer and product strategist. Tone: warm, slightly witty, practical. Return clear actionable outputs and use headings and bullet lists.

Idea → positioning + micro-test: Idea: "[PASTE IDEA]" Task: Return a one-sentence positioning, 3 personas, 5 pain points, and 3 micro-tests with headlines + recommended channels.

Create 3 outline variants: Title: "[PASTE TITLE]" Task: Produce outlines: (A) How-to, (B) Workbook, (C) Checklist. For each include chapter titles, 3 bullets per chapter, estimated word count, and one deliverable per chapter.

Draft chapter (chunked): Chapter brief: [4–8 bullet points] Task: Write ~900 words with an opening hook, 3 actionable steps, and a 2-paragraph close with a 1-sentence micro exercise. Tag personal anecdote spots as PERSONAL_A.

Edit/shorten: Task: Tighten this to [TARGET WORD COUNT], convert passive to active, add 2 transitions, and suggest 3 spots for images.

Launch assets (one-shot): Ebook [TITLE], Price [$], Unique Hook: [ONE LINE] Task: Create a sales page hero (headline/subhead/5 benefits), 7-day email launch sequence, 3 Pinterest pin descriptions, and 6 social posts.

If you want, yu can run these prompts for your chosen idea and have ChatGPT give you the outline + first chapter.

Micro-automation recipes (simple, useful)

Use these to keep things tidy and automatic.

Collect interest (Typeform → Mailchimp → Sheet): Trigger: Typeform submission → Add row to Google Sheet → Tag in Mailchimp → Slack notify.

Deliver after purchase (Gumroad/Shopify): Trigger: Purchase → Send PDF link → Wait 10 minutes → Send upsell email (workbook).

Micro-test tracking (Ad → Landing → Sheet): Trigger: Landing CTA click → Log UTM in Sheet → If conversion rate > threshold in 48 hrs, mark PASS.

& pricing checklist (short)

Is the audience specific?
Is the promised result clear and measurable?
Does the offer include a simple bonus?
Is the price comparable to similar products?
Can readers get a quick win?

If the answers are mostly “yes,” move to outline and write.

Free copyable opt-in (use as a PDF)