Hi, I'm Bonnie Boots, publisher of The Internet Wizards Magazine. Thank you for visiting here and exploring the world of product creation and marketing. You can read my story on the About page and register for a free 1-year subscription to my magazine!George Lucas and The Joy of Cooking up profitable product ideas
Published February 5th, 2008 in ArticlesYesterday I wrote a blog post about celebrity gossip and Martin Luxton responded, writing, “It’s true what you said. We all seem to be obsessed with the competition and forget that there are billions of people out there waiting to be sold something.
I was doing a product on video marketing and thought about abandoning it because there are so many more experienced experts out there with big budgets and lists. But then I thought that they are only reaching a fraction of the market and there is room for one (or a hundred) more product creators.”
Martin brings up one of the many ways creative people cut themselves off from success—scrapping a good idea just because someone else has done something similar—or could do it better.
Here’s what I know after a lifetime in product creation and development for numerous publishers. There is nothing new under the sun. No matter what your idea is, someone, somewhere will have written, painted, videoed or broadcast something similar. They may even have done it better.
But there is one thing they will NOT have done—they will not have done it the way you will. Only you have your viewpoint and attitude and perception. Bring that tool set to the creation of your own product and you will make even the oldest, most shop-worn idea brand new.
Here’s another thing I’ve learned while working in publishing: people love to buy multiple books, magazines and other media on the same subject.
Suppose George Lucas though about making Star Wars and then cut himself short by saying, “Nah. There’s already a lot of Sci-Fi movies, even lots of them by big-name directors with bigger budgets then I can pull together. I may as well scrap that idea.”
The sci-fi genre has been and will continue to be profitable because people love to buy books, videos, films, audios and all sorts of media about the topics that interest them. They don’t just watch Star Wars and call it quits. They watch Star Wars and look for more.
People that love to cook don’t buy “The Joy of Cooking” and call it quits. They buy a cookbook a week AND they watch food TV, subscribe to cooking magazines and attend cooking classes.
Likewise, people that are interested in video marketing don’t buy one tutorial and call it quits. They buy dozens of books, ebooks, tutorials, audios, and magazines and take classes.
When you have an idea for a product, look for similar products already being sold. If you see that similar products already in the market place are selling well, that is a GOOD thing. It means there is a large market of people interested in your idea and willing to spend money on it—but only if you bring something new to the table, like your own unique attitudes and perceptions.
Posted by Bonnie Boots, publisher of The Internet Wizards Magazine for people who want to make their own products and market on the internet. Get a free 1-year subscription by registering on the home page at http://www.theinternetwizards.com
9 Responses to “George Lucas and The Joy of Cooking up profitable product ideas”
- 1 Pingback on Feb 6th, 2008 at 12:09 am
Good point that we all need to be reminded of. I think we are our own worst critics and cut ourselves off before we’ve had a chance to try. Thanks for the reminder and the inspiration.
How cool is this? I had been, just this morning, thinking of ways to increase the diversity of my business. I photograph the western landscape, and am doing well, but I can see there may opportunities to teach or demonstrate to or lead people who would like to be better photographers.
I ran down several ideas: lectures, video demos, tours, and hit that objection you talk about: Seems like everybody else is doing it, too!
That realization set me back a bit. I hadn’t rejected anything, but was much cooler to all the concepts. Then your post came in.
I think I need to really find out what needs to be done to get each of my ideas off the ground. Take ‘em one at a time and get ‘em launched.
Thanks, Bonnie,
Walter Hawn
I had just blogged about this same issue last week. I know I’m guilty of it and I think it’s one of the key thing that holds people back.
The other thing I think/worry about is someone will think I ’stole’ their idea. But you stated it very well - if I think I can it better, then I should do it!!
Thanks for stating it so well Bonnie!
Wendy Haney
www.ShetekMarketing.com
I couldn’t agree more Bonnie! We each have our own unique way of presenting, doing, writing, teaching, speaking. Our unique way will appeal to some people and and may appeal more to them than the works they’ve already heard from others.
When it comes to personal development, metaphysics, energy work, coaching and my other passions, I have hundreds of books and programs. I pull it all together and describe my experiences in my ebooks and teach or coach others.
Yes, I’ve also questioned if the world needs my take when it’s been done better by the people who preceded me. Or who needs another course on The 8 Keys to Creating the Life of Your Dreams when there are thousands already available. Yet, I attract people who may be hearing what I have to say for the first time. Just because we’ve become experts at something doesn’t mean others have, and they may want what we have to offer.
There were over 30 teachers in The Secret and how many philosophers, authors, and entrepreneurs were quoted in the script? Each one said a similar thing and each quote was unique.
Thank you for prompting me to write a response.
Warmest regards,
Rosemary Heenan
The Heart Activist!
Excellent advice. Both Jan and Walter agreed, and I do too.
I can’t tell you how many times I have defeated myself by saying: “oh well, somebody else already did that. It will never work.”
Well it will certainly never work, if we don’t do anything about it. We are all different. We all take our own unique experiences to the table. We all have our own footprint and spin on things.
