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.
Additional Tip: Use E-Junkie for ebook delivery and your affiliate program. It all ties into PayPal (or other payment processors) and it’s only $5 a month.
Bookmark and Promote!
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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
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.
Lawton, you’ll have to wait for the report to get a satisfactory answer to that. Should be out next week (I hope).
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.
I can’t wait to get my hands on that report! Thanks Brian!
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.
Creating and selling eBook is one of the best way to make money online as an IM.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Looking forward to your next masterpiece O’ Mighty Maestro !
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.
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.
I think probably one of the biggest ebook success stories of all time has got to be Aaron Wall’s SEO Book.
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!
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.
That’s some big talk Latarsha! Have you sold an ebook successfully yet? Easier said than done!
Good points here. Blogs have superseded eBooks for information.
I agree Dan…but then how do we make a living if people are coming to our blogs for FREE and very valuable information?
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.
Looking forward to reading your report Brian! Have you been able to monetize your blog? If so, how. New clients? Advertising?
“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%.
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.
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!)
Was this the post you were referring to from SEOBook?
http://www.seobook.com/publishers-will-have-become-artists
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
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.
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.
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.
“…it sells a lot of ebooks about ebooks. But that doesn’t make it true.”
Beautifully put.
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
If I weren’t moving beyond the funnel model in my free report, Andrew, I might think you’re trying to upstage me.
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!
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
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.
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.
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!
Unfortunately, my term, Digital Paper, should really be e-paper, upon further investigation.
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?
Great tips Brian, I am currently developing an informational product, and debating what is the best format for selling.
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!
I just bought 3 dvd’s, 11.2GB of Ebooks on ebay for 12.99. Work that out. they all seem useless
good stuff. Bookmarked.
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.
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
Are you available for hire? I am a businessman and cannot learn to be an expert at everything…
Kind regards
Anthony
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.
Marcel,
e-Junkie is another good ebook/info download provider. It works with several payment providers and it’s highly affordable too.
-Jerret
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.)
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).
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.
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.
I would say that this article is an eye opener.
Nice Article, Ebooks still pays off for your new gadgets =)
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!
I think that ebooks if marketed properly are an easy sell. That is why so many ebooks basically teach you how to make an ebook of your own and how to sell it.
I am developing an ebook for sellers right now on my Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Blog and I think this information will help me drive traffic. Thanks you
A lot of internet marketers use free ebooks and joint venture programs with free downloads as a way of advertising their programs or services, building their opt in lists and other paid products they have on offer. You can also sell ebooks for a few cents or as a package with other related products and give them away as an incentive on your blog or site or as a bonus for signing up to your mailing list or membership site. I think simple short ebooks or reports are very useful and easy to read. Going through whole books sometimes for the newbie internet user is quite hard.
We do research from our university initiated around financing and behavior, we have several white papers published and they are downloaded a lot.
The trick? Simple, just offer good and adequate research and useful data. I am sure we could make ebooks at the same way and equal successful.
I wrote a how-to type of ebook on inexpensive jewelry photography techniques. My ebook is 57 pages in length and I sell it for $16.99.
This ebook is purchased mostly by women.
I used Open Office to create my ebook in PDF format. Open Office is free. That allows my ebook to be able to be read on any computer.
I know at least some of my ebook readers print out my ebook.
It is a tiny little niche and my web site is ranked in the top 12 positions of the search engines for most keyword phrases.
In order to sell my ebook I do as much marketing as possible, even though me web site is ranked high in the search engines.
I have been selling this ebook for about one year and my sales are in the four digits ($XXXX.00).
@ Jim Juris-
That’s convenient you posted this because I have a lower budget client in need of this info.
@ Brian Clark-
Jim’s link is broken – missing the y in jewelry.
Kindly,
Michael
Brian,
I’ve been contemplating writing an eBook regarding Developing Ad Agency New Business for some time. Your info has been some of the best on the subject I have found so far. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you very much Michael for pointing out the error that I made in the link to my Inexpensive Jewelry Photography website. I didn’t notice the missing letter Y in the word Jewelry when I checked the link.
You’re on the money here.
Reports have a higher perceived value than books, they’re usually easier to write and they’re easier to sell and package with other related products like related reports, audio, video and membership sites.
There is another way to create ebooks that sell…simply by writing lead generating reports for brick and mortar businesses.
In that case you have just one client…the business owner…who you help to make more sales with a report that pre-educates his prospects.
