As more people begin to realize that blogging for ad dollars and other free content strategies might not be the best way to make money online, I’m getting more and more questions related to creating ebooks.
Producing any information product is almost entirely an exercise in marketing. Everything from the topic you choose, to how you position it, to the copywriting strategy you use to sell it boils down to figuring out what people are willing, and even driven, to pay for.
As far as ebooks go, the first question you have to ask is whether or not the ebook is the format you should be using at all. The humble PDF seems to be the first thing that comes to mind when people consider developing a product, but it’s often the least useful and has the lowest perceived value—at least when you want to charge for it.
Is the Ebook Dead?
While the format is still alive and kicking, the basic ebook is a pretty weak substitute for a real book. It has none of the tangible attributes that make books the portable and convenient information vessels they are, and the only real advantage the ebook has is that it is instantly deliverable.
Plus, for any topic where there is already a “real” book available, you’re most likely going to lose the sale, instantly downloadable or not. People trust Amazon, and whether fair or not, they consider “real” authors to be those who are delivered in ink on dead tree material.
So if your goal is to write a 200-page book, you might just go ahead and try to get a publisher, or even have your work self-published. People who read books tend to love books themselves, so it makes sense to give book lovers what they want… a real book.
Ebooks That Sell Solve Problems
The good news for people interested in making money from ebooks is that the ones that sell best are nowhere near 200 pages. In fact, you can often turn a sweet profit from a document that is only 10, 20 and up to 50 pages long, as long as those pages solve a problem that people will pay to have the solution to.
Contrary to what you might think, it doesn’t matter if the solution to a problem can be found by even simple online research. “Normal” people don’t like to do in-depth research online and are often skeptical of free information sources. Do the work for them and demonstrate that you are a credible person (or partner on the ebook with someone who has the necessary credentials), and as long as the problem is real, you’ll make sales.
There are so many ebooks out there that try to tell you that the key to successful ebook creation is “write what you love” and the money will come. They use that angle because that’s what people want to hear, and it sells a lot of ebooks about ebooks. But that doesn’t make it true.
Desperate Buyers Only
There’s only one ebook that provides clear guidance on how to research, develop and sell these short problem-solving documents, and it’s called Desperate Buyers Only by Alexis Dawes. This no-fluff guide quickly dispenses with the biggest myths about ebooks, and then takes you step-by-step through:
- identifying a potential profitable topic
- researching the viability of developing the document
- discovering buyer hot button issues, and
- understanding how the problem is framed in the mind of the prospect
Alexis then walks you through her five-step variation of the problem-agitation-solution copywriting technique for creating empathy, demonstrating credibility and closing the sale. But it all goes back to the fact that you started with a highly motivated person with a problem, and therefore the “instantly downloadable” aspect of the short ebook becomes a strong selling point.
I once commented on a review of Desperate Buyers Only that this is the ebook about creating ebooks that I would have written had I been inclined, so I have no problem recommending it to you (and using my affiliate link). It not only tells the truth about what it really takes to make money, it reveals several concrete strategies that I’ve used for years to make a great deal of money.
Some of these strategies I still use; I just no longer use them to create ebooks.
Moving Beyond the Ebook
If developing brief information products that solve problems for people in dire situations isn’t for you, but you still want to explore creating content that sells, you’re in luck. There are huge opportunities, both now and into the future, for creative people who can effectively communicate ideas to others who are more than happy to pay for it.
But you’ll need to move beyond the idea of the ebook.
When you consider that 42% of college graduates never read a book again and that most people who actually purchase a book never make it past the first chapter, books just don’t seem to be the answer these days. That’s especially true online, where we have all this wonderful interactive ability combined with multimedia to create better learning environments for buyers, and more lucrative publishing arrangements for you.
It will take more than a blog post to cover that topic, though. I’ve written a free 22-page report that examines the viability of paid content compared to free business models, and it also explores how to make better use of the interactive nature of the Internet in ways the PDF ebook simply can’t. Download it here for free.
