Producing How-TO CD's
Minimum Start-Up: $2,500
Average Start-Up: $5,000
Revenue: $12,000
One Person Business: Yes
The CD is entitled: "This CD Can Make You Filthy Rich", and It's
about producing how-to CDs - a concept whose time has come. At $15
each, plus $3 shipping & handling, the producer of CD will gross
$18,000 selling 1,000 CDs.
The production cost is quite small. The audio program was written
by the poroducer who brought the script to a "Narration House"
where a professional announcer does the voice recording using a
professional studio.
NARRATION HOUSES
You can order radio commercials as well as other "voice" recorded
programs to be produced by so-called "narration houses".
This business is usually run by a professional announcer who owns
or has access to a professional recording studio.
Just send your script to a narration house and have thim record it
for you. The amount you are charged depends on the length of your
material and the type of DVD on which you want your "master copy"
recorded. A 30-minute material may cost you $450.
THE INTERVIEW FORMAT
Another populasr format for a How-To CD is what we call the
"Interview" format.
This is where the author or producer of the CD is interviewed on a
subject in which he or she is an expert.
Since this format is prepared on a "question and answer" basis, it
is relatively easy to structure, allowing for a more logical
presentation of the ideas the author wants to cover.
With this format, the author can prepare 30 to 50 questions which,
together with the answers, can be edited down to a 30 to 40 minute
program.
Depending on shere the interview is produced, this format may cost
less than a straight presentation where the bulk of the work uses
the voice of a professional narrator.
YOUR MARKET
In a "How-To" project, it is always recommended that you select
your topics based on your expertise or access to information.
From a marketing standpoint, it is equally beneficial for you to be
familiar with the market to whom you expect to market your How-To
CD.
If your topic is very selective, use direct mail to market your
CDs. If it is an extremely piopular topic that can be promoted on
TV, use 60-second TV spots or print ads.