I’ve been paid 4 figures multiple times for writing quite simple 2-15 page reports.
The key is in the value these reports supply the business owner.
If he’s going to make tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales with a report you write for him he won’t hesitate to pay you $1,000 to $5,000 to write the report.
Add to that service online delivery of the report by setting up a website for your clients (it could even be a blog) and you have a service you can charge $1,500 to $10,000+ for.
Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh
Brian,
I was thinking of buying Desperate Buyers Only but I thought the $77 price tag was to high. Has anyone used this ebook and made any money of from it?
Best regards,
Chris
I think this is a matter of how good you are at writing, and if you enjoy writing. Course you can become good at it but it will take time. Nice info though, thanks!
I think if you are good at writer and research your market properly, then your e-book will have ready buyer.
Certain points in this post really worry me!!
But i believe in my writing skills and my knowledge level, and i gotta make a good mix of these both to get a good ebook rolling!!
I’ve been having this idea for a long time, but thanks to you, u saved me from one confusion.
Unfortunately the report is unavailable for download now!
Great article, i tend to create eBooks for promotional reasons and marketing reasons. However i always try and target a certain market first, not leaving it open. These eBooks usually tend to be aimed at beginners as the internet is a growing space where more and more people are joining each and every day
Hi, I bought Desperate Buyers Only the other day. I read it in about 2 hours. It’s great for people like me that have never created an e-book yet.
Best regards,
ChrisS
Good post!. The way you write is the first influential factor. And short & cheap e-books are the more successful ones.
I have never looked into the selling of ebooks prior to this post but I will now investigate the possiblity of developing this sector……thanks for the informative article.
“42% of college graduates never read a book again …”
Is that true? I’d like to know the source for that – it’s appalling if correct.
Chris, follow the link at “consider”.
It was a great article Brian, I found it thanks to a link (via another link) from Rae Hoffman’s article.
To be honest, I can understand why you might have closed “Teaching Sells” to new members but it is disappointing that the ebook is no longer available. It makes it seem as though this article is very old (it is I suppose) and the content is either no longer valid or the post was written simply to sell it or the “course”.
In this blog I read a lot about selling informational ebooks. What about a fictional novel from a largely unknown author? Is there money to be made for novels?
Brian,
I think that a novel should be a paperback book, not a PDF file. The reason that I say that is because novels usually are several hundred pages long. I don’t think that most people would want to read a two hundred or three hundred page book on their computer.
Nice article but you mention about pdf being ok but not the best because of the perceived value. I have seen some ebooks in exe format, is there other formats that can be used to publish ebooks.
How do I get the report? Is it still available?
Thanks,
Erik
You may automate the delivery of your ebooks with an online shopping cart service called SWPal. I have been using it for few months and it works great!
If any one needs a book written by some author (Technical , Management and books on all Programming Languages he could contact me at aman.j@tcs.com or leave a comment at http://crossaffairs.blogspot.com.I can provide each book for 50% of the market price in a pdf file format
I have been sitting here for nearly 2 hours now reading your many pages of of the most interesting and important information sites I’ve been to in a very long time. I’m a little new to this blogging, hub pages, and so on. But yours is real easy to follow and get and and back, which I like a lot. Very well put together, great job on all the above.
Thank you for the info., and I’ll be back.
mscoolwood
eBooks do sell but just like any other product, if an eBook on a particular topic doesn’t have any demand then it, of course, won’t sell. What matters is what topic you have chosen and who your target audience is.
Thank you for this! I am scared that only 43% after college read books! I really like your stance of making sure it includes actual content. As a guy who loves the format of ebooks (I am pretty green) it is shocking how many crappy ebooks there are. Not everyone should be a writer but be able to find a good book with content and value. Thanks for the post, I have implemented so many ideas I have got from you.
Great tips Brian, I am currently developing an informational product, and was debating what is the best format for selling.
Thanks for the very informative article on ebooks.
Hey!
I tried to get the free info on beyond e-books but I guess the site is closed? I did sign up for your teaching lessons, when do you think you’ll open it up again? Any way I can get that beyond e-book though?
Thanks,
Eric
I was curious as to where they got their data from? That 42% seems out of character fro college grads to me, but what do I know? I haven’t graduated college.
Excellent article on creating e-books…….anyone interested in developing an ebook marketing program should read this article.
Brian,
This is great article. I would appreciate if you can throw some light on the best format for the eBook.