Thanks for the lesson, Bonnie. I have a number of ideas for different projects that would fall into the “already done” category. I better get busy…
This is the one lesson I wish I’d leaned far earlier in life, but there was no one around to tell me. So I drifted along, selling myself short and killing good ideas before they ever had a chance to come to life.
I remember a particular instance when I was invited to submit a book proposal to a publisher. It was a HUGE opportunity for me. The publisher sent me the author’s proposal, a lengthy list of questions like “Who will be the target market for this book?” The questions required me to do a good deal of research. When I got to the question “What books on this topic are already in print?” I went to the library, looked up the books in print, and nearly burst into tears. There were hundreds! The idea I’d thought was so fresh turned out to be as stale as old toast.
I knew that once the publisher saw the results of my research, there was no way he’d consider printing my book!
Today, of course, I know that the publisher would have considered all those books in print–many of them selling VERY well–an excellent indicator. He would have said “Hmm, there’s enough interest in this topic that it’s making money for other publishers. It’s time I got a piece of that action.” Or he would have said “I’m already publishing several books on this topic that are selling well. It’s a good fit for my line. I’d love to have your book!”
I never gave the publisher a chance to say anything to me. I never turned in the author’s proposal.
Ignorance and inexperience lead me to kill not only that good idea, but many others that followed and years passed before I learned that where there is a large market for a subject, there is not only room for yet another book or video, there is DEMAND for it!
Hi Bonnie,
Oh this topic is long overdue! Thanks for laying it on the line here.
I’m going to add one more facet to the conversation, from my own playbook. It’s called taking the lazy way out. . . of all my future profits! By this I mean, I catch myself looking for the softer-easier way. I want it automated. I want somebody to do it for me. I want I want I want. . . everything except to sit my brain down and take the time to *think* about what else I could do with what I know, what else my list wants and will pay for, what are people starving to learn.
By wanting someone else to tell me this, I cut myself right out of the real action and rewards.
And you know what’s really stupid? It doesn’t take half the time I would spend looking for all the other ways out, that I could be using to “just do it.”
So guess what’s on my agenda this month (right after I finish the projects I am already committed to complete)?
Yep, sitting down and tackling this dilemma head on. First I am going to look at all the ways I have been avoiding it — because the seeds of possibility are buried in there and I need to dig and see what they are. Secondly I am going to survey my lists and see what’s up for them, what are they hungry and eager for — and match it to what I know or can get for them.
Then I’m going to build those products just as fast as I can do it. Because I don’t want to be trying to sell my list something in November that they wanted in March. (Know what I mean???)
And one more point along the same lines. You know all those emails you get asking for your help with stuff? Those people are TELLING you what they want! All you have to do is make it so juicy that they will whip out their wallets without even thinking twice. Just a hint there. . . because I have had clients who were complaining about “all those people calling me up and bothering me, when what I really want are new clients”! (Well, like, duh!! Me: “Who do you think THOSE people are??? All they are waiting for is to learn how to hire you, and there ya go.”)
Go for it.
And thanks again Bonnie. Hope this helps.
Nancy
Hi Bonnie. As ALWAYS, I got great value from what you wrote. Sometimes I get sooooo busy I think I don’t have time to stop and read your offerings. Fortunately, I learned long ago that what you share will inevitably reduce my workload and/or enhance my results in some way. Now knowing this, I avoid making the foolish decision to pass it by.
Just a month or so ago I entered the online video races with our offerings on youtube. (www.youtube.com/abcompany) The initial videos were poor quality because I am using the video option of a digital camera, plus the editing software I was using in the beginning, frankly, SUCKS even though it was put out by a huge company. I have since improved my lighting and found a GREAT editing software that is super-cheap, but I now have a bunch of low-quality videos on the VERY important subjects of Changing Your Mind About Smoking and on Raw Food Eating as a lifestyle. As you mentioned, I am certain that there are a zillion excellent tutorials out there on how I could have done it better in the beginning. The difference is, I DID NOT go find those before I started. If you had put one out and told me about it, I would have bought and studied it. The product may not be as important as the delivery system, and you, my friend, do deliver to me. :o)
Bruce Chenoweth
http://ph-n.com, etc.
P.S. It just occurred to me that not every reader knows how incredible the YouTube system is. It is easily incorporable into your own web sites, as we have done at http://ph-n.com/nosmoke and http://ph-n.com/raw. The Internet just keeps getting better and better for those of us who are keeping up, and the good news is that big corporations move way too slowly to ever get ahead of us.
P.P.S I think the new great wave will be on virtual reality sites like Secondlife.com. In fact, I am investing a lot of effort and a little bit of money into that. We are using what is generally considered a virtual reality product market to market real world products. Check it out on Second Life at our Perfect Health: NATURALLY! store at Crystal Springs. While you are there, enjoy the relaxing Joyous Oasis Garden behind our commercial complex. (Did you know you can rent a great commercial property and create a store on SL for less than $5 a month? If you would like to talk about it, IM “Vindi Siemens” on SL.)
The good news about SL is that you can actually attend the store to work with special need people one-on-one. In the process, we get new product ideas. :o)
If I seem to be smiling a lot, it is because LIFE IS GREAT, AND IT’S GETTING BETTER!
BC