fitness related book for teenagers

[Malcolm_X]

So I've been playing with this idea for a long time now, and finally want to execute.

I'm planning to write a short fitness book for teenageers - introducing them to the 'fitness world', laying out all the benefits of sport, healthy lifestyle, motivating them to take action etc. - with a workout and nutrition guide tailored to specific needs as follow up programs / publications.

I want to do this through Amazon KDP and direct pdf download via website.

Here the question:
- should I primarily address the parents or the teens ? Or do separate publications for both ?

I already did some brief brainstorming and have pros and cons for both, but wanted to hear input from you guys.

 

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[TonyStark]

I don't see how catering to teenagers would be any different from catering to adults?

 

[Ascension]

I believe most parents have quite a history of telling their kids to eat their veggies and it could prove quite difficult for them to actually convince their children to change their lifestyle.
From my experience there are also a lot of parents, which are opposed to lifting weights because of prejudice or misinformation. If you want lasting change for the children (and a chance to sell your follow up programs) I would market to them.

Besides, what kind of message would that be. "Only cou can change your life, we'll start of with you parents telling you to do so"

 

[New]

So I've been playing with this idea for a long time now, and finally want to execute.

I'm planning to write a short fitness book for teenageers - introducing them to the 'fitness world', laying out all the benefits of sport, healthy lifestyle, motivating them to take action etc. - with a workout and nutrition guide tailored to specific needs as follow up programs / publications.

I want to do this through Amazon KDP and direct pdf download via website.

Here the question:
- should I primarily address the parents or the teens ? Or do separate publications for both ?

I already did some brief brainstorming and have pros and cons for both, but wanted to hear input from you guys.

As someone who got into the fitness world as a teenager, you should really consider addressing teenager boys, specially appealing to the fact that training and eating clean will make you "look ripped" and "get all the b..."

Every single guy in their 14s, 15s, 16s, wants to have a six pack and huge arms, and of course to get female attention. I mean, this is not only common in teenagers, but at that age the testosterone is booming and you are really focussed on this aspect. If you can address this fact well I believe there is a huge market.

And if you're thinking that teens will be unable to pay, check this

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/forumdisplay.php?10

It's a teen forum on a famous bodybuilding supplement store. And believe me, those guys are spending $100s monthly on supplements from bodybuilding.com, you can even conduct a poll if you don't trust me.

 

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[Malcolm_X]

perfect, thanks guys. Just confirmed my own thoughts.

@New in my case it was the same. I got into fitness when I was 16-17, with no idea what I am doing. My initial idea was to provide a starting point for the teens, and give them all the right info from the very start.. as that's the best time to make the most progress - which I didn't really utilize myself. Wanted to do personal coaching first, but that wouldn't be fast lane at all.. so I'll go with a book / program.

 

[New]

perfect, thanks guys. Just confirmed my own thoughts.

@New in my case it was the same. I got into fitness when I was 16-17, with no idea what I am doing. My initial idea was to provide a starting point for the teens, and give them all the right info from the very start.. as that's the best time to make the most progress - which I didn't really utilize myself. Wanted to do personal coaching first, but that wouldn't be fast lane at all.. so I'll go with a book / program.

Fuaaaark bruuh u mirin?

I hope you were also a Zyzz fan back then, otherwise I have just made a fool of myself haha.

I believe a picture-heavy book or even some kind of web-based program where people could comment and talk with one another would be the ideal choice. At that age one is really influenced by peers and not really willing to read huge piles of text.

Also you'd really have to somehow capture the word-of-mouth marketing phenomena, since, as you probably have thought yourself, if one guy in class follows your program and gets ripped, every single person in his class (or even school) will want to do the same.

Just a few thoughts, your idea really seems interesting.

 

[InformationH]

What's special about your offering?

How are you going to stand out from the rest of the fitness market?

From what you've described I don't see any reason someone should read your fitness book over what is already on the market. At this point I would not go forward with it.

 

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[Hai]

Test idea first with coaching teenies(maybe for free) or start with something small like nutrition guide to see the resonance. Authority might be important so you need to build that up

 

[EricZ]

So I've been playing with this idea for a long time now, and finally want to execute.

