Top 10 Tips to Give Your Newsletter Impact!

There are thousands of email newsletters or "ezines" produced every week, and most of them have great material and are written by passionate people who want to share valuable information. 
Unfortunately, very few of them have many subscribers.
 

Perhaps the biggest problem they face is that many of them are too hard to read! They are (let's be honest), ugly! As my newsletter has grown, I've learned some things about formatting and presentation. Here are my Top 10 tips:

1.  Use lots of white space. Surround your best ideas with blank space, to draw the eye to them.

2.  Use shorter sentences than you would on paper. Keep ideas simple, and clear.

3.  Use much shorter paragraphs. Most of my paragraphs are less than 6 lines, and I very rarely have a paragraph longer than 8 lines. On paper, a longer paragraph is fine, but not on a computer screen. Keep it short!

4.  Use lists! Use numbers or bullet points to keep things clear. As people scroll up and down their screen, give them reference points. Make it easy to navigate your material.

5.  Use a standard "masthead" for your letter. The first screen (first impression) of your letter must be consistent from one issue to the next. Make it pleasant, give the essential info (title, your name, perhaps the date or issue number), and keep it simple.

6.  Use a table of contents. Again, think in terms of easy navigation. Use clever titles to catch the reader's interest, and give them a map to help them find the material that interests them most!

7.  Use simple words and clear language. Particularly in email, most of your writing should be at about the 6th grade level.

8.  Use a clean lay-out, with distinctive marks to separate each section. I generally use a single row of either "====" or "++++" marks between each section of the newsletter. Some people use more artistic separators, and that's a matter of personal preference, but each section must be clearly delineated.

9.  Take a moment before you send your email to insert line returns manually. You can't count on your reader's email program to calculate and place line returns where you want them. You decide, based on your sense of proportion and what you want to emphasize, where to put each line return.

10.  Keep your lines very short. I manually insert line breaks in all newsletter articles. I recommend breaking your lines at about 60 characters, and I often break them as short as 50 characters. Again, think about white space, and look for ways to make your letter easier to read.

Denis Waitley used to tell this story about the importance of presentation.

Suppose I invited you to my home for an elegant dinner. When you arrive, I invite you in, and make you comfortable as a guest in my home. I tell you I am fixing your favorite dinner, with all the trimmings. You can smell it cooking! But, when the dinner is ready, I slop it onto your plate right out of the pan, splashing some in your lap in my hurry!


You'd be disappointed (at the very least!) and probably never come back. In your newsletter, it's vital to have great cooking, but in many ways it's even more important to present it elegantly. Take the time to present your great ideas as attractively as possible.

"Written by Dr Philip E. Humbert, author, speaker and personal success coach.  Dr Humbert has hundreds of tips, tools and articles on his website that you can use for YOUR success!  It's a great resource!  And, be sure to sign up for his FREE newsletter!  Visit him on the web at:  http://www.philiphumbert.com"

How Keyword Rich Content Increases Home Business Profits

Maximizing website exposure through strategic articles benefits both company and clients.

Creative and keyword rich content can play an important role in boosting sales and profits for home-based businesses that rely on web sites for customer acquisitions. Developing strategic marketing articles that both attract better search engines results and increased customers will drive the profits and awareness of your online site. Indeed, keyword rich content that provides useful information to prospective clients is an essential element of search engine optimization strategies for small business websites.

The first step to creating keyword rich content for your web site is to develop an understanding of what it actually is. The term ‘keyword’ refers to the words a potential customer uses in a search engine to find a particular product or service. For example, a client seeking a new job may search for “professional resumes” or “marketing resumes.” Thus, keyword rich content is text that makes frequent, strategic use of a specific search term.

In the past, many content makers focused more on repeating their keywords throughout their keyword rich content, rather than on providing quality information to web browsers. They wrote articles that served search engine spiders rather than customers. This strategy resulted in the proliferation of poorly written content that provided little or no useful information to end consumers.

While this strategy is still used by some online strategists, most internet companies changed their content development after realizing that search engine spiders rarely purchase peddled goods. Therefore, the vast majority of keyword rich content articles are actually designed to serve a higher intellectual purpose. Indeed, modern internet users are not impressed by keyword rich content that is riddled with grammatical errors and provides little useful information. Poor content will make them doubt the quality of your services.

