Why eBooks Are The Most Overlooked Path To Online Prosperity
The ebook revolution is here! The Internet now makes it possible
to come up with an idea, turn it into an ebook, distribute it
over the Internet, and start making money - all in 30 days or
less.
In the offline world, 30 days wouldn't typically even be long
enough to start getting rejection letters back from publishers.
We say this with confidence because we have both gone from book
idea to book sales in a matter of weeks - not once, but many
times. Between us, we have 10 ebooks currently selling on the
Net. Several of our books have brought us five figures in
income. Jim holds the record between us with one release that
made an astounding $43,000 in 30 days.
Here are two discouraging myths you should be aware of:
Myth #1 - It takes a lot of money to promote an ebook.
Fact: It doesn't. Despite what anyone says to the contrary,
online information publishing is still the fastest, cheapest and
easiest way for the "little" guy to earn a nice living online
with virtually no risk and very little money (less than $100).
Myth #2: You have to be a writer to make money with ebooks.
Fact: You don't have to be a "writer" in order to create a best
selling ebook - and it often helps if you're not!
Maybe you've heard that ebooks don't sell. That's not entirely a
myth; in a way, that's true. What sells in bookstores will
generally not sell well on the Internet. Although author J.K.
Rowling has sold more than 100 million copies of her "Harry
Potter" books worldwide, it's unlikely she would do well selling
her stories in ebook form.
But ebooks sell like hotcakes when they contain PRACTICAL
information in ready-to-use form. Not pages of pages of long,
flowing prose like you find at Borders and Barnes and Noble. On
the Net, people buy step-by-step, cut-to-the-chase information
they can use to solve problems in their everyday lives.
eBooks on how to negotiate the best price on a car, how to sell
your home without paying a real estate agent, how to build
muscle mass quickly, and other narrowly focused topics that
solve a problem, are selling VERY well - at this very moment!
Why is this so? Because the main reason people are online in the
first place is to find information - 9 times out of 10,
according to a landmark survey.
So if you can interest people in extending their search past
looking for free information into purchasing an
information-rich, well-organized, ready-made SOLUTION to a
pressing problem, you can sell ebooks... You can sell a LOT of
them.
Jim has sold more than 5,000 ebooks in the last 10 months.
David's publishers have asked him not to reveal how many ebooks
he's sold, but just type his first and last name into Google and
you'll find more than 20,000 Web pages where his name appears.
The vast majority of those pages have something to do with one
of his ebooks.
One more thing: It doesn't need to take very long to write an
ebook. Why? Because many "book books" are like encyclopedias in
prose form - they cover everything imaginable about the topic.
eBooks aren't like that. They go right to the meat of what
people need to know to solve a problem. They have information
about everything necessary to solve a problem, but no "filler"
information that takes so long to write - and takes readers so
long to sift through.
Here are four mistakes ebook authors make that typically reduce
or prevent sales:
1. They don't write to a specific, target audience. The biggest
mistake most ebook authors make is they don't clearly define,
identify and visualize who they are selling their ebook to. On
the Web, to be successful, you must write to a specific group of
people who have specific interests. Make sure that you know
exactly who is going to buy your ebook, and where you can find
them online.
2. They don't automate as many of their business activities as
possible. Selling ebooks, though it is highly profitable, is not
a business where you make hundreds of dollars per sale.
Automate everything you can - credit card processing, ebook
delivery, as much technical support as possible.
3. They don't have a compelling title for their ebook. Use words
that convey the benefit of what's in the ebook, as well as words
your audience is familiar with.
A bad title for an ebook: "Online Marketing for Newbies." A good
title for the same ebook: "97 Ways to Promote Your Website - No
Experience Required."
4. They try to cover too much ground. Many ebook authors convey
a lot of information but don't cover anything in-depth. As a
result, they never fully explain anything in enough detail to
provide any useful value to their readers.
As long as you are aware of these mistakes and put in a little
effort to avoid them, your chances of success are VERY high.
So, if you know a lot about something - or even if you don't -
you can put together and market an ebook quickly, and make a lot
of money quickly as well. The large traditional publishers may
never understand or agree with this, but that's actually to your
benefit. It keeps the playing field level and offers you, the
entrepreneurial author, unlimited opportunities for many years
to come.