On the 15th of January 2002, I decided to put together an ebook.
My topic (and my book title): "The Most Effective Articles Ever - From The World's Top Marketers."
Just 33 days later, my 574-page ebook was completed, produced, and making sales!
I thought I'd take a little bit of time to walk you through the processes, in the hope it might inspire you to create an ebook of your own!
STEP ONE: CHOOSE A TOPIC YOU KNOW WELL - AND PICK A DISTINCTIVE ANGLE
I've been in advertising and marketing for over 30 years, so that's a category I know very well indeed. Choosing a topic wasn't a problem. But (as a glance at any ebook directory will tell you), there are a whole heap of marketing books online.
The challenge was to pick a distinctive angle - one that hadn't been explored or over-exploited by others.
In my case, I came up with the idea of selecting "the most effective articles" ever. I'd like to tell you that my choice was as the result of a rigorous research process - but, in fact, it just came to me as full-blown inspiration.
Many of my 71 ebook contributors have since told me what a great idea it is, but I can't claim much credit for it!
If the Muse doesn't strike you, however, there are ways to explore various possibilities systematically. One of the articles in my ebook, by Brian Jud, takes us through a process called "market mapping", which can be easily adapted for this task.
First, take your topic and note down all the possible "angles" that might be covered for those interested in your topic.
Be as creative and "off the wall" as you can, during this brainstorming process - one of these "angles" will probably become your new best-seller!
Next, gather together a list of existing ebooks covering your topic - you'll find URLs for ebook directories on P22 & 23 of my ebook, courtesy Eva Almeida - and delete from your map the "angles" that have already been used by other writers.
Review the remaining "angles", and choose the one which would most appeal to you as a reader.
If you, like me, are intending to put together an ebook using other writers, then your choice of "angle" will need to take their existing work into account.
STEP TWO: APPROACH OTHER WRITERS
At this point, you may be planning to write your ebook completely yourself. Fantastic! Then ignore Step Two.
However, that wasn't my concept, this time round. I wanted an ebook that would be a collection of the most effective articles ever written, by the World's Top Marketers. So I first had to find email addresses for as many of those marketers as I could, and then to write to them, inviting them to take part.
Of course, I had to provide benefits to them, as well, and YOU will need to provide specific benefits to encourage potential contributors to YOUR ebook.
In my case, the benefits included:
* promotion of their status as one of "The World's Top Marketers"
* exposure for their most effective article, which demonstrated their knowledge and their skills
* a free Full Page Ad in the eBook
* the ability to sell the ebook and earn commission
Once you've identified the benefits, you'll need to create a compelling email invitation to potential contributors (mine is included in my ebook, so I won't reprint it here).
Then, you need to track down the names and email addresses of potential contributors. I started with my bookshelf, and you might be able to do likewise. I looked through my collection of marketing books, and chose the authors whose work I respected - virtually all of whom, I'm thrilled to report, contributed articles for MY book!
The next step was tougher - and it probably won't be that easy for you, either - finding their email addresses.
One of the many ways I used was simply to go to my favorite search engine (Google) and search by name. Then I'd pick the results that looked most hopeful, and visit those sites.
A useful tip: the more uncommon the name, the easier it was to find (fewer inappropriate results).
Some of the marketers with really common names, I had to ignore - I simply wasn't prepared to go through 10,000 listings searching for the right "John Smith"!
STEP THREE: PERSONALIZED EMAILS
Once you identify each potential contributor, send them a personalized email. It doesn't have to be an individually-sent email, but it does have to be personalized. I use FletMail, available through ww.download.com, which allows me to use fields (eg [name1]) to personalize each email.
STEP FOUR: FOLLOW-UP
All in all, I sent out emails to 229 of the World's Top Marketers. My goal was to attract 40 of them to take part. But if I'd sent them all just a single email, I would probably have ended up with only about half a dozen contributors.
So, a few days later, I sent a follow-up email. It started by telling the recipients the names of those who had already signed up (adding borrowed credibility to my pitch) and reminding them of the impending deadline (adding urgency).
The list (and the subject line) began to grow, first daily then hourly. I told my readers: "20 of the World's other Top Marketers are waiting". That became "30", then (my goal) "40", then, amazingly, 50, 60, 70, 80 ...
Just before the copy deadline, I sent a "Last Chance" email, which, even then, dragged in a final few.
In total, 86 of the World's Top Marketers agreed to take part. Deadlines being what they are, only 71 actually came through with their material on time -- but, since I was already up to 574 pages, I was more than happy to stop at 71. The other fifteen, I intend to include in the sequel ...
So, lessons to be learned in the follow-up:
* allow time for several emails (at least 3)
* borrow credibility where you can
* have a sense of urgency
* build in a buffer for those that miss the deadline
STEP FIVE: PRODUCTION
The next step is to decide on the eBook format. There are a number of software packages around, but in my opinion there's none better than Adobe Acrobat. The reader software is freely and widely distributed, and the resulting .pdf files can be read on both PCs & Macs.
Adobe Acrobat isn't cheap, I have to admit. And I doubt that you'll be able to buy it as cheaply as I did - I bought it for (ahem!) $24.99 from a discount store, who got briefly into business software - and then quickly cleared their stock at knockdown prices.
So, for the budget challenged, what do I suggest? Try your local classifieds or eBay. Sometimes, people selling off their computer equipment will also be selling off the surplus software. Just make certain you're buying Adobe Acrobat, though - the creation program - and not the free Acrobat Reader!
OK, let's assume that, one way or another, you've got the software. The good news is that Adobe Acrobat acts as just another printer driver for most Windows or Mac programs. So you'll be able to create your content in a program such as Microsoft Word, and then just "print" to the Acrobat format.
A Note:
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One of the odd quirks about ebooks is that they're much more popular if you display a cover!
Strange, eh?
But, according to "Nothing But Net" author Michael Campbell, in his article in my ebook, sales increase by as much as 300% when you offer an ebook and use a cover graphic that looks like a book!
Here's a company that will develop an ebook cover for you for just US$117:
http://hop.clickbank.net/?rg5082/vdavidson
So -- create your content, print it to Acrobat, get a cover, your eBook is ready. Now what?
STEP SIX: MARKETING
Stop a minute. Print out that eBook. Hold it in your hand. You're a publisher. Congratulations.
Now it's time to become a marketer.
This is a topic that requires a lot more focus than this single article can provide - though we know of a new ebook that'll do the job nicely! - but we just want to plant an idea or two, for your consideration.
Let's assume you've compiled an eBook entitled "50 Extreme Tips for Abseiling Success - from Fifty Champion Abseilers" (for title inspiration, check out Carl Galletti's wonderful collection of Headline and Title ideas, included in that new ebook from The World's Top Marketers).
Time for a bit of product sampling. Create a free excerpt so that potential buyers can try first (you can try out a free 80-page excerpt from my ebook by sending a blank email to WTM@freeautobot.com).
Oh - and make sure that the last page or two of the excerpt invites people to buy the complete ebook.
Your first port of call should be the contributors who wrote the book. Ask them to add it to their sites and include in their newsletters.
Why would they do that? Apart from any publicity benefits they might gain, they should earn sales commissions from any copies they sell. For that, you'll need to set up an Affiliate Program - Shawn Collins, Phil Wiley, Allan Gardyne and Neil Shearing all provide useful advice in a certain ebook!
Next step: search on your favourite search engine for abseiling sites.
We started with Yahoo, because they carry a human-chosen collection of sites - 20 when we carried out this exercise, including:
* Tasmanian Climbing Instructors Association
* Pro Adventure
* Adventure Days
* Grampians Mountain Adventure Company
* Waitomo Adventures
* Corsica Raid Aventure
* Ultimative Alpine Triathlon
* Bush Sports
* Avalon Adventure
* Adventure Equipment Cairns
Your next step is visit all these web sites, check them out as suitable "partners", identify email addresses for the webmaster or site editor, and then write them a polite, personally-addressed email like this:
Dear Tasmanian Climbing Instructors Association
I visited your website and was really impressed
by the range of information you offer. I thought
your section on Beginner Weekends was especially
helpful.
I have recently completed a new eBook on Abseiling, "Fifty Extreme Tips for Abseiling Success", and
would be delighted if you would like to offer an
excerpt as a free download to your visitors.
I haven't included it with this email, because of concerns about viruses, but please review it for
yourself at http://www.mysite.com/abseil.pdf
As you'll see, the eBook offers some more helpful advice on abseiling, and I think it would work
really well with your website.
Sincerely
Your Name
Repeat as directed for the first 20 sites, then go to another Search Engine and repeat the process.(Google.com lists about 40,300 sites under "abseiling", so you have plenty of scope).
What will you achieve, at the end of the process? A small/medium/large (depending on your stamina) collection of sites, all targetted at your market and all carrying your free sample - which is effectively a sales brochure. Beats advertising, any day.
You can reasonably expect to get a trickle of traffic from each website, all sending prospects to sample your ebook excerpt.
The primary focus of your website: to turn that sampling into sales!
STEP SEVEN: YOUR WEBSITE
When prospects come knocking at your website door, you want them to take one or more of the following actions:
1. Buy the eBook
2. Sign up for your newsletter
3. Join your Affiliate Program
If they leave the site without buying your ebook, then (and only then) should you offer them a free sample. At WorldsTopMarketers.com, I've set up a "PopUp On Exit" box, which offers visitors a free 80-page excerpt. But that PopUp most definitely stays in the box, if they head on over to my Order Form! Visitors only receive the PopUp if they exit without ordering.
Why not offer a free sample to everyone? Because then you've just delayed (or maybe even killed) the sale. It's just human nature - get a free sample, you can defer making the purchase decision until later (or maybe never). Trust me, I found this out the hard way!
So I wait, and catch those visitors who have decided not to purchase at this time. For those, I have a special free offer. And, because the download details are delivered by autoresponder, I have the opportunity to follow up by email, and try to close the sale again.
THE FIRST 33 DAYS
So - there you have it. The first 33 days in the life of an ebook.
I hope I've inspired you to explore the possibilities for yourself.
Happy Publishing!
Michael Carney
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Michael Carney is the Creator and Editor of the Hot New eBook On Sale At http://www.WorldsTopMarketers.com
THE MOST EFFECTIVE ARTICLES EVER -
FROM THE WORLD'S TOP MARKETERS
71 of the World's Top Marketers share their most effective advice ever, in a must-have 574-page manual of marketing! For a free 80-page excerpt mailto:wtm@freeautobot.com