Today, those interested in building successful web sites use quality keyword rich content. Rather than just focusing on how many times they can repeat a given phrase in a body of text, the writers of these articles provide well-written material with solid information to benefit the reader.

In preparing to write keyword rich content for your site, you must first determine what words a potential client will most likely use when searching the web. Next, write creative, copy for each phrase that incorporates not only information about your products and services, but also tips for making the best use of your retailed goods. For example, if your site sells tea, in addition to content describing your products and why customers should purchase from you, include information on how to make a perfect pot of tea or the latest research about how black tea aids in improving one’s overall health. Most importantly, make your keyword rich content engaging and useful. Connect with your readers and earn their interest and trust.

Keyword rich content that both attracts spiders and impresses people is an essential part of the overall success of your web site. Investing time and effort to create high quality website articles is now a critical component of all major online marketing strategies. Besides improving the overall popularity of your online business within the search engine caches, creative article writing can help to establish your business as an expert voice, a trusted advisor and a premium site that offers more than just direct selling tactics.

John Doetsch is editor at Websition.com where you will find articles written by the Internet's most gifted authors. Authors are encouraged to submit articles to boost website traffic and link popularity by presenting your articles to thousands of targeted publishers, ezine editors, and webmasters. www.websition.com

8 Sources To Research Awesome Article Topics

Writing articles is by far the most effective online promotion strategy I’ve come across. If you can write good, readable, original content, you can easily put yourself far ahead of the pack in your field of interest.

But article marketers and new article writers are often stumped for topics to write about. Finding topics that appeal to your readers can be time-consuming but well worth the effort.

Here are no less than eight awesome ways to research your market and find newsy topics that attract loads of traffic and the interest of your target audience.

1. Keyword Research Tools

To write an article that will get you a significant amount of traffic, you need to write about topics that people are searching for.

You also want to know which terms your target audience uses while searching, so you can use them in your article title and copy and increase the chance of being found by search engines.

Two excellent keyword research tools you should always use to research article topics are Wordtracker and Overture’s Keyword Inventory Tool.

2. Newsletters and Trade Journals

Subscribe to email newsletters, ezines and offline publications related to your topic of interest. Reading what others in your field are writing about will give you lots of ideas for your own article topics.

It's easy to find newsletters that cover your topic online. If you want to write about internet marketing, for instance, you could search for “internet marketing newsletter” and find the most well-read and respected publications in that field.

3. Google News Alerts

Google News Alerts is like a news aggregator that allows you to receive news based on your keyword of choice. http://www.google.com/alerts

When you subscribe, you’ll receive the latest stories that carry your keyword. Go through them and you may find some gems of information that you can write up into a topical article based on that story.

4. Press Release Alerts

Press releases are an excellent way to find out more about new discoveries or advances in your field. These can make an excellent topic for an opinion piece about that discovery or development.

Search press release sites for the latest releases in the field of your choice. You’ll find a bunch of them listed here. http://www.onlineprindia.com/press-release-distribution.htm

5. Online Forums

You can get some of your best article topics from other professionals in your field. Online forums provide an abundance of opinions, queries and ideas that might just make that flashbulb go off in your brain.

Visit forums, lurk and read other’s posts or participate in discussions and benefit from the minds of some of the most interactive people in your field.

6. Blogs

Blogs are a hotbed of discussion and opinion. They often carry some very interesting and topical pieces that can help you ideate.

Blog directories, a long list of which can be found at the link below, are a good place to start looking for blogs written on your topic of interest. http://www.masternewmedia.org/rss/top55/

7. Seminars and Conferences

One of the best ways to keep up with new ideas and developments in your field is to attend seminars or conferences and network with other people.

You can often come away with a bunch of ideas, at these gatherings, and use them to write up articles.

8. Spy On The Competition

Check out your competitor’s business and websites. They may be using ideas or even making mistakes that could give you ideas for articles on what does or doesn’t work.

And finally, always remember to give credit (and a link back) to the news sources that you cite in your article.

Priya Shah is the CEO of an online marketing firm and writes an online marketing blog. Visit Article Writing Tips for more article marketing tips and tools. This article may be reprinted as long as the resource box is left intact and all links are hyperlinked. Source: http://www.websition.com/

10 Tips for Increasing Landing Page Conversion Rates

There's lots of buzz about blogging, viral marketing, social networking, and other new methods of generating eyeballs and traffic online. But all that traffic won't make you any money unless you can convert those unique visitors to leads or customers.

