E-Book Information |
|
Are Ebooks Overpriced?
Who ever thought that one day books would not be written. People no longer have to go to stores and buy books anymore, they can read them online by authors who instead of paying the extra money to get published, simply put their book in a virtual form. No costs involving materials, dealers, book stores, or advertisement. It can all simply be done on the computer. But is this new revolution of the press good for the consumer? I went browsing through some Ebooks the other day, ranging in titles from "How to tame your dog" to "What Google Never Told You About Making Money with AdSense." They were also ranging in price from about 5 cents to almost $100. What do we get out of these high priced books? First off, I can tell you what we as consumers do not get. We do not get a tangible item (unless of course you print the pages, get a good old fashioned stapler, and try to put one through about 200 pages of computer paper), we do not get the experience of sitting down in a quiet place in a comfy chair (note: my chair has four legs, a back, and a seat that are all made out of wood as soft as a park bench), and we do not get to return our item after our purchase. We instead are either given the link to a .pdf file or actually sent a .pdf file (I like how the later makes you think that you actually "own" the item). Do we really want to pay upwards of $20 to get something that can be wiped out with the crash of our computer? I say buy the book and print it, or better yet, go to the store and buy a real book, just like we've been doing for the last few hundred years. Jeffrey Abbott is a respected author and editor of eMoneyReport.com Visit the site at http://www.emoneyreport.com and read reviews on programs that help you to make money from your own home. eMoneyReport offers a simple and easy format to find articles relating to all types of online business and website promotion.
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Look How Easy It Is To Write Your Own eBook What happens when you stumble across a promising market, idea or topic for an ebook, but don't know how to quickly find out what content you should package to sell? Ask and Ye Shall Create How do you decide to create a new speech? A new report? A net product? Most of us have an idea, then start to work on it. It's only when we are well into the creation phase that we determine whether or not it will sell. Simple Way To Become An Information Entrepreneur Do you think there is a difference between someone who writes a fiction manuscript and someone else who authors their own instruction, self-help or "how to" book? Making Money With Information Products I actually know a few people who are making millions a year through home-based operations (and a few others who have been able to subsidize their incomes from low risk business ideas). In most cases, all it took was some good market research and the get up and go to actually put the information product together. Believe it or not, the biggest obstacle to overcome when putting together an ebook or DVD product is actually having the motivation to get started - it's not as hard as it sounds! The most common, and usually the most successful information products are e-books, audio cd / tapes and increasingly, DVD's. We'll take a look at each of these categories in more detail below: Writing a successful ebookYou really have 2 options here. You can develop the content of the e-book yourself, or you can get someone to do it for you. There's a few other ways you can go about creating an e-book, for instance, obtaining the rights to an out of print book, but these methods and considerably more complex and don't offer any guarantees. If you're a semi-confident writer, my advice would be to try and write the book yourself. A good way to start is to write about something that you are interested in ? spend 15 minutes a day putting down your ideas, if you find you are struggling, do your best to outline your ideas and then investigate the possibility of hiring a writer to research and draft the remainder of your ebook. There are loads of good writers around who will put together polished and concise copy for around 10 cents per word. Take a look at http://www.profitpuppy.com/freelance-sites.htm for more information about finding a freelance writer. Some writers expect up to $175 US an hour for their services, although thanks to the internet, it's not impossible to find a reasonably talented scribe for around 10 cents per word. It's important that you are clear in what you want to achieve when advertising a project so that you attract someone who is well suited. If you don't have any luck with Elance or Freelance Writers, you could also try posting to Yahoo Groups or approaching people at your local uni. It's important to remember that your reader probably won't be too concerned about your command of the English language - just make sure you clearly explain your concepts and ideas (especially if you are writing a "how-to" style ebook). For more information about writing and marketing e-books, visit http://www.profitpuppy.com/writing-and-selling-ebooks.htm where you will find a number of valuable resources. Audio CD's and Tapes If you don't fancy yourself as a writer whatsoever, another option you have is to create and audio tape or CD. It's not as expensive as you might think, and audio products still have great appeal for buyers. While DVD's and Videos have become easier to create, tapes and CD's are still the mainstay of the information