79 comments... add one
#1 lawton chiles → 10.08.07 at 9:13 am
Brian, I found that your stat of 42% of college grads NEVER reading again was just downright scary.
I was talking to my dad the other day about free publicity and free media- and it seems that what you said is true: The more immediate problems you solve, the more your audience is willing to pay for your expertise, advice, and guidance.
I hope to add to my expertise following a Business Card Tips article I did for the Tallahassee Democrat. I mean, I just called them up and they printed my article.
The key is learning how to leverage that second step, such as sending out Broadcast Faxes and such to media.
Discovering “buyer hot button issues” is the key- giving people something they WANT to use.
Thanks again,
Lawton
#2 lawton chiles → 10.08.07 at 9:16 am
Now that the Ebook is considered low-value and something that should be “free” anyway, do you suggest Podcasts, or video or both?
I find that video is the most engaging b/c they are using all their senses.
#3 Brian Clark → 10.08.07 at 9:18 am Copyblogger
Lawton, you’ll have to wait for the report to get a satisfactory answer to that. Should be out next week (I hope).
#4 lawton chiles → 10.08.07 at 9:25 am
Ok, I know how the deadlines loom up on you.
I just wanted to say thanks and hope my questions are appropriate.
On a side note, the one thing I am learning and it seems that this is being driven home like a hammer- is that what I write and whatever I do has to be 100% about my audience.
I knew this and believed it of course but actually feeling it and acting on it all the time are two different things.
#5 Kim → 10.08.07 at 10:59 am
I can’t wait to get my hands on that report! Thanks Brian!
#6 Social SEO → 10.08.07 at 10:59 am
People don’t read, and even less read on screen. We need to engage them in all their senses and make them interact with the product.
If they are forced to do stuff, make mistakes and then get it right. If they are forced to get frustrated and then get satisfied, then we may have a chance at them completing our modules. And a chance at them remembering what we taught them a few years from now.
Excuse me, scratch “taught” and replace with “enabled them to discover”
This is the way we thought when we were developing Instructional Multimedia. This is what I believe still applies to content development.
Writing is a fast track to engaging people who already agree with us and want to read us. But what about an unmotivated audience?
This is when storytelling, audiovisual language and gaming come together to allow for engaging content.
Watch E True Hollywood Stories and Fitness Infomercials to become a better content designer.
#7 WarriorBlog → 10.08.07 at 11:06 am
Creating and selling eBook is one of the best way to make money online as an IM.
#8 --Deb → 10.08.07 at 2:11 pm
The statistics about who reads . . . or more precisely, who doesn’t read . . . these days just saddens me to no end. I understand that people can’t find the time, but the fact that they don’t care enough to even try? I could no more get through the day without reading than without breathing. So far as e-books go, though, I have to admit, I’d rather have paper. Reading a book on my computer screen just is not the same. Besides, it’s hard to curl up in a comfy chair with your computer–they’re smaller these days, but they still get hot!
#9 Here’s a novel idea—Sell your ebooks! — a tumblelog On Financial Success → 10.08.07 at 3:08 pm
[…] thought is that free ebooks increase your stature and result in links. However, Clark suggests that it is possible to sell your ebooks if you position yourself […]
#10 Jorge Camoes → 10.08.07 at 4:38 pm
Brian, I like screencasts. In some areas they can replace or complement an e-book.
Let me share my little experiment: I have an Excel dashboard that can be downloaded for free. If the user wants to know how it was done he can download a (paid) version. This version includes several screencasts that show how the dashboard was designed. Every step is documented, so this is almost a crash course in advanced Excel.
During the last two weeks I had almost one thousand downloads of the free version and some (not as many as I would like) of the paid version. It is not a huge success, but the blog started exactly with this post, so I can’t complain, and I am learning a lot.
#11 Mark → 10.08.07 at 5:10 pm
Frightening as those statistics sound, I wonder how accurate they are. I used to be in the book promotion business (12 years ago) and the statistics then were pretty dismal. I think that because there are so many more people online now than 10 years ago, the number of “readers” in the group seems to have shrunk. I saw no problem with the stats for Harry Potter or the Da Vinci Code, and non-fiction books still seem to be selling at a good clip. What’s changed is the distribution mechanism.
Maybe the definition of book just needs to change. Apparently, you can still monetize eBooks according to the criteria Brian described. Maybe people are willing to pay for eMedia that include text, video, audio, and resource links to solve very specific problems. Or, maybe they will be willing to pay a small subscription fee or one-time fee for time-limited access to a site that provides answers to their questions. Just some ideas.
#12 Michael Martine → 10.08.07 at 5:21 pm
Man, that is so true. Good thing, too! One great “lazy” (read: efficient) is to take your own blog posts that are related and collect them into an ebook. That is something that I plan to do, but with a little fleshing out and editing for continuity.
#13 Snowboardjohn → 10.08.07 at 7:20 pm
The delivery mechanism for the information is mostly of little consequence - outside of perceived value price points. (You can generally charge more for audio/video products that contain the same content as an ebook).
Also, the would-be-buyer has to read a sales letter before they consume whatever format you’re selling - so you cannot argue people refuse to read online.
Double Your Dating is one of the most profitable information businesses online - and it’s based entirely on a front end ebook sale.
As Alexis (and the direct response greats before her) states, almost the only thing that matters is the desperation of the buyers in the market.
Oh, and the perceived authority of the information provider of course ;-)
Let’s not use generalizations in these discussions. Without being specific the discussion loses relevance for anyone who is a professional online publisher.
#14 Mike → 10.08.07 at 7:35 pm
Looking forward to your next masterpiece O’ Mighty Maestro !
#15 Luke → 10.08.07 at 8:16 pm
I have purchased e-books before on the basis that they would help and they didn’t which I found annoying. That said, I have bought some that were highly interactive with exercises and so forth. I found the helpful ones were excellent because they led me to action. I don’t think it’s dead but rather it has a limited ‘practical’ application.
#16 Mike Pedersen Golf → 10.08.07 at 9:09 pm
I’ve been selling 3 ebooks for several years and it is an ongoing battle to sell enough to feel like it was worth it. I have one long one and 2 short, solution ones and none of them move very much on a daily basis. I’m not a huge fan of ebooks from a making money standpoint.
#17 Michael Martine → 10.08.07 at 9:13 pm
I think probably one of the biggest ebook success stories of all time has got to be Aaron Wall’s SEO Book.
#18 Latarsha Lytle → 10.08.07 at 9:26 pm
Great advice.
Understanding desperation - and the source of your user’s pain and frustration - not only give you the makings of a great e-book…but it also gives you the foundational underpinnings of a good marketing piece as well as a good business.
Thanks!
#19 Brian Clark → 10.08.07 at 9:28 pm Copyblogger
Michael, yep… I wrote Aaron’s sales letter. :)
But even Aaron will tell you that the ebook is on the way out, and interactive training programs are the way to go. I should have linked to his post on the topic… I’ll save it for later.
#20 Mike Pedersen Golf → 10.08.07 at 9:37 pm
That’s some big talk Latarsha! Have you sold an ebook successfully yet? Easier said than done!
#21 The Hyper-Optimized Ebook Website → 10.09.07 at 7:47 am
[…] been doing some reading about ebooks recently, and enjoyed a Copyblogger post about creating ebooks that sell. Brian references an ebook site featuring a book on, uh, writing […]
#22 Big Bad Book Blog » Blog Archive » Big Bad Book Blog Newsfeed::10-9-07 → 10.09.07 at 9:46 am
[…] :: Copyblogger: How to Create Ebooks That Sell […]
#23 Dan Schawbel → 10.09.07 at 11:26 am
Good points here. Blogs have superseded eBooks for information.
#24 Mike Pedersen Golf → 10.09.07 at 11:49 am
I agree Dan…but then how do we make a living if people are coming to our blogs for FREE and very valuable information?
#25 Brian Clark → 10.09.07 at 11:56 am Copyblogger
Blogs are actually terrible for comprehensive information delivery, since they are in reverse chronological order, and installments are delivered over long periods of time. That may be fine for long time subscribers, but how many of you have been subscribed to Copyblogger since day one?
The real answer though, is to sell something that is related to but different from your blog topic, or blog less, or don’t blog at all.
I cover all of this in the coming report.
#26 Mike Pedersen Golf → 10.09.07 at 12:06 pm
Looking forward to reading your report Brian! Have you been able to monetize your blog? If so, how. New clients? Advertising?
#27 Leslie Okumura → 10.09.07 at 12:39 pm
“People who read books tend to love books themselves, so it makes sense to give book lovers what they want… a real book.”
This is me, 110%.
#28 T.M. Harris → 10.09.07 at 12:41 pm
Blogs are good for immediate information. But the ebook is where you get to hold the desperate by the family jewels and put a price on not only your expertise, but also a solution to their immediate problem. I think ‘Product Domination’ explained it all, though.
Anyway, very good post…keep me posted of your upcoming ventures so that I may participate or contribute.
#29 Missing Features » Two Easy Steps to Improve Ebook Sales: Don't → 10.09.07 at 4:19 pm
[…] Clark over at Copyblogger posted some guidelines for improving the sales of an ebook. There really is only one guideline needed, and it’s left off this […]
#30 Morten K. Holst → 10.09.07 at 4:49 pm
I think ebooks are just getting started. That is, if eletronic ink (E Ink) breaks through.
E Ink consists of two sides of paper, one painted with ink and one without. They can be switched around and thus combined form an image or a word. Because the pages aren’t lit up but just ordinary ink-painted paper you won’t suffer from headache as you normally do when you read 10+ pages on your computer-screen. And because the sides are turned physically the paper only uses power when you switch page. And yes, E Ink does .pdf. Now, this means you’ll also be able to change the layout of the book, e.g. which font and font-size is used.
I guess if E Ink goes mainstream the entire publishing industry will be revolutionized (and dare one say democratized?), and .pdf will finally break through.
Here’s a few examples of E Ink readers: http://www.bookeen.com/ and http://www.irextechnologies.com/, unfortunately, waaay to expensive at the moment.
Anyways, there’s that huge ‘if’, but I don’t think the race is quite over yet, I think it has just begun. (uhh, what a dramatic ending!)
#31 Jon Morrow → 10.09.07 at 4:59 pm
Was this the post you were referring to from SEOBook?
http://www.seobook.com/publishers-will-have-become-artists
#32 Link Love 10/09 | Writer's Resource Center → 10.09.07 at 6:24 pm
[…] you are interested in marketing E-books, check out How to Create Ebooks That Sell from Copyblogger. The most important bit of advice is that E-books that sove problems are the best […]
#33 Here’s How to Stop Worrying About Google Once and for All | Copyblogger → 10.09.07 at 9:17 pm
[…] you missed my selling ebooks post, at the end I revealed that I’ll be issuing a free report next week about developing […]
#34 Annie → 10.10.07 at 2:42 am
I still have Viral Copy on my desktop, so I’m definitely looking forward to a new report from you, Brian.
I guess I’m one of the few making a good living cashing in on Adsense, but I’m always interested in diversifying my income. :)
~Annie
#35 How to Create Ebooks That Sell « Constant Click - Internet Advertising & Marketing → 10.10.07 at 11:07 am
[…] Posted on October 10th, 2007. How to Create Ebooks That Sell […]
#36 Jack Zavada → 10.10.07 at 7:51 pm
Nah, the ebook’s no more dead than blogging is.
An odd phenomenon about the Web is that “Internet Marketers” are writing ebooks about Internet marketing and selling them to each other. Or the rest of us are buying them and saying, “Hey! That’s just the opposite of the last Web marketing ebook I read.”
Folks scorch their retinas reading blogs for hours at a time but won’t read ebooks ’cause it’s too hard on their eyes? C’mon.
Just as politics bloggers had to earn their respectability chops, so will ebooks. Look, a self-published printed book is no more credible than an ebook just ’cause you can whomp cockroaches with it. Both writers bypassed conventional publishers, but in different ways.
The first copy of my ebook, Single & Sure, sold to someone in Israel, and I live in the USA. I never could have afforded to mail a print version to someone overseas.
The ‘Net is not only a learning process, it’s also a trust process. Web merchants languished early on; now they’re booming. ebooks were in then out then in again now out again.
What I’m most interested in is getting knowledge, experience and wisdom from somebody else’s head into my head. ebooks are a very efficient way to do that, even if you can’t impress family and friends by ostentatiously displaying them on shelves. Well, you could, as printouts in gild-edged leather 3-ring binders. But that’s another post.
I’ve been a professional writer 34 years, have had four paperback novels published and two ebooks. Just as many printed books flop as ebooks. They call them remainders, and it’s an expected part of the publishing business.
It’s the author’s name and content that flop, not the medium.
#37 Brian Clark → 10.10.07 at 8:06 pm Copyblogger
I respectfully disagree. That may be true for you, but not for most people, and even those who like to read learn better from a multiple media approach.
The internet is an interactive medium, and if books were the best teaching mechanism alone, you’d have been handed a textbook in school and told to come back in 3 months for the final.
Ebooks have their place, but they are sadly lacking when you think of all the Internet has to offer when it comes to effective knowledge transfer.
#38 Jack Zavada → 10.10.07 at 9:15 pm
Brian,
Sure, I agree with you about multiple media. Good point.
But I didn’t say ebooks were the best way to get knowledge inside my head or the only way.
I’ve used videos to learn, cassette tapes, correspondence courses, university courses, personal lessons, and just about every other medium.
I do believe you’re right on track when you say that ebooks that solve problems are the ones that sell. But that also holds true in the case of printed books.
ebooks have a lot of prejudice to overcome. It took me a long time before I bought my first one, and even then I printed it out because long periods of online reading strain my eyes.
Eventually ebooks will have video, interactive quizzes, and all kinds of other neat ways to facilitate learning.
But you’re absolutely right. On a winter evening when it’s snowing outside, I get into my favorite chair with a printed book–not a laptop. For those of us who love the feel and mystique of a book, an ebook just isn’t the same.
#39 Geoff → 10.11.07 at 8:45 am
“…it sells a lot of ebooks about ebooks. But that doesn’t make it true.”
Beautifully put.
#40 Ever Consider Your Own Products & Services? | Blogging Tips → 10.12.07 at 4:46 am
[…] ebooks and info products interest you, keep watching Copyblogger. There will be a free report soon […]
#41 Andrew Cavanagh → 10.12.07 at 12:46 pm
As a copywriter who works with some of the internet’s leading information marketers I can tell you that there is a world beyond ebooks.
You need to look at selling information as a full business and have an overall business strategy.
Think of every information product you produce as a lead generator.
You might have a free report, video or audio that generates leads for your…
$47 ebook or audio that generates leads for your…
$97 to $197 audio program with workbook which generates leads for your…
$497 to $997 full program with consultation which generates leads for your…
$1,497 to $2,497 seminar or workshop which generates leads for your…
$2,997 to $5,997+ mentoring program.
That’s how you make an exceptional income selling information products.
Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh
#42 Brian Clark → 10.12.07 at 12:51 pm Copyblogger
If I weren’t moving beyond the funnel model in my free report, Andrew, I might think you’re trying to upstage me. :)
#43 Michael Martine → 10.12.07 at 12:56 pm
Andrew, that is easily one of the smartest comments on this post. I was trying to explain something similar to this idea to a client of mine the other day. Fantastic!