Depending on whether you are selling a product directly from your landing page, asking visitors to download a free white paper, or promoting a Webinar or demonstration, conversion rates can range from as low as one percent or less to as much as 50 percent or more. Here are 10 keys to writing landing pages that maximize online conversion rates:

1-Build credibility early. People have always been skeptical of advertising, and with the proliferation of spam and shady operators, they are even more skeptical of what they read online. Therefore, your landing page copy must immediately overcome that skepticism.

One way to do that is to make sure one or more "credibility builders" is clearly displayed on the first screen the visitor sees. In the banner at the top of the page, use your logo and company name if you are well known; universities, associations, and other institutions can place their official seal in the upper left of the screen.

Within or immediately under the banner, put a strong testimonial or three above the headline on the first screen. Consider adding a pre-head or subhead which summarizes the company's mission statement or credentials. At www.bnasoftware.com, the positioning statement is: "The nation's definitive income tax management solution."

2-Capture the e-mail addresses of non-buyers. There are a number of mechanisms available for capturing the e-mail address of visitors who click on your landing page but do not buy the product. One is to use a window with copy offering a free report or e-course in exchange for submitting e-mail address. This window can be served to the visitor as a pop-up (it appears when the visitor arrives at the landing page) or a pop-under (a window that appears when the visitor attempts to leave the landing page without making an inquiry or purchase). These are both blocked by pop-up blockers. A "floater" is a window that slides onto the screen from the side or top. Unlike the pop-up and pop-under, the floater is part of the Web site HTML code, so it is not stopped by the pop-up blocker.

3-Use lots of testimonials. Testimonials build credibility and overcome skepticism, as do case studies and white papers posted on the Web site. If you invite customers to a live event, ask if they would be willing to give you a brief testimonial recorded on video. Have a professional videographer tape it, get a signed release from the customer, and post the testimonial on your Web site as streaming video. Require the customer to click a button to hear the testimonial, rather than have the video play automatically when the visitor clicks on the page.

For written testimonials, customers may suggest that you write what you want them to say and just run it by them for approval. Politely ask that they give you their opinion of your product in their own words instead of having you do it. Reason: what they come up with will likely be more specific, believable, and detailed than your version, which might smack of puffery and promotion.

4-Use lots of bullets. Highlight key features and benefits in a list of short, easy-to-read bulleted items. I often use a format where the first part of the bullet is the feature, and after a dash comes the benefit; e.g., "Quick-release adhesive system - your graphics stay clean and - don't stick together." Online buyers like to think they are getting a lot for their money, so when selling a product directly from your landing page, be sure all major features and important benefits are covered in a comprehensive bullet list appearing on your landing page.

When generating leads by giving away white papers, you don't need a huge list of bulleted features and benefits. But using bullets to describe the contents of the paper and the benefits that information delivers can raise conversion rates for download requests.

5-Arouse curiosity in the headline. The headline should either arouse curiosity, make a powerful promise, or otherwise grab the reader's attention so he has no choice but to keep reading. The headline for a landing page selling a training program on how to become a professional property locator makes a big promise: "Become a Property Locator Today - and Make $100,000 a Year in the Greatest Real Estate Career That Only a Few Insiders Know About."

6-Use a conversational copy style. Most corporate Web sites are unemotional and sterile: just "information." But a landing page is a letter from one human being to another. Make it sound that way. Even if your product is highly technical and you are selling it to techies, remember that they are still human beings, and you cannot sell something by boring people to death.

7-Incorporate an emotional hook in the headline and lead paragraph. Logical selling can work, but tapping into the prospect's emotions is much stronger - especially when you correctly assess how the prospect is feeling about your product or the problem is solves right now.

Another effective tactic for lead-generation landing pages is to stress your free offer in the headline and lead. Example: Kaydon's landing page shows a picture of its catalog with the bold heading above it reading, "FREE Ceramic Bearings Product Selection Guide."

8-Solve the reader's problem. Once you hook the reader with emotional copy dramatizing her problem or a powerful free offer, show how your product - or your free information - can help solve their problem. For example: "Now there is a better, easier, and more effective solution to wobbly restaurant tables that can irritate customers and ruin their dining experience: Table Shox, the world's smallest shock absorber."