product world. The reason of this is that media savvy buyers aren't enticed by the often amateurish production qualities of video or DVD info products. Another advantage of tapes and CD's is that you can listen to them anywhere, for example in your car on the way to work. To produce a CD or Tape of reasonable quality, you are going to need to purchase (or hire) the necessary equipment. If you can afford to buy some studio time, it's worthwhile, but if you just starting out, it's an undue expense that you can avoid. Your local electronics store should be able to arm you with a noise reducing microphone and some high quality audio tapes (another option is to record to your computer first). You can expect to pay around $50 - $80 all up. You don't need expensive equipment to get started, although you may have to upgrade if as you go along? Assuming that you've researched your topic (and target market properly), you can begin working on your information product which should give some step-by-step advice on how to overcome a particular problem or achieve a particular goal (there's more about picking your topic below). Just remember that when you start recording you deliver the essence of your experience (or research) in an entertaining and concise way. If you are producing an instructional CD or tape, a simplified and bare bones approach is often best. Come up with steps that will help your customers achieve their desired goal/s. When you're ready to go, shut off the phones and start recording (it's also a good idea to have a script in front of you). Record your tape in less than 60 minutes. Play it to your friends, make any changes you think might be worthwhile based on their advice. When you're happy with the final product, create some duplicates (or get someone to do it for you) and then start selling your product on the Internet ? It's that easy! Making your own DVD information product If you think your idea is an exceptional one, or something that could work better visually, then you might consider producing your own DVD of Special Interest Video (SIV's). This type of information product (often referred to as Guerilla Video) is becoming more popular as the required production technology becomes more accessible. Anyone with a DVC, a computer and some editing software can now make fairly professional looking DVD's. DVD's like tapes and CD's are also more valuable in terms of what your customer might pay for them; although they are more expensive to produce, people are more likely to pay extra money to watch a DVD (especially if it can show them how to do something instead of having to listen or read about it). For example, showing someone how to dance or swing a golf club would be much more valuable then telling them how to do it. Remember that the 'if you can't do it, get someone else to' principle applies for DVD's and audio information products as well. It will cost you a little extra, but will usually be worth it in the long run. Regardless of your current level of video expertise, if you have the basic equipment, you can produce your own SIV. The first time around, you should consult with a sound and lighting technician and hire a video editor who can help you assemble your masterpiece. Picking a topic and selling itI probably should have covered this at the beginning? Anyway, by now you've probably got 3-4 ideas for your own e-book? If not, you'd better get brainstorming! Have you ever trained an animal? There's a product right there. Do you have a fantastic way to save money? There's another product. Do you know how to build anything? That's definitely a product. There's potential for information products all around you. The most important thing is that you research you target market properly and find out what they are interested in. A great way to do this is to post a short online questionnaire which you can advertise through pay per click Google Adwords. You could offer to give away a free copy of your product to anyone who helps you out with your market research. Before marketing your product, decide how much it's worth: as a rough guide, you can sell an audio tape for at least $10 - $30 or a series of tapes for a lot more (depending on the subject) and you should be able to double that price for a CD or DVD product. At the end of the day you really have to test your price -you need to understand how much the market values your information. If your product can help other people earn money, you should be able to sell it for $97 per unit or more. If you're trying to market a dog grooming manual you may find it more difficult to generate good returns ? you must pick your topic carefully. Some killer website copy, targeted ads and packaging can all help add value to your product. You will also need a merchant account so you can accept payment for your information product. Visit http://www.profitpuppy.com/accepting-payment.htm to learn more about merchant accounts. E-books, tapes and SIV information Products can be the ideal business to start - they are easy to produce, simple to ship, and enjoy high returns because people aren't paying for the physical form the product is delivered in. Remember, that after you've completed your product, you'll be making nearly 100% profit (that's if people are interested enough to buy it). For example, if you produced just 1 DVD and can sell 500 copies at $50 a piece, you stand to make $25,000? Regards, Rob Rawson Ebooks Are The BEST Form Of Advertising! Ebooks are part of the new frontier of cyberspace. They are an entirely new medium for sharing marketing information, ideas, techniques, and expert knowledge. 