#44 This Week In SEO - 10/12/07 - TheVanBlog → 10.12.07 at 8:54 pm
[…] How to Create Ebooks That Sell […]
#45 What’s going on in the publishing industry → 10.13.07 at 2:39 am
[…] what are they doing? Other than the ill-fated e-book (which I think is covered well on Copyblogger this week… note the comments) what are they doing to secure the […]
#46 Mark Simpson → 10.13.07 at 12:31 pm
Hey, you have a great blog here! I’m definitely going to bookmark you!
I have a ebooks with resale rights site. It pretty much covers ebooks with resale rights related stuff.
Come and check it out if you get time :-)
#47 How To Create Or Write Your Own Ebook | The How To Do Things Blog → 10.13.07 at 5:47 pm
[…] There was a time when I use to hear a lot about ebooks but then I don’t know what happened because all of a sudden I stopped hearing about them. Then recently I purchased Aaron’s SEO ebook and now suddenly I’m coming across many links the talk about creating and promoting ebooks. Recently Brian said on his blog that an ebook can be a good source of alternative, passive income. […]
#48 Planning Mission and Theme - Help Us! — Foreclosure Help Book by Casey Serin and Damion Lupo → 10.14.07 at 6:33 am
[…] we’re still thinking about. Although, after reading Desperate Buyers Only ebook today (via Copyblogger), I’m leaning more toward […]
#49 Patrick Martin → 10.18.07 at 5:18 am
I think interactive learning environments are most certainly the way to go. Look at a site like SEOmoz, that has been successful as a subscription site with community and interactive feel. People know the story of the company and feel connected with it.
All that creates repeat users and more revenue whilst at the same time they give away free content on their blog. In my opinion it’s a great business model.
#50 Overheard in the Blogosphere 6 | Remarkablogger → 10.19.07 at 4:47 am
[…] ebook or audio that generates leads for your… Andrew Cavanagh We’ve abused, raped, and totally destroyed the word “successful.” We’ve taken that word and […]
#51 Ian Stables → 10.24.07 at 7:45 am
Selling ebooks does happen if done properly.
Certainly if you try to do it by putting up a web site and hoping for sales. You’ll get some sales once a blue moon but not enough to get excited.
However, check out John Thornhill. He is a respected ebook seller in the UK who sells on ebay and through his website, planetsms.
I’ve learnt a lot from this man. And you can see what he does works by looking at his profile and completed auctions on ebay.
I’ve written an ebook about selling ebooks with his method. (With a tweak that has jumps my website response.) It’s simply a method he shows but with an improvement that works like a charm.
The tweak makes almost every reader of my free ebook visit my website. I submit my free ebooks to his newsletter.
Check him out you’ll be surprised.
#52 Mr. Shearer → 10.25.07 at 11:19 am
I wonder what the ramifications of digital paper (DP) will have on e-book production and sales?
I envision a huge change when you can hook your DP via USB (or firewire, etc.), download your e-books, and take your DP with on the bus…on the can…anywhere.
Looking forward to the mass adaption to DP instead of toting around a laptop, newspapers, and so forth. Exciting times ahead!
#53 Mr. Shearer → 10.25.07 at 11:36 am
Unfortunately, my term, Digital Paper, should really be e-paper, upon further investigation.
#54 Pajama Professional Progress | Pajama Professional → 10.25.07 at 11:57 pm
[…] every day I discover a brand new branch of it to cover. Brian Clark recently wrote an article about creating ebooks that sell. I think an information product is in my near future. As I said, none of these issues were really […]
#55 11 Tried And Tested Strategies To Market Your Ebook → 11.19.07 at 1:44 pm
[…] not my intention to sell you on the idea of selling ebooks. This post is for the converted who are trying to figure out ways to market their […]
#56 Judy → 12.13.07 at 11:11 am
I’m curious how all this data can be applied to every target audience. My audience is 50+, still reads, like having something they can partially print as needed from their PC, and I’ve had success with eBooks. Can we put parameters on this?