To maximize landing page conversion rates, you have to convince the visitor that the quickest route to solving his problem is taking the action indicated on the landing page, and not - as you might be tempted to let him do - surfing your site. That's why I prefer landing pages to appear with no navigation, so the reader's only choice is to respond or not respond; there's no menu of click buttons and hyperlinks to other interesting pages to distract him.

9-Make it timely and current. The more your online copy ties in with current events and news, the higher your response rates. This is especially critical when selling financial and investment information as well as regulatory compliance products in fields where laws and rules change frequently. Periodically update your landing page copy to reflect current business and economic conditions, challenges, and trends. This shows your visitor that your company is current with and on top of what's happening in your industry today.

10-Stress the money-back guarantee or lack of commitment on the part of the user. If you allow customers to order products directly from the landing page, make sure you have a money-back guarantee clearly stated on that page. All your competitors give strong money-back-guarantees. So you can't get away without doing the same. If your product is good and your copy truthful, your refund rates can be as low as 1 percent or even less.

If you are generating leads, stress that your offer - which might be a white paper, online demonstration, or Webinar - is free. Say there is no obligation to buy and that no salesperson will visit.

About the author:
Bob Bly is a freelance copywriter and the author of more than 70 books including The White Paper Marketing Handbook (Racom). His Web site is www.bly.com, or e-mail him at rwbly@bly.com, or phone 201-385-1220.

38 Great Ideas for Your Next Headline

The best way to get ideas for headlines when you are stuck is to keep a swipe file of successful headlines, and consult it for inspiration when you sit down to write a new ad or mailing. 
As a shortcut, here’s a partial collection of such headlines from my vast swipe file, organized by category so as to make clear the approach being used:

            1. Ask a question in the headline.

            “What Do Japanese Managers Have That American Managers Sometimes Lack?”

            2. Tie-in to current events.

            “Stay One Step Ahead of the Stock Market Just Like Martha Stewart – But Without Her Legal Liability!”

            3. Create a new terminology.

            “New ‘Polarized Oil’ Magnetically Adheres to Wear Parts in Machine Tools, Making Them Last Up to 6 Times Longer.”

            4. Give news using the words “new,” “introduction,” or “announcing.”

            “Announcing a Painless Cut in Defense Spending.”

            5. Give the reader a command – tell him to do something.

            “Try Burning This Coupon.”

            6. Use numbers and statistics.

            “Who Ever Heard of 17,000 Blooms from a Single Plant?”

            7. Promise the reader useful information.

            “How to Avoid the Biggest Mistake You Can Make in Building or Buying a Home.”

            8. Highlight your offer.

            “You Can Now Subscribe to the Best New Books – Just as You Do to a Magazine.”

            9. Tell a story.

            “They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano … But When I Started to Play.”

            10. Make a recommendation.

            “The 5 Tech Stocks You Must Own NOW.”

            11. State a benefit.

            “Managing UNIX Data Centers – Once Difficult, Now Easy.”

            12. Make a comparison.

            “How to Solve Your Emissions Problems – at Half the Energy Cost of Conventional Venturi Scrubbers.”

            13. Use words that help the reader visualize.

            “Why Some Foods ‘Explode’ In Your Stomach.”

            14. Use a testimonial.

            “After Over Half a Million Miles in the Air Using AVBLEND, We’ve Had No Premature Camshaft Failures.”

            15. Offer a free special report, catalog, or booklet.

            “New FREE Special Report Reveals Little-Known Strategy Millionaires Use to Keep Wealth in Their Hands – and Out of Uncle Sam’s.”

            16. State the selling proposition directly and plainly.

            “Surgical Tables Rebuilt – Free Loaners Available.”

            17. Arouse reader curiosity.

            “The One Internet Stock You MUST Own Now. Hint: It’s NOT What You Think!”

            18. Promise to reveal a secret.

            “Unlock Wall Street’s Secret Logic.”

            19. Be specific.

            “At 60 Miles an Hour, the Loudest Noise in This New Rolls Royce Comes from the Electric Clock.”

            20. Target a particular type of reader.

            “We’re Looking for People to Write Children’s Books.”