Regards
Chris Martin
Buy an eBook….Nah. Buy a screencast, audio, or video product…..More Likely! I have asked people in my circle of friends and family if they would buy an eBook and all either said “what’s an ebook(after explaining they said No)”, or “no”.
I was searching about writing ebooks and I found this entry through google. Thanks for the discussion
I’ve only bought one Ebook. I don’t think I read past the first page.
Basically, people who buy eBooks are the people who buy online. Most people don’t buy eBooks because there are many similar blog entries about certain topics anyway.
People will buy what they want even if it’s an eBook. I’ve really enjoyed reading this. Didn’t even blink.
I think ebooks are great for quick access, but I find I always print them out first and then read them.
If you’ll excuse a gratuitous plug, a good place to publish ebooks is Smashwords – http://www.smashwords.com. You upload your document in Word format, and then we convert your book into about ten DRM-free ebook formats. It’s free and we pay 85% net royalties, and you can still publish your book elsewhere. We offer a bunch of free tools to help authors promote and sell their books.
I’m wondering whether is it ok for me to translate the article into Chinese
I’m afraid the mothods you introduced here couldn’t work in China
I have been wondering about the question of selling the ebook or just giving it away. thanks
I think of the think and grow rich book phenomenon and the idea that some books, once created are really timeless. Now in ebook form this book is free and millions have in on their hard drives. I’ve been looking at the Desparate Buyers only, first saw it the other day. I’ll be getting a copy soon. I love this theme, I’ve been looking at it to. I’ve heard (or read) its very cusomizable and very opimised.
Uhm, do you latest commentators realize this post is about 2 years old? Well, I for one do, and yet I am still commenting now arent I?
Since Aaron Wall mentioned 2 years ago that ebooks are on the way out, I have wondered if it is worth the effort to write another one (my first was in a small niche that is unpopular in this economy.) I have heard about “Desperate Buyers Only” and am totally sold on the idea that desperate folks with a problem to solve fast is by far the best route for making any money online. And I have about 3 niches that cater to exactly that, with ebooks in the planning phase.
I love the idea of generating a (quality mind you) 10-15 page report on such a topic, and selling it consistantly (like 10+ copies a day) at $9.99, for example. My fear is that, even in desperate markets, those numbers may not be reachable.
On the other hand, taking those same topics and using a multi-media training membership site approach as suggested above, with user community and blog, might in fact be exactly right. But there again, although I want to try it, I find that idea daunting in terms of time, skills, web development and design, etc. (CMS platforms like Joomla and Wordpress notwithstanding.)
I am happy to see that this topic is still alive.
I am still selling my ebook. My sales are in
the four digits.
I am sorry to say this but I don’t feel that a
quality 10 to 15 page ebook on any subject
will sell well for $9.99.
I sell my ebook for slightly less than $17 and it
is 57 pages of quality material.
I think that a reasonable price for a 10 to 15
page report is about $3 to $5, or possibly even
give the ebook away for free.
Why would anyone want to give an ebook away
for free?
Answer: To use the free ebook to promote a
larger quality ebook, and possibly several other
ebooks, that you are selling.
I give about 1/3 of my ebook away for free because
people can’t brouse through my ebook like they can
if they went to a book store to buy a regular book.
This gives the potential buyer a good idea of the
quality of my ebook, similar to brousing through a
book before you buy it.
I have in the past looked into selling e-books. I have bought some really good ones in the past and I definitely agree that the market for e-books is still in its infancy
The only downside I personally feel with e-books and when they are mentioned. So many people just try and sell you any old crap in them, especially on eBay that is where all the cons are to be found.
Nice – glad to see you championing ebook creation as profitable. It definitely can be. My own (on ebook writing and sales copywriting) sells better than I expected.
Interestingly, I lowered the price when the recession hit and experienced a decline in sales. It’s now back to $24.00 — for now . . . About four people have written saying they would have paid more for what they got.
Learn more about Ebook Immersion, if interested.
I’m thinking to write a book too in the future. People need what we can offer, so why not to try it…
Great post. selling ebooks online is one of the most lucrative business on the internet. a lot of people are saying that ebook market is dead, when in fact, people are looking for information on any topics they want, actually millions of them.
Hi Brian. My name is Nick and I’m really enjoying your blog. I think this is the 8th article I have read this morning. Thanks to you and your other writers for all the great advice! By the way, I have an eBook that and have found that it’s tough to sell.
That’s an interesting post. I am quite dubious of the amount of money that people make with online products and e-books. Mike Pedersen is quite an opener. And, Mike, thanks you for honesty.
