Business idea - Advice needed

[WhiteCrow]

Hey guys, I need your input in some business matters. I am a student from the Netherlands, and I am currently writing an introductory book for students, "academic study skills".

My idea is now to build a website around that book. Not just any website, but a real community, not unlike this forum. A place where students can come together and discuss things like study skills, tips and exchange papers, trial exams and the like.

It should become the nr.1 place for (dutch) students to look up ANYTHING student related. A place where they will be inspired, taught etcetera. However, I am not very experienced in building a website/forum, nor do I know where to start.

I have the concept, but no idea how to transform that into practice. Any advice on how to start would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[MattMacola]

Originally Posted by WhiteCrow

Hey guys, I need your input in some business matters. I am a student from the Netherlands, and I am currently writing an introductory book for students, "academic study skills".

If this was my book and my business the first thing I would do is change your book title - if nobody buys your book none of that other stuff is going to matter one little bit. No offence but it's dull. I know when I was a student I didn't want study skills... and I would never have bought your book.

What is the REAL result that people who will buy your book want? I figure (and I'm making a guess here) that it's to be able to get all their studying done really fast so they can go to all night parties. So maybe something like... Secret Study Skills with a subtitle of something like... "How To Study For An Exam In Just 2 Hours A Day" or whatever works for you. I don't know anything about your market or your product but I really do believe that you should think some more about your title before you do anything else.

And the title I came up with I did as I was writing the post in about two minutes. I'm sure you can figure out a much better title than I did that speaks directly to the needs and wants of your prospects.

[WhiteCrow]

Originally Posted by MattMacola

If this was my book and my business the first thing I would do is change your book title - if nobody buys your book none of that other stuff is going to matter one little bit. No offence but it's dull. I know when I was a student I didn't want study skills... and I would never have bought your book.

What is the REAL result that people who will buy your book want? I figure (and I'm making a guess here) that it's to be able to get all their studying done really fast so they can go to all night parties. So maybe something like... Secret Study Skills with a subtitle of something like... "How To Study For An Exam In Just 2 Hours A Day" or whatever works for you. I don't know anything about your market or your product but I really do believe that you should think some more about your title before you do anything else.

Cheers my man, I hear you. This was just a title to convey to you guys what the book is about. Our title goes more along: "Lazy studying - Your diploma in 150 pages". It translates better to dutch.

So assume the book will do well, how would you go about the rest?

[spirit4711]

Originally Posted by WhiteCrow

So assume the book will do well, how would you go about the rest?

Creating a community out of nothing is not so easy and can take years. Do you want to make such a commitment?

Steve once wrote that he started this forum when he could handle the comments on his blog anymore. You need some critical mass to make a community grow. Steve had that.

So maybe start with a successful blog first?

[Curtis2011]

Originally Posted by WhiteCrow

So assume the book will do well, how would you go about the rest?

Mistake #1.

[Mounds]

Hi WhiteCrow,

The way I see it, a book like this should save you time. The less time studying, the better. Not one person on the planet has enough of it so help them reclaim what they can.
I don't have any experience setting up a website of that nature. If I were taking on this project though, I would start with a blog, offering tips from my own experience. Then add the book for download, then, eventually a forum. Doesn't even really have to be a blog, could even be an information website. I like your thinking!

Mistake #1.

I don't see a mistake, I see a vision

[Sven Schoene]

Hey Whitecow,

I have to agree with some of the other posters here: Try to get the book done. Make it as GREAT as possible. And I honestly mean that. Pack as much value + entertainment as you can. If you want people to talk about it, you need both.

Here's just a little brainstorm-idea for the book title:
"The 4-Hour Work-Week" by Tim Ferris

Why do you think did this book became one of the most talked about books in the past decade?

Exactly: The title made a BIG promise. A result that "everybody" wants.

What can you promise students that they universally want? Think of Steve Pavlina's story: he finished university in what? 2 Years?

THAT's an outstanding result. So you could name your book something like:
"How To Get Your Master of Arts in 2 Years" (or whatever it's called there)

I wish you good luck with your project. If you can REALLY get it off the ground then it is a very beautiful and useful project! Do your best!