I'm planning to write a short fitness book for teenageers - introducing them to the 'fitness world', laying out all the benefits of sport, healthy lifestyle, motivating them to take action etc. - with a workout and nutrition guide tailored to specific needs as follow up programs / publications.

I want to do this through Amazon KDP and direct pdf download via website.

Here the question:
- should I primarily address the parents or the teens ? Or do separate publications for both ?

I already did some brief brainstorming and have pros and cons for both, but wanted to hear input from you guys.

I would:

• do separate publications for both - the more books the better.
• publish a free cheatsheet on -zon to get your first subscribers too.
• Address? Whaddya mean? You address your target readers for each book,

However for kids books you could Address your ADS to the parents of the kids.
Address the BUYER - whoever that is.

 

[Malcolm_X]

So, I've finally got the photoshoot done, now want to get going full gas.. Got feedback for this cover from ±30 people yesterday - I had my own preferences and ideas, only to find out that people have a completely different point of view (power of validation!)

Please take into consideration the title, subheading and overall layout.. not only the picture (as it was the case in my 1st round of feedback within that fb group).

@New I want to get as much relevant feedback from the primary target group as possible, but the BB forums prove to be quite unreliable and unresponsive.. so will try my luck elsewhere.

@EricZ I know you mention book cover design in your newsletter quite a bit, your opinion would be very valuable. (btw, loving all the value in your newsletter - one of the best ones I am subbed to currently)

Every single opinion helps a lot, thanks!

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Every single opinion helps a lot, thanks!

I think it looks self-published. Your title needs to be more pronounced as well -- the physique is important but IMO, should be secondary, the title primary. Right now I feel it is opposite.

Take all that with a grain of salt though, 19 year olds might find it appealing as I am way beyond your target audience.

 

[SimonP99]

As with MJ it's been a few years since I was a teen but I feel it needs a little more impact to appeal to that demographic.
But what does an old git like me know

Here is an example for you: https://s27.postimg.org/tkyddwb4j/book_cover.jpg

 

[ApparentHorizon]

1. Dude looks old

2. Dude should be looking at the viewer

3. Cover is monotone (undeveloped brains respond well to vibrant in-your-face backsplashes)

3.1 https://www.google.com/search?q=nig...0&bih=988#safe=off&tbm=isch&q=nightclub+flyer

3.2 https://www.google.com/search?q=bes...#safe=off&hl=en&tbm=isch&q=fitness+book+cover

4. Q: Should you sell a ripped body, or the lifestyle you enjoy after you get a ripped body?

 

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[Waspy]

Chiming in as a 22 year old attendee of gyms.

I think it would look better face on, rather than side view.

Not sure I like "young and ripped" although I can't think of anything better right now

It took me too long to realise it was a fitness book and not a book about sexual health(sorry, that guy is totally inspecting the old Crown Jewels)

 

[Veloce Grey]

I was confused as to whether the guy was praying or attending some sort of memorial service. Looking down like that just looks misplaced.

If I scrolled past that picture with that title I'd actually have assumed it was for a homosexual porn site.

Plus as ApparentHorizon said....

. Q: Should you sell a ripped body, or the lifestyle you enjoy after you get a ripped body?

 

[Dan1el]

Im sure your well experienced in this field but if youre looking for some great information in the muscle building area for your book, I can highly recommend "Will Brink - Bodybuilding Revealed" a thick one, but alot of value in it.

 

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[Baymax]

Are you making a book, or are you making a series of books?
How would you personalize it for each individual?

 

[Thiago Machado]

Quick questions:

1. What makes your book different from all the free info that's out there?
2. Does the market want this?
3. What problem are you solving?
4. Aren't most teenagers broke?

P.S. You may want to read this:

https://thefoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/TheFoundation-MarketingMindsetFreeReport.pdf

http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/the-one-advantage

 

[BlakeIC]

The cover is not appealing

What I mean by that, is it is lacking information

I am 19 years old and I remember what would convince 16 year old me when I didn't know anything and was hungry for knowledge on fitness

Use stats, figures, factual information on your cover

You need to also be an authority, if nobody recognizes your name, you have no forum reviews/presence anywhere this will be a very hard sell.

OR

Get an endorsement from other authority figures

 

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[Malcolm_X]

beatiful! Only shows what a gem this forum ist. Honestly the best and most productive feedback I got so far.. thank you!

Too much to quote everyone, although every single response has it's own value... I'll try to put it all together:

- forgot to mention this at the beginning, the first goal I had was to select the best picture based on feedback.

For this one I got exactly those two responses (how people perceive it / the association it evokes)
1. calm and humble (not sure if this is the right word) - in a good way. 'alpha' - this is what I also tried to look like when shooting the photo
2. advertisement for potency drugs, gigolo, about to piss etc.

So although it's my favorite and I want the whole book to hold this 'calm alpha guy' mindset, there's a risk that 1/2 of the audience will perceive it as completely off-topic and won't get the message.

3 more photos I was considering.


- At first, it's going to be one book with more additions to come (depending on the success and demand) - in form of 'bonuses' or small publications.. for example, 'nutrition' etc. which will go into more detail.

- might do some more brainstorming on the title, I went with this one, as it looked good (purely visually) and I can imagine having this on apparel (Y&R)
I was planning to grow it into a whole brand, if you like - with a forum for members, shirts, bands etc.


might edit this post later adding more info, have to run for now. Thanks again to everybody!

 

[Thiago Machado]

You never answered my question, but here's some more food for thought:

Don't teenagers look up to authority figures?

Of course this is subjective, but when I was younger and hitting the gym I looked up to people who were at the top of their game / famous.

For example:

The Sports Guy
A young guy who plays sports (take soccer for example)
This guy is hitting the gym and will typically want the "cristiano ronaldo" body / look. He wants to look lean.


The Bodybuilder
A young guy who thinks bodybuilding is the shit will look up to Arnold, Frank Zane, Stallone, The Rock, etc.


The Kid Who Wants to Get Laid
Isn't this why most teenage boys start lifting weights in the first place?
It seems that 90% get into fitness for either sports or aesthetics.


I'm just trying to figure out how you are providing value.

You said: "I got into fitness when I was 16-17, with no idea what I am doing. My initial idea was to provide a starting point for the teens, and give them all the right info from the very start."

Can't you get all that info now on Google and Youtube for free?

If you're gonna sell something of this nature, I assume it would be different than everything else that's out there.

Quick question: would it be possible for you to niche down your audience?
Maybe cater to 1 of the 3 types of people I listed above?

I'm planning to write a short fitness book for teenageers - introducing them to the 'fitness world', laying out all the benefits of sport, healthy lifestyle, motivating them to take action etc. - with a workout and nutrition guide tailored to specific needs as follow up programs / publications.

I see this everywhere and for FREE... That's why I'm asking what makes you different.

Some quick questions:

• What is your ideal customer like?

• What problems does he has?

• What are his pains?

• What does he want?

Here's something that I think may help you out - http://www.digitalmarketer.com/customer-avatar-worksheet/

You want to market like you're having a 1 to 1 conversation with the person.
As if you genuinely understand them and their pain points at a deep level.

 

[Thiago Machado]

Wanted to do personal coaching first, but that wouldn't be fast lane at all.. so I'll go with a book / program.

Although not Fastlane, you'd be surprised by how much money coaches make... (when compared to book sales)

 

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[Malcolm_X]

thank you @Thiago Machado

very good resource on the personas, will definitely create something similar for my case.

At this point, to 'invent' something completely new, you'd have to be a genious. Everything is already out there. I am aware that my content won't be anything new - my goal is to conveniently package and condense all the information I've gathered (for free) over the years and most imporantly - add my own personal experience and motivate the young guys and bring them into the mindset (which is very useful for life in general) that everything is possible.

I would compare it to buying a video course on Photoshop - can you get all the info out there for free ? yes. Do people still buy these courses ? yes.
- convenience.

And you are also very right about different 'types' of guys, based on their goal / dream physique.

I am definitely appealing to the sport guys - healthy, vital, athletic, strong, cool. As I myself am not huge and not interested in spending 10hrs a week in the gym.

Going back to the first set of questions -
1. above

2. that's what I'll be testing - only wrote a structure / table of contents and a sample chapter - if I don't get any 'pre-sales' (will be free for the first few weeks anyway), I know it doesn't make sense to spend hours and hours writing it.

