Look up the word “troll” in the dictionary and what you’ll find isn’t very flattering. Trolls live beneath bridges. They’re either small or giant. Perhaps they smell unpleasant.

One thinks these days of internet trolls who deliberately make offensive comments to upset readers. That’s not what I mean by trolling!

Another definition of “troll” is a line or bait used in trolling for fish. In this analogy, your ideal clients are the fish, and you’re using Amazon to see what kind of bait they want or need.

In other words, you can use Amazon to see what has been written and published for your ideal clients—and what gaps exist.

For example, let’s say you’re a health coach and you want to figure out what your ideal clients want to read that hasn’t been written. Visit amazon.com, perform a search for book titles related to health coaching or holistic health. Then, click on books which fit your niche.

Scroll down to the bottom of each book’s page and focus on reader comments. Note the following:

• What did readers like about the book?
• What didn’t get answered satisfactorily?
• List any topics or questions readers had.

This intelligence provides insight into your ideal client’s unresolved pain points, which is gold when it comes to writing a book that sells.

Want to learn more or dig into your book idea? Let’s have a virtual coffee date.