[Moxie]

It's pretty easy to set up a website these days. Buy a domain and hosting package (I got one together). Look for one that has an included website builder. I use 1&1. They've been great so far. Good luck!

[Sven Schoene]

Originally Posted by Moxie

It's pretty easy to set up a website these days. Buy a domain and hosting package (I got one together). Look for one that has an included website builder. I use 1&1. They've been great so far. Good luck!

That's great advice, Moxie, and it is really true: Setting up a website was never as cheap and easy as today.

However, I intentionally didn't give him tips for setting up a website.

Why?

Well, setting up a website is very doable. Setting up a whole community is a bit harder, though.

He doesn't only want a website with a forum. He wants a complete resource-site where students can connect, learn, .... That's a bit much to start with.

So, remember: One step at a time and everything will be good.

[Moxie]

Great point Sven.

[MattMacola]

Originally Posted by WhiteCrow

So assume the book will do well, how would you go about the rest?

All that technical stuff isn't what I do best so I can't really advise on that. What I can tell you is that vBulliten is probably the most amazing software out there if you want a community so that might be worth taking a look at.

You might also want to buy one of Dan Kennedy's books - they cost $10 on amazon. The Ultimate Sales Letter and The Ultimate Marketing Plan are both awesome books. They teach some fundamental marketing strategies but what I think would be of real value of you is to see how Dan uses his book to promote his website. You could easily copy exactly what he does to promote his website to promoting your community. If you plan to sell a bunch of copies of your book then this could work great... your website promotes your book and community and your book promotes your website and community.

I agree with everyone here that getting the book created first is the main part. If you have a great title and some good concepts/theories and the book sells well creating a community once you have that momentum would be simple. Tim Ferriss' site was mentioned here, when his book was released his website become popular VERY fast.

[Sven Schoene]

Originally Posted by Moxie

Great point Sven.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by MattMacola

You might also want to buy one of Dan Kennedy's books - they cost $10 on amazon. The Ultimate Sales Letter and The Ultimate Marketing Plan are both awesome books. They teach some fundamental marketing strategies but what I think would be of real value of you is to see how Dan uses his book to promote his website. You could easily copy exactly what he does to promote his website to promoting your community. If you plan to sell a bunch of copies of your book then this could work great... your website promotes your book and community and your book promotes your website and community.

Great advice here, Matt! Getting some marketing skills is a good idea, you can always use that.


Let me add one more thing which is a little bit more abstract: If you want to pull something like that off then you should really work on your leadership skills?

Why?

Well, nobody does something like that on his own. Somewhere down the road you'll need other people. And what you have is a vision. A leader has to be able to take that vision and "market" it. He literally has to get other people to "buy into" it.

The takeaway: Keep working on yourself, every single day (you're in the right place here for that). Do that in order to attract the star-players that you want to have on your team. Then you can make your vision reality.

[WhiteCrow]

To Curtis2011:

I hear ya on the 'mistake', but what I want to focus on is the community building behind the book. We've (I am writing with a friend) got a deal with Pearson Education, which is the largest supplier of academic books here in Europe. They will do marketing and distribution and from what I have seen, it is gonna be great.

Mounds:

Thanks for seeing the vision. It is exactly meant like that. If a student starts studying here after high school, they are very unsure on how to this. Add to that a new environment and making friends and all that, it can be quite overwhelming. The book should take care of the studying part, so the student can feel more confident and live life.

Sven Schoene:

I actually have read the 4HWW. In fact the website/community concept does fit well within the muse architecture he outlines in his book. Did you know he actually came up with that title by using google adwords and measuring what title got the most results? Ferriss is a really organized fellow.

I understand also what you mean by leadership skills, and indeed I practice everyday....

Moxie:

We actually already have a domain and server package. However a sitebuilder has way to many restrictions to implement what we want. Maybe I should checkout a technical forum?

Macola:

Thanks for the advice! I have just followed a marketing course here during my business studies, and I think they mentioned his name somewhere. You are spot on in the fact that we want the book doing the marketing for the website.

Thanks