eBooks

Advantages of selling eBooks

Ebooks are books in digital form.They are usally in .pdf or .doc files.

It is easy to create an eBook
First, you type your pages using a text editor like MS Word, then you convert them into pdf file using Adobe software.The next step is to cretae a banner graphic called an "ebook cover" for linking to these pages.

No shipping costs
When somebody buys an eBook from your website there is nothing to be shipped out. He just download it off your website and start reading it straight away! No shipping charges, no packing materials, nothing!

What eBooks to create?
Start with some thing which you know well or some thing which you are passionate about.
People surf the internet for information, your eBook will sell well if it contains useful information.
Examples like:

How to master English the easy way
How to train your dog
How to fix your house's plumbing problems
How to lose weight without going on diet
How to play pingpong
How to play basketball
How play badminton
How to start swimming in 30 days
How to create a website without learning HTML
How to make model cars
How to bake cakes like a pro
How to teach your kid to...

The list goes on and on...

Contents of your eBook
Begin your book by telling your readers your background in connection to the topic of your ebook. This will increase the confidence level of your prospects in buying it.
Give general description of the topic you are writing about. Go into some details on the priciples of operations, methods, rules and regulations (if any), usage and maintenance etc..
Don't forget to add any tips which you have gained through personal experience on the topic. This adds value to your book. This portion alone will sometimes influent a prospect to buy or go to someone else. So reveal as many easier, faster, cheaper, more effective ways to use/train/learn/master the topic as possible.Don't make your eBook too long, 30-40 pages will be just nice.

Create the eBook
When you are done with writing the pages, convert them into pdf files so that they are not modified easily by unauthorised persons. There are free tools online for doing this. Then create a cover graphic for your ebook.

Upload your eBook
Set up a website to promote you new ebook. It may be just a one page website with a compelling sales letter. Insert you ebook cover on this sales letter, so that when a visitor clicks on it he will land on your payment page. After making payment he will receive a "thank you" page where you hide the download link to your eBook.
You must upload your ebook to the server of the host of your website either using a third party ftp program or the server's own ftp program. The link on your "thank you" page should point to this server.

Upsell
You should follow up with emails to your buyer offering him another eBook which is an in-depth study on the same topic. The new offer will usually comes with a much higher price tag. Since he has bought the first book from you his trust in you will encourage him to buy from you again. With his interests on the topic fired up by the frist ebook (provided your first is good,of course) likelihood is that he will buy the second ebook.
This follow up sale is sometimes known as "back-end" sale.
Alternatively you may also offer him ebooks on topic closely related to the topic in the first book.
Considering the problems with shipping costs involved in selling physical items, I recommend to my fellow Malaysians to spend more time on promoting eBooks so that you don't waste your time doing futile things.

Start your own affiliate program
You can start an affiliate program selling your eBooks.Pay your affiliates 50% commissions or more so that they have the incentive to promote hard for your ebooks and reach more people.Insert links to sale pages of your other products therefore you can sell more prducts.

Don't be ripped off
When you have your download page set up, you hide it deep inside your server. You only disclose this download page's link to your customer in the thank you page. You think it is safe, but the truth is the contrary. Your customer may share your download link with his friends, worse still they may even pass it around in forums or membership sites.
If your buyer is a member of del.icio.us, he may have bookmarked it with del.icio.us and your secret download link will be in clear public view. This is unfortunate, but you can avoid it by using software that generates dynamic download link for each buyer and it expires after he uses it. Check it out: