July 11, 2010
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Table of Contents
1) A Limited Special--Before July 21stBy W. Terry Whalin
2) Will I See You In Person?
By W. Terry Whalin
3) Make $10,000 A Month Selling E-books
By Robert W. Bly
4) How Do You Make Money With Books--Free Teleseminar
By W. Terry Whalin
A Limited Special--Before July 21st
By W. Terry Whalin
The revision of my latest book, Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams, has been available for a few weeks. I've been learning how to make better use of my shopping cart.Recently I noticed my shopping cart allowed for coupons--yet I had never used them. To encourage you to grow in your own publishing dreams, I've set up a coupon code which has a limited time attached to it. The coupon code is good for 20% off the purchase price of the book. When you check out with either the paperback or the Ebook, notice the field in the shopping cart which says, "Coupon Code (optional)" and there is a blank field with a button "apply." The coupon code to enter is: July2010 If you add this code and hit apply, it will take off 20% of the retail price which is the greatest discount available for this book. Here's the limited time part of this coupon: you have to act now or before July 21st. After July 21st, this coupon code will not be effective.
In addition, I want to call to your attention, one additional space in the shopping cart that you might want to use. When you get to the checkout screen where you put your payment information, near the bottom of the page, it says, "Comments / Special Delivery Instructions." What goes into that space? If you have purchased the paperback, indicate in this space that you would like me to autograph your book--and give me the name to use. For example, "Please autograph to Jane." When I pack your book, I will be glad to autograph your book. I personally love autograph books and treasure them and I wanted to give you the same opportunity when you get Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams.
Now the choice is yours. I hope you will take advantage of this summer special for Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. I've packed this book with easy-to-apply practical material that could change your writing life--provided you take advantage of this limited time offer. I encourage you to get it today and take action. Seize the day.
Will I See You In Person?
By W. Terry Whalin
In early August, I'll be teaching at two different conferences. In the last few weeks, I've been developing a new series of workshops on marketing for the writer with interactive handouts. First, I'll be at The Oregon Christian Writers Summer Conference from August 2 through 5 in Canby, Oregon. I will have a small group of writers for my continuing session. Then from August 11 to 14, I will have an entirely different group at The Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference. If you can make either conference, I would love to see you face to face.In late September, I will be teaching in Tucson, Arizona at the Wrangling With Writers Conference then in November, I will be at the Heartland of America Writers Conference in Kansas city, Missouri. You can find the specific dates and links to the conference website at: my speaking schedule on this page.
At each conference, I will be teaching a different topic. I encourage you to check the specific conference schedule to see which classes I will be teaching and how we can schedule some time together to speak about your project. For example at one conference I teach a couple of single workshops where at another conference I teach a continuing session which goes over several days. Besides my teaching, I will be meeting individually with writers to learn about their projects and how I can help them through my role as a publisher at Intermedia Publishing Group.
I know that it takes effort to get to one of these conferences but I look forward to meeting you in person. From my experiences of attending these conferences, the effort is well worth the reward of new relationships and greater insight into your own writing life.
Make $10,000 A Month Selling E-books
By Robert W. Bly
Before the Internet, there was a niche in mail order marketing that involved selling books on how to get rich in mail order, the audience primarily composed of business opportunity seekers.Now the Internet has created an equivalent market of people who want to get rich on the Internet, and an equivalent niche: selling e-books on how to make money writing and selling e-books.
Most of these e-books are specifically on how to make money on the Internet, and deal with various aspects of selling information online. A few are on more general marketing and selling topics. Hardly any deal with subjects outside of business and business opportunities.
The business model works as follows: You write an e-book on a topic of interest to your potential buyers (Internet millionaire wanna-be's) and format it as a downloadable PDF file.
Next, you write a long, powerful sales letter to sell the e-book and post it on the Web as a microsite. Unlike conventional Web sites, which have a lot of buttons and clicking options, the only thing you can do on a microsite for a single e-book is read the sales copy and, if interested, order the product.
(E-books are typically covered by a 30-day money back guarantee. Even though the product can't be "returned," anyone who says they are dissatisfied gets a refund.)
Finally, you drive traffic to the e-book site through a variety of promotional methods, including ads and articles in other people's e-zines, announcements in your own e-tine, banner advertising, co-registrations, cost per acquisition (CPA) deals, making affiliate deals with other online marketers, and sending e-mails to your house file (renting a traditional opt-in list does not typically work for e-book offers because oŁ the high cost).
An "affiliate deal" involves arranging with another online marketer to sell your e-book to his audience in exchange for a cut of the revenue ranging from 30% to 50%. "Affiliates are my most successful method of selling e-books," says Joe Vitale, author of numerous e-books including the best-selling Hypnotic Writing (www.hypnoticwriting.com). Vitale recommends searching the Internet for online marketers who sell other people's products on their site.