I think the e-books that sell the best are the ones that tell you how to make money (easily and with no effort!) and especially how to make money selling e-books There are probably not to many regular hard cover books telling you how to make money selling e-books. In fact, I only found two (yes, that’s right 2) books on Amazon that talk about selling e-books and making money from it. Yet, the internet is filled with e-books telling you how to make loads of money selling e-books. I think real publishers want to stay away from his topic. It would probable discredit them
It is easy to fake the images that these books supposedly show as proof of all the money they make. I can make a graphic of an invoice in about a few hours.
Offering free ebooks on my websites is the absolute best way to build a following and your email list for future marketing.
Thanks for the insight. I do believe in ebooks have a future.
I think that ebooks if marketed properly are an easy sell. That is why so many ebooks basically teach you how to make an ebook of your own and how to sell it.
Hi Brian. My name is Nick and I’m really enjoying your blog. I think this is the 8th article I have read this morning. Thanks to you and your other writers for all the great advice! By the way, I have an eBook that and have found that it’s tough to sell.
I think of the think and grow rich book phenomenon and the idea that some books, once created are really timeless. Now in ebook form this book is free and millions have in on their hard drives. I’ve been looking at the Desparate Buyers only, first saw it the other day. I’ll be getting a copy soon. I love this theme, I’ve been looking at it to. I’ve heard (or read) its very cusomizable and very opimised.
Thanks for the tip on E-Junkie. I had never heard of it before.
Thanks for the solid primer. I’ve sold an ebook for English langaguage learners in a PDF format with some success, but I know that it can be done far more effectively and profitably.
BTW, E-junkie has done an excellent job on my little niche website. Zero complaints – and their website is quite informative – even for non-techies like me.
I have in the past looked into selling e-books. I have bought some really good ones in the past and I definitely agree that the market for e-books is still in its infancy
The only downside I personally feel with e-books and when they are mentioned. So many people just try and sell you any old crap in them, especially on eBay that is where all the cons are to be found.
I am going to try selling ebooks but the whole procedure seems a bit complicated. It would be nice if there was a free ebook maker i could use.
Dave, there is a FREE ebook maker that you can use, its Open Office, http://www.openoffice.org. Use the Writer program in Open Office, which is very similar to MS WORD. That is what I used to create my jewelry photography ebook. People on Macs and PCs can read it.
When you have your document ready to put into PDF format, make into an ebook, all you have to do is click on the red PDF button in the menu bar and that will create a PDF file and you will then have a ebook.
Create a one paragraph document in Writer, or simply copy and paste this message and save it in Writer and then click on the PDF file button in the menu bar and see what happens.
Good luck.
I can’t wait to get my hands on that report! Thanks Brian!
A good post on ebook. 42% non-readers is alarming. Subjects,topics,pages and marketing is good. But what about the sales process in itself? Is there any other service apart from ejunkie? It is there a service that collects a reasonable charge after a sale, even if it’s a single sale and does not look at volumes?
If an ebook resolves a problem then it can easily be sold online. The trick is to meet the right audience at the right time.
Ebooks are and will be a popular product for a long time to come. As long as people don’t continue creating crappy ebooks, ebooks should stay popular and sellable.
If you can create a quality ebook an market the crap out of it you can make lots of sales and this means lots of $$.
As long as you give useful information that will solve the readers problem as you said, your bound to sell ebookd.
Nice Post.
I have been wondering about the question of selling the ebook or just giving it away. thanks
I think video will take over from ebooks in the long run.
Excellent – Answered all my questions on ebook commerce. Thanks again…
I have written a few ebooks myself and I know they sell if your topic is interesting and if you know how to reach your market.
I have been wondering about the question of selling the ebook or just giving it away. thanks
Ebooks sell and sell well, it is all a matter of knowing your market. My first book Making Money A-Z with Self Storage Auctions did quite well @ 29.99 x 150 copies in 4 weeks of me writing it.
However as referenced over and over in this thread, there are some people who want a book, well a lot of people want a book. Which I now have one on Amazon, I think if you are going to write an ebook, know there is a need and people will buy it before you write it.
Marketing is everything, typically it takes people a minute to warm up to you. I started marketing this book long before it was done.
On one note I would stay away from Paypal and Google Checkout if you have an ebook with “Making Money” anywhere in the title they both suspended my accounts.
Google Check out deposited my money with no fuss, Payal grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! PIA!
