Think E-Books Are Dead?
Ebooks aren’t dead, they are just evolving. In fact, with the increasing number of people searching for information on the internet, the possibilities to promote ebooks is virtually endless. When ebooks provide innovative and creative solutions to niche problems, they will gain a positive reputation and demand for them will increase.
Ebooks are evolving with technology to include audio, video and interactive components on pages instead of straight print. If you have a unique concept, a readable writing style, and valuable content, audio and video can be added to enhance the information or demonstrate it. The fast pace of technological change also provides opportunities to address these changes by providing information or solutions in ebook format.
The process of writing and publishing an ebook is a great deal cheaper and quicker than doing so in print. If your purpose is to sell your ebook on your own website, you are able to keep one hundred percent of the profits. Even if you sell through an online retailer of ebooks, your profitability is a lot higher than for print books. However, many people create ebooks to promote their businesses rather than to sell the ebook itself. This is accomplished by promoting themselves as an expert on the niche they are addressing as well as by providing links to further material on their websites or blogs. Links within the ebooks can also directly link to a sales page for a product.
Whatever your niche, you probably know information that people are searching for and can offer it in ebook format. In fact, in any given subject area you could write a number of ebooks on various aspects of the topic. Once you have decided what you want to write about, break it down into sections. Would these sections be best written as part of one ebook or should each section be an ebook that is further broken down into chapters? Before you begin writing, you need to make sure there is a market for your book. Check out the competition. What do other ebooks on the topic address? What do they leave out? Is there a knowledge gap that you can fill with your ebook? Once you have answered these questions, look for keywords that might be related to your subject and then check to see whether searchers have searched on them during the past month. The Overture keyword analysis tool is free and very helpful for this process.
It is unfortunate that ebooks have been getting a bad rap due to poorly written, poor quality offerings that are being sold at inflated prices. This makes it hard for the honest writer and publisher of ebooks. Providing free excerpts is one way to prove to your target market that your book is of an acceptable quality and delivers on your promises. Of course, this is not a problem if you intend to offer the ebook free of charge.
Creative, innovative, informative and relevant ebooks are very much alive. They offer wonderful, constantly evolving opportunities for writers and publishers who are prepared to fill a void in their niche and offer exceptional value for money.
Your $100 E-Book Business- Fast!
One of the things I love about internet marketing is the relationships I have with people all over the globe. It’s a lot like traveling, but I get to stay in sunny Texas and “talk” to subscribers and customers who are shoveling snow in Michigan, sitting around a wood stove in the black forest of Germany, or braving the wind and rain in London.
I’m fascinated by the various ways that people live- aren’t you?
If Wimberley, Texas were to be hit by a major snowstorm that required shoveling snow, it would be a major disaster. We can’t drive on ice- we don’t know how and our cars aren’t “set up” for it. Half an inch of snow is sufficient excuse to shut down the schools.
And yet, in much of the world, winter is just another season. People shovel snow, scrape ice from their windshields, check their snow-tires, and go about their day.
Recently I received an email from another Texan. His question sort of surprised me- “How much money should I put aside for my e-book business?”
I had an e-book business for years before I realized that I had an “e-book business.”
My strategy is to identify a need or find a way to solve a problem, then package that solution and sell it. I write e-books, I record audio courses, and lately I’ve been making video courses.
But, I did have an answer to his question. He found the information valuable- maybe you will, too.
How much money do you need to start your ebook business? I started mine with less than $100
First you need an ebook. Some people make this way too big a deal. Remember, most people are “newbies.” If you had to learn something, odds are somebody else is having to learn it, too. Write about what you learn.
You can write a list- for example, 69 ways to satisfy your husband… or 144 ways to cook spinach…or 37 internet predictions.
“How to” books are easy, too. I like to learn something new, and then “hammer home” that new knowledge by writing an e-book to teach it to others. Teaching is a great way to learn.
Interview books are quick and painless. Call somebody on the phone and interview them. Record the call. Have it transcribed. Bim-Bang-Boom, you’ve got an e-book.
Get the idea?
Next, you need a website. I use Microsoft frontpage to build mine. If that’s not your thing, go to E-Lance and let the starving web guys bid on the project. Should cost less than $50.
According to many pros, even if you can build a website yourself, you’re better off out-sourcing that and concentrating on creating products. That’s a lesson I’m still trying to learn.
You need a domain. Go to Go Daddy and buy one. They’re about $8.
I collect domains. I own almost 40 now, and I’m still shopping. Every time I think of (or over-hear) a great domain name, I run to Go Daddy and register it.
When the time comes to market a new product, I go over my inventory of domains- usually I have the perfect domain already registered. Then I just forward that to my sales page- no hosting fee.
You need a clickbank account. That’s gonna run you $50.
It takes a little time to learn how to use clickbank, but it’s worth it. They handle the cash, send out affiliate checks when other people sell your e-book, and mail you your money twice a month. It’s a bargain.
At that point, you’ve got a product, a sales page, and a way to collect the money and handle your affiliates.
The next step is to make money.
The most attractive way to do that is to do a Joint Venture with somebody who has a huge list. The easiest way to do that is to have a relationship with one of the gurus. They’re real human beings, and relatively harmless.
Get to know them.
How do you get to know them?
Seminars are the best way. Email works, too.
Every guru I know at least glances at every JV offer he gets. Some of the busier ones have a staff guy go through them first.
If you can build a relationship before you make your Joint Venture offer, you have a much better chance of connecting with your offer. Find out what your target guru is interested in- find some common ground- and start with that.
I certainly read all of the offers I get. You never know when that million- dollar idea is gonna land in your inbox.
If you’ve done all of the above, you’ve got an E-Book business.
Congratulations.