"Recruiting people who buy your e-book and love it is the best way to get affiliates," says Fred Gleek, an online information marketer (www.seminarexpert.com). Include a section in every e-book explaining how the buyer can become an affiliate and sell your e-book to his audience.
"With a new e-book, your own list represents the absolute best way to sell a whole lot of e-books really, really fast," says e-book author Jim Edwards, "People who have bought from you before are highly likely to buy again."
The "model" for this genre of "how to get rich online by selling e-books on how to write and sell e--books" is eBook Secrets Exposed (www.ebooksecretsexposed.com) by Jim Edwards and David Garfinkel (www.hypnoticwriting.com).
Edwards makes a handsome living writing and selling e-books; he has sold 5,000 copies of various e-book titles ranging from $29 to $49 over the last 12 months. Keep in mind that the manufacturing and shipping costs for e-books is zero, which is what makes them such an attractive, profitable information product.
"I have two e-books that each generate $10,000 to $12,000 gross each per month," says Edwards. "Another does $3,000 per month in sales, and two others generate $1,200 per month each. One e-Book sold $43,000 in 30 days."
What topics works best? "Topics that address an urgent need that the prospect is aware of, and that you can market to pre-formed Internet groups of prospects," says Garfinkle. "These groups are usually composed of e-tine subscribers are an affinity groups that spends a lot of time on a single Web site or discussion groups that allows production promotion. " He says that e-books on marketing and big-ticket consumer item topics (e.g., how to negotiate the best price for a car, or how to buy or sell your house) work well.
And what won't sell in the e-book marketplace? "Informative, even valuable topics around which there is no pressing need most of the time," says Garrfinkle.
He recently advised another online marketer not to go forward with a planned e-book for junior executives on how to sell their ideas to others. The reason? He couldn't find an interested community on the Web of junior managers that have spent money on career-improving topics. "Also, except in rare situations, most junior managers don't feel urgency about selling their ideas to others," David notes.
A word of caution to the buyer: Some e-books are quickly compiled, shoddily researched, recycled trash, and a rip-off of their $19 or $29 selling price. Reason: The barriers to entry in e-book marketing are so low, anyone can do it. And so the market is flooded with thin PDF documents written by amateurs hoping to make a quick book.
Your best bet if you want to buy and read marketing e-books: Buy from the proven authors mentioned in this article - Jim Edwards, David Garfinkel, Fred Gleek, Joe Vitale - as well as other known experts in entrepreneurial online marketing including Terry Dean, Corey Rudel, Jeffrey Lant, and Jim Straw.
About the author: Robert W. Bly is a freelance copywriter and the author of more than 70 books including The Complete Idiot's Guide To Direct Marketing (Alpha Books) and The Copywriter's Handbook (Henry Holt & Co.). His articles have appeared in numerous publications such as DM News, Writer's Digest, Amtrak Express, Cosmopolitan, Inside Direct Mail, and Bits & Pieces for Salespeople.
Robert has presented marketing, sales, and writing seminars for such groups as the U.S. Army, Independent Laboratory Distributors Association, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and the American Marketing Association. He also taught business-to-business copywriting and technical writing at New York University. For a FREE Copywriting Information Kit, or a free, no-obligation cost estimate on copywriting for your next project, click here. His website address is www.bly.com.
How Do You Make Money With Books?
Sign Up For Wednesday's Free Teleseminar
By W. Terry Whalin
I spend the bulk of my work hours talking and emailing authors because of my role as a book publisher at Intermedia Publishing Group. These individuals have many different ideas, goals and dreams for their books. I'm committed to getting each book out into the marketplace with excellence and a high professional standard.While these authors have many different goals for their books and some of them openly talk about what they want for the impact of the book and the message, one concrete measurement of the impact of their book is the earnings from their book. Whether they verbalize it or not, each author would like for their book to make money. Throughout my years in publishing, I've been involved in many books as an author and as an editor and now as a book publisher.
Wednesday, July 14th, I'll be talking about the topic of how to make money with books in a live teleseminar. I've built a great deal of thought and value into this event. You can sign up free to attend either on the phone or on the live telewebcast. If you can't attend the actual event, go ahead and sign up (even if you don't have a question) because it will be recorded. Everyone who registers will receive the replay link to the recording.
After you enter your first name and primary email address and a question, then confirm the information, you will reach a thank you, confirmation page. On this page, you can return to listen to the live event but also you can download a copy of a new ebook which I've created: Buzz Your Book, Marketing That Matters. Also you can download an action guide and use it to take notes during the live event or when you listen to the replay. I hope to speak with you on Wednesday.