20 Questions To Ask Before Creating An eBook 1. What will be the title of your ebook and will it have a subtitle? The Secrets to Writing Your Very Own Profit Pulling eBook! I can guarantee that anyone can write an ebook. Everyone has their own interests which they can talk confidently about in depth and detail. With the amount of people on the internet nowadays, you can guarantee that there will be thousands of others with the same interest as you. Information is a huge bestseller on the internet. Thousands of people are dying to get their hands on a manual or expert guide about your interest. Therefore, there is a huge opportunity for you to spend a little time compiling a guide on your interest and selling it to those who desperately need it. What's even better is the fact that you can write, compile, and publish your ebook with no cost at all. You get to keep all the profits. Just One Quick Question Ever notice the number of times a client or prospect says some variation of 'I just have one more question,' or 'Just a quick question?' The answers to those questions are the grist of a tips booklet. You may be asked the same or similar questions repeatedly. And whether you think you are a good writer or not, you can always develop tips based on what people have already said they want to know from you. 10 Secrets to Write Your eBook Like a Winner! You already have what it takes to write your first e-book. And like other winners you can create or increase your passive income stream each month. Your winning competitors wish you would never discover these secrets. Neighborhood Mobile Watch Program Setting up a Neighborhood Mobile Watch Program in your community can deter crime, raise property values and help your community feel safe and secure. Part of the success of a Neighborhood Watch Program is proper public relations. In my Free Online E-Book you can learn the benefits that such a volunteer program can give your community. Proper public relations, news coverage and press releases can help you recruit more volunteers. As you get more and more press you will be able to alert criminals that your community is united against crime. Electronic Books And Magazines Can Be Among Your Cost Effective Servicing Tools Electronic servicing is, as they say, a "growth industry". With many new electronic products and equipments reaching the market, there is a large demand for electronic repair technicians. However, with the growing complexity in the electronic service business, electronic technicians are facing countless obstacles. They must keep abreast of each new development in the industry to emerge as a competitive and valued service provider. Besides attending the manufacturers' service workshop, they must be well informed by reading magazines and books on electronic servicing. Your First Step to a Digital Publishing Empire The hardest part of writing is the first sentence. When you look at the whole project, it seems like an impossible task. That's why you have to break it down into manageable tasks. Think of climbing a mountain. You are standing at the foot of it and looking up at its summit vanishing into the clouds. How can you possibly scale such an immense and dangerous mountain? How Using A Drop Capital Increased My Ebook Sales By 40% You will often find me with my head in a book, studying the marketing and copywriting experts from the past. Selling Books and E-Books Online For many authors the thought of getting professionally published is little more than a dream. That was until the advent of the internet started threatening the very existence of publishers. As the internet started gaining momentum, real world publishers started finding strategic ways to ensure a peaceful co-existence with online publishers and self published authors. However to this day, traditional publishers are seeing only a small growth rate of 5%, while ebook sales soar at about a 30% growth rate. The exciting news for many authors is that you now don't need to subject yourself to the rejection notices and snobbery of the publishing community. Price your eBook to Sell Well Q. The big question asked me in teleclasses or client sessions is "How should I price my eBook? Using Internet Marketing E-books Helps With Business Issues Using an Internet marketing e-book when starting a new home-based business will give you helpful hints and clues to start your business on a firm foundation. E-books, short for electronic books, are books on either one subject or a collection of different articles that can be downloaded from any website on the Internet. Almost anything that can be displayed on a website can be packaged into an e-book. Goals and Objectives in Authoring an eBook Goals begin behaviour, consequences maintain behaviour! Sell 100,000 eBooks By Letting It Be Read For Free? Did you know that if just one person goes into a library and asks for your eBook and if it is listed in the librarians' catalogs, then the library will buy a copy of your eBook in order to lend out. What Comes First - The Cover or The eBook? One of biggest trend these days is related to ebooks. Because of their viral nature, ebooks are a great way to increase traffic to a site and that's why everyone has to write at least one. 10 Steps to Author 1 eBook Authoring a book, specifically an eBook (electronic book), is easy, affordable and profitable. Share your expertise and experience with an international on-line community of learners. |
home | site map |
© 2005 |