            21. Add a time element.

            “Instant Incorporation While U-Wait.”

            22. Stress cost savings, discounts, or value.

            “Now You Can Get $2,177 Worth of Expensive Stock Market Newsletters for the Incredibly Low Price of Just $69!”

            23. Give the reader good news.

            “You’re Never Too Old to Hear Better.”

            24. Offer an alternative to other products and services.

            “No Time for Yale – Took College At Home.”

            25. Issue a challenge.

            “Will Your Scalp Stand the Fingernail Test?”

            26. Stress your guarantee.

            “Develop Software Applications Up to 6 Times Faster or Your Money Back.”

            27. State the price.

            “Link 8 PCs to Your Mainframe – Only $2,395.”

            28. Set up a seeming contradiction.

            “Profit from ‘Insider Trading’ – 100% Legal!”

            29. Offer an exclusive the reader can’t get elsewhere.

            “Earn 500+% Gains With Little-Known ‘Trader’s Secret Weapon.’”

            30. Address the reader’s concern.

            “Why Most Small Businesses Fail -- and What You Can Do About It.’

            31. “As Crazy as It Sounds…”

            “Crazy as it Sounds, Shares of This Tiny R&D Company, Selling for $2 Today, Could be Worth as Much as $100 in the Not-Too-Distant Future.”

            32. Make a big promise.

            “Slice 20 Years Off Your Age!”

            33. Show ROI (return on investment) for purchase of your product.

            “Hiring the Wrong Person Costs You Three Times Their Annual Salary.”

            34. Use a “reasons-why” headline.

            “7 Reasons Why Production Houses Nationwide Prefer Unilux Strobe Lighting When Shooting Important TV Commercials.”

            35. Answer important questions about your product or service.

            “7 Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Collection Agency … And One Good Answer to Each.”

            36. Stress the value of your premiums.

            “Yours Free – Order Now and Receive $280 in Free Gifts With Your Paid Subscription.”

            37. Help the reader achieve a goal.

            “Now You Can Create a Breakthrough Marketing Plan Within the Next 30 Days … for FREE!”

            38. Make a seemingly contradictory statement or promise.

            “Cool Any Room in Your House Fast – Without Air Conditioning!”

            By the way, if you can guess which of the above headlines I wrote, I’ll send you a free autographed copy of one of my books. E-mail your guesses to rwbly@bly.com (entries must be received within 10 days of the publication of this article).

About the author:

            Robert W. Bly is a freelance copywriter and the author of more than 50 books including The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Direct Marketing (Alpha). His e-mail address is rwbly@bly.com and his Web site address is www.bly.com.

Are Articles Enough? A Few Words About Web Content

So it seems that content is still king, and that RSS article feed does a nice job of streaming in fresh, keyword-loaded content that gets your site indexed fast AND brings Adsense Revenue. That's great, but if you think that articles replace traditional web copy, you're dead wrong.

Look at any top corporation's website structure to see that the traditional website model still takes first prize. Even if you've unearthed the absolute best articles on the web from leading experts, an article feed is still no way to greet a customer who's just landed on your homepage.

Think about this. How did you feel the last time you clicked and landed and sat there blinking at an article that you weren't planning on reading? If the article managed to suck you in, were you tempted after perusing it, to explore other parts of that website? Or did you just go, "Ahh, good one" and continue on your merry ADD-like web-surfing way?

My guess is, you clicked away. So if you're looking to launch a new site or considering making improvements on your existing site, how about putting that RSS feed back where it belongs - on the article page.

Remember your visitor. Now that he's there, how can you keep him interested in sticking around? The guests who arrive on your homepage are no different than the guests who come to your home. You work hard to create a home that reflects who you are - your unique style, your hobbies, habits, culture and beliefs. When someone comes into YOUR house, you don't push someone else's stuff on them. Why would you do that on your website?

Give your website guests the opportunity to get to know your company and what you stand for. That means including lively, inspiring and sales-driven copy that explains your product and service offerings. That means a company philosophy and a personal bio that tells the story of who you are and builds a case for your trustworthiness and expertise. That means copy that addresses your customers' emotional mindset and sucks them into wanting and even needing what you sell. And let's not forget the hallmarks of a real business - the privacy policy, user agreement, payment policies and "customer-satisfaction guarantee" as each pertains to your profession.