#57 Virtual Hosting Blog » The Premium Content Toolbox: 100+ Guides, Tips and Resources to Make Money Off Of Paid Memberships → 12.18.07 at 9:57 pm
[…] How to Create Ebooks That Sell: Make sure that what you’re writing will be profitable by following this guide. […]
#58 The Best of Copyblogger in 2007 | Copyblogger → 12.26.07 at 2:14 pm
[…] How to Create Ebooks That Sell […]
#59 Justin Palmer → 01.13.08 at 6:03 pm
Great tips Brian, I am currently developing an informational product, and debating what is the best format for selling.
#60 Abi → 02.09.08 at 11:22 am
Hi Brain,
I am a professional content writer with basic seo knowledge. I am planning to write an ebook on my seo knowledge that’s why I am here and there on net to read artisles about ebook creation. aia really love the way, you have described this procedure of ebook creation.
Thanks a lot!
#61 Scott → 02.21.08 at 8:12 pm
I just bought 3 dvd’s, 11.2GB of Ebooks on ebay for 12.99. Work that out. they all seem useless
#62 40 Alternative Income Ideas and Resources | Moolanomy → 03.04.08 at 9:03 am
[…] Write and sell eBooks […]
#63 mlm guru2 → 03.09.08 at 5:12 pm
good stuff. Bookmarked.
#64 Cyndee Haydon → 03.13.08 at 5:14 pm
Ok - you completely shocked me when you sited how few college grads ever read a book again - I find I’m always reading online and off and enjoyed learning more about ebooks -as always you are a wealth of info.
#65 Simplifying Wordpress category hell - Utilize The Evil Temptation of Overkill → 03.15.08 at 6:40 pm
[…] Creating Ebooks […]
#66 marcel → 03.16.08 at 11:11 am
Brian,
Great website and really useful information. In fact,MORE valuable than the majority of paid websites. You ROCK!
Question: I understand your concept in regards to information products. However can you give me somewhere to read about how to actually create the download mechanism for information products?
Thanks much! Marcel
#67 SlugMoney » Blog Archive » 123…Note Taking to Ebook to Passive Income → 03.18.08 at 11:51 pm
[…] yourself some good sales copy to sell the […]
#68 Anthony → 03.30.08 at 9:36 am
Are you available for hire? I am a businessman and cannot learn to be an expert at everything…
Kind regards
Anthony
#69 Brian Clark → 03.30.08 at 10:22 am Copyblogger
Marcel, a lot payment processor/shopping cart programs contain built in e-product delivery. Clickbank does this, as does One Shopping Cart.
You can also create your own rule-based delivery mechanism with an autoresponder like Aweber. Once payment clears, an email is sent which triggers an autoresponder that delivers a link to the download page.
#70 Jerret Turner → 03.31.08 at 4:05 pm
Marcel,
e-Junkie is another good ebook/info download provider. It works with several payment providers and it’s highly affordable too.
-Jerret
#71 Sherice Jacob → 04.13.08 at 12:33 pm
I’m interested to know how eBooks will sell through the more traditional (or should I say, notorious) outlets like eBay, now that they’ve snuffed out digital content listings. What’s your take on that? Is everyone going to move from digital back to tangible goods (i.e. books on CD, print-on-demand, etc.)
#72 David Graves → 04.13.08 at 4:17 pm
Congratulations on a remarkably thorough article exploring this fascinating issue, Brian. I was impressed by many of the thoughtful comments left by contributors, too.
Ebooks are new to me, I’ve never downloaded one. I do write fantasy fiction manuscripts and have wondered if my website would be a viable place to showcase them?
Rather than asking if the “ebook is dead?” I found myself asking if I have a nostalgic attachment to traditional books I’ve loved since childhood? (Surely ebooks are a lower cost, instantly deliverable solution?)
Personally, I think there is a middle way. But I cant take credit for the idea. Morris Rosenthal mentions one can provide two or three chapters of one’s new work free, then give readers the option to purchase the full ebook. (In his informative article on Book Marketing).
Your article is so thorough, I would like to include a link to it on my website that supports new writers. (With your permission). The rest of your site looks well-worth exploring, too. No wonder I was directed here from “Top 10 Blogs For Writers”. If it helps I used the simple keywords “writers blogs” on Google that took me to that site- then on to yours.
