When you are getting started on the Internet with information products, it is typical to want to write an eBook on your niche topic. The problem is that you can’t be sure the eBook will sell until you have spent valuable time marketing. For this reason it makes a lot of sense to write a short report before you write the eBook. This will tell you if it will be worth your time and effort to take the report and turn it into a much longer piece of writing.

These reports are typically anywhere from about 7 to 10 pages long. This gives you enough space to present your specific topic to your prospects. This type of writing can also be completed much more quickly than an eBook. The result is a short report that will be ready to market in days instead of weeks. This will allow you to determine very quickly if there is a market of hungry buyers in your niche who would be interested in a more detailed presentation of information in this area.

I like to give away my reports, but you may decide to sell yours instead. My thinking is that I would prefer for more people to have my report in their hands. I also encourage people to give away my short report in any way they choose. This means that they can use it as a bonus for one of their own products, or simply give it away to their list. Either way, my information will reach more people and my list will grow. This is because I include my contact information on each page of the report. I ask people to sign up when they receive it in order to receive even more information on that topic.

Short reports work well in any niche you can think of. The idea is to choose a specific topic and give as much information as possible. If you receive a favorable response to your report, you will know that an eBook will be a worthwhile use of your time.

I also include some affiliate links in my short reports. This brings me residual income for many months to come. The idea of building your list and earning some income, before you have ever sold anything, should be attractive to you. I also repurpose my content almost immediately, giving me more formats in which to distribute my information.