Lessons I have learned:
Stay away from Paypal and Google Checkout! Use at your own risk?
Keep your ebook short! My book is 195 pages and it is a lot to print out. But they were happy with the product which is the most important thing.
Market yourself first, once they like you they will buy from you.
Give a lot of good information away , yes it can be painful but your target market is not going to trust you otherwise.
Keep it funny, no one like boring crap and they definitely are not going to pay for it.
I got a ton of great ideas from this post for my next ebook!
Awesome!
Glendon
I have written a few ebooks myself and I know they sell if your topic is interesting and if you know how to reach your market.
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
“Ebooks That Sell Solve Problems” a very true statement…ebooks that I’ve purchased are all problem-solving ebooks. But I think they are way too many ebook scammers these days and their only intention is to make quick cash, they are not a writer and they are not an expert in the field.
I think if you are good at writer and research your market properly, then your e-book will have ready buyer.
You expect 2http.net
I find this to be so true! ebook sell very well.
“I think if you are good at writer and research your market properly, then your e-book will have ready buyer.
You expect “
Read the article was really useful and informative. Existence of such a blog and blog articles that had interested me. I will try to be your constant reader, thank you
As usual great post. Thanks guys
There will always be a market for ebooks, but the actual media will be evolving form text to flash, video and interactivity.
I’ve been trying to write an ebook for three months (not an easy task with running a business FT) but for the most part the ebook is going to be very interactive, and will have come with additional tools above your standard pdf doc.
It’s all in the marketing… I’ve made an ebook that I think it very useful to people. However, it’s in the dating manual market, which is highly competitive. So essentially instead of just having to be an expert on dating, I also have to be an expert on SEO, haha.
I find it interesting that this discussion — whether ebooks are dead or not — has spanned about two years.
Good information, good writing, and good content is never dead. Sure, the presentation and medium factor in, but I would never go so far as to say format A is better than B. It’s all personal preference. I personally can’t stand video tutorials or watching videos often found on blogging sites because they are often embarrassingly unprofessional, or they don’t allow that very important thing that reading does, the easy option to scan through and pick out what I want to read. With a video, I’m stuck slogging through because fastforwarding doesn’t work in the same way scanning the written word does.
Preference.
People will pay for what they will pay for. I don’t see the benefit of saying a format is dead when it isn’t. A format might be dead in an over-used situation (marketers selling to other marketers on how to market), but there is a world outside the bubble.
I think ebooks are great for quick access, but I find I always print them out first and then read them.
I learned and got inspired here. Thank you…
As your article arrives at the conclusion that e-books are still powerful, I think it will continue to evolve – just consider PLR.
I think e-books are a great tool for adding value to existing products. I plan to create a number of small e-books as a complentary product to help out my customers that buy stuff from my boat parts site (e.g. how to build in an anchor hold). I already have a four part course on boat building as a complementary product to boat plans.
I think video will take over from ebooks in the long run.
I think ebooks are great for quick access, but I find I always print them out first and then read them.Tamk uoı
I have been wondering about the question of selling the ebook or just giving it away. Thank you very much.
I don’t agree with your assumption that is a real book is available, you have automatically lost the sale. Reason being, as you said yourself, it all comes down to how you market and position your book. One of my most successful eBooks has thousands of competitors, but my sales page still converts at an amazing clip. Sometimes I get depressed that the entire world comes down to marketing, but it is pretty true.
I used to write a lot of eBooks on random internet marketing subjects, but I learned that for the most part there is a pretty short life to each eBook you write. Unless you go all out and write a thorough book that has a long lasting power, you will have to constantly write new books to keep a consistent income.
In my opinion, creating the eBook is the easy part. If you have the traffic generating website and mailing list, you can swap the product you are selling out, at will. Focus on building traffic, and your site will always be worth something, regardless of the topic of your eBook has gone stale.
You just made up my mind for me. I’ll forget the e-book and go straight for a publisher. Desperate my readers probably are not.
Okay … I bit. I just sent $97 off for the DBO book based, primarily, on your personal recommendation. I will be reviewing it on one of my blogs. If I feel, after having read it, that it truly IS a good investment in e-book writing and marketing, I might even dip my toe in the affiliate pool as well.
But if I don’t, I intend to scream about it good and loud.
–Bill
We have a booked based publisher in services and we would like to authors e-book and audiobook services, what is the best way to go about doing this, and what protection does the e-book offer in order to sell the novel over the internet.
Thanks for providing alot of material for a great price
I look forward to more.
Jack