You Can Write Your Own EBook to Make Money Online
That’s right - how to write your own ebook and sell it online.
Yes, You can write your very own income producing ebook
In case you’re thinking, “but I have permanent writer’s block, or I am no good at selling things”, No worries - I am going to show you how to do it; right here, right now.
First you will need to decide what topic you can write about.
Choosing a suitable topic will often be the toughest step you will encounter. You must take time and make the decision carefully about your topic. Take a few minutes to brainstorm the topics.
What are some areas that you know more about than everyone else you know? Pet training? Capentry? Backyard Photography? Image Editing? Imagine the ebook “How to Train Your Dog to Stop Biting in 60 Days or Less” or “How to Refinish Your Own Kitchen Cabinets - At Almost No Cost” or “Everything You Need to Know About Image Editing” or “How to Program Your Computer Like A Pro”.
Try to make a list at least 5 different things you are skilled at. Once you have this list, simply plug in the area of expertise and the benefits into this formula: “How to ___________ so that ___________”. For example: “How to Teach Math so That Your Child Does Better in School”, or “How to Insulate Your Home to Save on Your Heating Bill”, or “How to Grow a Vegetable Garden Indoors”. This will become your title.
Now that you have this done, write down ten things you know about that topic. Arrange them either in chronological order or in the order someone should learn them.
For example “How to Buy Your First Digital Camera”:
1) How to decide what features are right for you
2) How to choose which camera manufacturer
3) How to choose the best camera for a budget
4) How to use your camera like a pro
and so on (I do not know much about digital cameras, but if you do, finish the list and then write the book)
Once you have come up with your list of several focal points (or more if you need them), next you will need to think of at least 6 sub headings - things that a person would do to learn what you are discussing in that topic.
To see an example, sticking with the digital camera ebook:
How to decide what features are right for you
1) The most common feature you will need
2) Advantages to having specific features
3) Disadvantages of different features
4) Can too many feature be too much
and so on.
Now it is time for the next hardest part, the actual process of writing your new ebook. Notice that by now you have at least 50 or more really selective sub-categories about which you will write about. Now you will try to write around 500 words about each sub-category. If you determine that the mini-topic needs to have any more than 500-700 words to get your point across; then by all means break it into multiple headings. Don’t worry about organizing the book - besides you have already spent time organizing the entire book in the beginning, remember? Make sure to write about each area.
You do not have to cover these themes in any given order, just write the section you are the most comfortable with. Once you are done writing each topic, double-check it (have someone else proofread it too) and then get ready to publish your new ebook.
Once you are finished the ebook, you will have to convert it to a PDF File. There are a number of PDF conversions programs available online, or you can use the one from Adobe.
The next step will involve getting a website and a sales page. Don’t let the words ’sales page’ scare you. You can literally create a sales page from your list of key points and sub-topics that you already had before you started writing the ebook. Simply write a letter letting the reader know what they will be learning from your ebook, and again, have someone else proofread your sales letter too. That letter should contain the following criteria:
A brief description of your ebook’s contents.
A list of what the reader will learn to apply through your ebook.
Any testimonials about how your ebook has helped someone else.
A guarantee.
A link to some form of payment processing, like Paypal, Clickbank, or some other processing method.
Now you can upload the page to your web site, write a few articles about your area of expertise, and submit these to online article directories that have a readership that matches your targeted reading market of your ebook. Make sure to include a link back to your sales page, and watch the traffic add up!
7 Basic Steps to E-Publishing
Ok, first we will take a moment just to make sure that you know what an info-product is. Information products are basically a book, video, or audio clip that teaches someone else how to do something. This can be as small as a few pages, a ten minute video, or a week long audio seminar. It all depends on what information is being provided, and how much there is to learn.
Now that we know what an info product is, let’s talk about how to get started with creating your own products.
Step 1) You first need to know what it is that you know a lot about. Take a moment to think of several topics that you know well. Can you carve statues with a chainsaw? Are you an excellent poker player? Perhaps you have a method of saving money on daily household items that no one has heard of before. Anything that you can do, that other people might be interested in learning, or that will benefit them, if they can do it too is considered a great product.
Step 2) Now make a simply list of your topic and all the things that you know about that topic. The better your list, the more effective your writing process will be.
Step 3) Take a moment to organize your list into an outline based on categories. If you’re writing about carving with a chainsaw, you might have a list of which chainsaws to buy as one category, and 10 best types of wood to use as another.
Step 4) As with step 2, you will now list everything you know about each sub-category you listed. Again, try to be as detailed as you can. You will be providing these details to your readers.
Step 5) Ok, now you can get started writing what you already know. You have created a list of your main topic, several sub-topics, and hopefully some text about what you know about each topic. During this step you will simply expand on this by writing out a few paragraphs about your topics and sub-topics. Try to write from the heart, as if you were simply sharing the information with a friend. Do not worry at this point about grammar and structure; you will be able to correct any problems with that later.
Important notes for step 5. If you are not comfortable writing out your product yet, try breaking it down into sections. Take each topic and write a small stand-alone article about that topic. Then go back and do this for each topic. You can then combine your articles into one larger book.
You will basically use the same process for audio of video products, as these products will still need a list of topics to discuss. The only difference is that you will be talking, and if you wrote it all down, then at least you have a script to follow.
Step 6) Proofreading. This is an essential part of your product. Make sure that you take the time to read it, and re-read it for errors and context. If you are unsure, then consider having a friend or family member read it. No one likes to see errors in printed materials, especially if it was your own error.
Step 7) Now all you have left to do is to put it all together. You now have your product topics, some content, and it has been written and proofed. Now you need to get it published through a publisher, convert it to a PDF File, or record it as necessary.
That’s it. You’re done with the product creation process. Now that you’re done, you can move on to the hard work. Selling your product!