3. clearing the confusion - there's tons of information on this topic out there, yet I still see people in the gym training in a way that makes me cringe.
Maybe they don't look for any information, maybe they have one 'idol' they follow - which can be biased, maybe they are confused as I was 4 years back - without the personal reference experiences and underlying principles.

4. not quite - if they got 700e for a new iPhone, they got 2e for a fitness guide

One more important thing that was pointed out by a friend - if there was an obvious clothing brand visible on the picture (like CK underwear) - would I be able to go public with the book ?
I have to do some research, if "fresh style" is actually copyrighted or not..

 

[Seeingblind]

I'm pretty sure you'd acquire more attention if you have some kind of original and unique method to go about your nutrition and training.

Everyone knows that you go to the gym and eat healthy to look good, but that's boring.

Teenagers don't want to spend all day in the kitchen, nor do they want to know the science behind executing the bench press properly to stimulate the most amount of muscle fibers.

They just want to know what will get them big a$$ biceps or shredded abs.

You could try to come up with a entire program tailored to teens.

Just my 2 cents, this niche if you want to call it that, is extremely over saturated with info and self proclaim gurus.

You need something different for people to be interested.

I just launched my own online coaching website last week, haven't advertised yet but I'm sure it can be a very lucrative business.

 

[biophase]

When I saw the first book cover it looked like porn or erotic fiction to me.

I'm not liking the title either, sounds like porn to me again, lol.

What about something like Getting Ripped in your Teens. Or Six Pack in High School.

I don't like the model for your photos. He doesn't look young or happy. You could also just chop off his head and use his body in the pic.

How about a photo with both a guy and girl who are ripped?

 

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[Malcolm_X]

@Seeingblind
thanks! would you mind sharing the website here ?

@biophase
ye I definitely changed my mind about that picture... too many people related it to porn lol

Here's an update on the cover.. taking into account previous comments - more color, more shine, more pimp. But still kept it kind of elegant.

 

[MidwestLandlord]

When I saw the first book cover it looked like porn or erotic fiction to me.

I'm not liking the title either, sounds like porn to me again, lol.

What about something like Getting Ripped in your Teens. Or Six Pack in High School.

I don't like the model for your photos. He doesn't look young or happy. You could also just chop off his head and use his body in the pic.

How about a photo with both a guy and girl who are ripped?

Or better yet, a ripped teenage gal flirting with a ripped teenage guy. (even just a slightly lustful stare)

Teenage boys NEED to get noticed, teenage boys NEED to get laid, and teenage boys NEED to get through the suckage that is HS.

So sell them the SOLUTION to those NEEDS.

"Six pack High School; The only education you need"

Less staring at their own D, and more getting noticed.

 

[Seeingblind]

@Seeingblind
thanks! would you mind sharing the website here ?

www.eliteonefitness.com

Fitness is my passion and I'm extremely knowledgeable.

I have tons of information that I'd easily be able to write up an ebook in a few days, my only concern is that it's not enough.

People who seriously want results can't do it with just a book. They need coaching. It may not be as easy as writing one book and reselling it to create passive income but it's really easy. Takes me 15-20 mins to come up with a customized meal plan and training regiment, then weekly check ins to tweak and monitor progress.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

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[biophase]

@Seeingblind
thanks! would you mind sharing the website here ?

@biophase
ye I definitely changed my mind about that picture... too many people related it to porn lol

Here's an update on the cover.. taking into account previous comments - more color, more shine, more pimp. But still kept it kind of elegant.

Just not liking the model you chose. He doesn't help sell the book at all. I think you new a better and completely different model on the cover.

 

[raden1]

Just not liking the model you chose. He doesn't help sell the book at all. I think you new a better and completely different model on the cover.

When I was around 16 I bought one fitness book that I can remember.

This is what the cover looked like:

Sorry OP, but your proposed cover looks like some tacky fitness magazine cover to me.

When looking for fitness advice, I never looked for anything specifically for teens. I was looking for a framework to have a consistent health regime that would help me for the rest of my life (easier said than done). I mean...being around old, angry, fat people is a resounding 0 on the fun scale for me. I didn't want to become one of them.

Personally, I was more interested in being strong than looking ripped (though it did matter some).

Just my $0.02.