PS: It’s true younger people dont read traditional books, I asked! (But interestingly, they had downloaded specialist ebooks from the Net, even paid for them).
#73 B. Robert → 04.18.08 at 10:03 pm
I have been very successful with eBooks.
The reason, I believe, is that ebooks can never compare to books.
It would be very similar to comparing apples and oranges.
Sony, Adobe, Amazon and other companies envision the future of content in digital delivery formats.
Just as you realize differences in films, videos and other media formats, a future reality for the ebook is inevitable.
It may simply be the relative to generations. There are those that will not ever think to buy hard copy content, yet quickly purchase subject matter in their favorite digital device format.
I have quite a few websites; on one in particular, I offer three alternative purchases, 1) ebook digital delivery, 2) CD-ROM Manual and Digital Delivery, and 3) Hard Copy Book.
99.9% of my sales are eBook digital delivery.
Statistical figures for sales in eBooks increase every month and year.
There are varieties in styles and formats that may confuse aspiring writers and readers; however, in the future, the maze will clear and digital downloadable delivery will continue to skyrocket for material that can be read via electronics.
A book is a book and will always be that. An ebook will continue its metamorphic transformation because gigabytes of content with accessible bookmarks and hypertext links will revolutionize education.
eBooks, ePaper or other digital formats will never replace or be a substitute for hard cover or paperback books.
It is a wealth of realization to recognize the adjustments and conversions for publishers of encyclopedia’s, dictionaries, medical volumes, and specialty manuscripts including voluminous pages of textbooks.
Our microwavable world with so much to do and learn in too little time will continue to motivate consumers and developers in providing instant gratification to our needs.
eBooks in one format or another; read on one type and style device or another will mold itself into our environment.
Travel to space will see digital content and never the likes of volumes of hard cover copy.
If any aspiring writer wants to write, I recommend beginning, even with, an ebook.
We might never have the chance to read what they are capable of communicating.
More power to the ebook, so simple, so easy, so affordable; and so unconditional for those that need a chance to begin easily.
I will add that Stephen King and Elizabeth George including others offer ebooks for educational and storytelling content.
Certainly, what is good for wonderful and talented authors of their stature and prominence; is good for others.
When it comes to Jane Eyre; will I read the words in a text hard copy that I remove from a shelf, or will I head over to Gutenberg Project or simply listen to the great novel on audio?
For that special classic, I prefer audio; yet there are many accessible books in digital format. I will definitely choose some style digital format over 500 or 600 paper pages.
I will choose to ‘curl up’ with something other while I listen.
As a note: availability to modify text size in ebook and or digital device format is great for the elderly who have difficulty reading the print in hard cover copy.
eBooks are not simply written for marketing purposes only.
#74 Dolcefine Gelato → 04.19.08 at 8:15 am
B. Robert -
Thanks for the insightful and inspirational comment. Though I think the idea behind teachingsells is fantastic and I plan on enrolling, your points on the viability and growth of e-books are also important…especially when e-paper goes mainstream and reading e-books will be comparable to reading a piece of paper.
#75 How to Create Ebooks That Sell | Upgrade your earnings 101 → 04.21.08 at 1:53 pm
[…] by Brian Clark […]
#76 Dave → 04.22.08 at 10:06 am
I would say that this article is an eye opener.
#77 MoiN → 04.30.08 at 12:35 am
Nice Article, Ebooks still pays off for your new gadgets =)
#78 Five Effective Copywriting Tactics for Affiliate Marketing | Copyblogger → 05.01.08 at 1:50 pm
[…] You can, but it’s tricky. Let me give you an example with an article I wrote last year called How to Create Ebooks That Sell. […]
#79 David → 05.01.08 at 5:40 pm
Hi Brian:
Very in-depth article. I’d say ebooks are just getting started. This technology should replace books one day as chopping trees are not nice. Plus carrying around a whole library with you is not so bad!
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