Nobody should ever be confused by what they see on your website. Nobody should ever be "lost" on your website. Give your website a "test run" - click from a few different outside links and see where you end up. You MUST have a logo--on every page. Your company name must be clearly labeled on every page, even the "deep content" pages. Your contact information should be easily accessible and at the very least include an email address or comment submission form. Give your customer every opportunity to reach out and get in touch with you.

Finally - your website should be strategically linked from page to page, keyword to relevant keyword, with the ultimate purchase end in sight. Sure, it's fun to create websites for the heck of it, but if you're interested in having a real business that reflects true professionalism, then YES you need legitimate, one-of-a-kind web content that tells the story of you and what you do. And above all, it should expertly lead the customer to buy!

Hire an experienced designer who knows about Search Engine Optimization. Hire a copywriter who can create sizzling content on all the pages that will remain stationary and even those that will require regular updating. Take care in creating a website that's a marketer's dream come true. Invest in the future of your business.

Dina Giolitto is a copywriting consultant and ghostwriter with 10 years of experience writing corporate print materials and web content. Trust her with your next e-book, article series or web project, and make a lasting impression on your audience of information-hungry prospects. Visit http://www.wordfeeder.com for more information. Source: http://www.websition.com/

Rating eBook Compilers

Now that you've finished writing your eBook and have a basic understanding of what an eBook compiler does, you may be feeling overwhelmed by the number of compilers on the market. To help you make your decision, I have tested and reviewed the best-rated eBook compilers currently available.

E-ditor
This software has a demo version that you can download to try out before purchasing. You can't actually use the demo to create an eBook, but you can run the software and test it out thoroughly to see if it does what you need it to do for your particular eBook.

This eBook compiler is one of the easiest to use. The software has a very user-friendly help menu that provides instructions for and explanations of every field on every screen. The program also includes video tutorials demonstrating every step of this compiler with clear explanations of all fields that need to be filled out. There are 7 screens that you use to choose your eBook options.

This compiler requires your files to be in HTML format. You follow simple directions, and the compiler loads your files. If you decide to edit your eBook after it has been compiled, make any changes in your original files and click on "Compile you eBook" and your changes will appear in your compiled eBook.

E-editor allows for some customization of your eBook. You can create a special page that appears when the eBook is opened; create customized icons that appear on the desktop after downloading; use your own logo on the task bar of your eBook; customize the task bar's buttons, where the task bar appears in your eBook, and choose the task bar's colors. Additionally, you can choose to have the eBook open to the last page read, which many of your buyers will appreciate.

An excellent and unique feature of E-ditor is the capability to choose a standard Microsoft window or to create your own design for a window to personalize your eBook. The program provides some sample window designs, but you can use any .bmp (bit map skin) graphic you have stored on your hard drive.

E-ditor is a good choice if you are new at producing eBooks because it is easy to use and allows you to customize the appearance of your eBook.

Desktop Author

This compiler does not require a browser, nor do you have to download software or plug-ins. The program converts exe. files into pages that look like a standard book. You can create and produce eBook pages scaled to fit on your computer screen without any scrolling. Additional features include WYSIWGY (what you see is what you get) page editing and creation, the ability to manipulate internal images, cut and paste functions, hotlinks to pages, email, website, or other files. It is an excellent compiler to use for a marketing tools, such as creating brochures and manuals in addition to eBooks.

EBook Edit Pro

This compiler provides a demo version, which allows you to test out its features. The software uses a Wizard that leads you step-by-step through the set-up and creation of your eBook. Customization includes text editing that appears on the pop-up starting message window; the ability to allow or prevent resizing of your book and the mouse-click pop-up menu; enabling or disabling the navigation bar and choosing the buttons you want to appear; and customizing the eBook's desktop icon and the logo that appears on the navigation bar.

Ebook Edit Pro is loaded with excellent features that allow you to create multi-media Ebooks, and includes a Wizard that is customized for beginners and for advanced users. The software uses HTML files, downloading them from the directory where they are saved. Edit and resave your files in the original software used to create those files, and then with a single click you can re-compile your Ebook.

Features include customization of icons, toolbars, and the "about box." This compiler has a particularly useful feature called the Rebrander feature. This permits you to enter customized code into your Ebook pages and distribute the Rebrander software to your affiliates or distributors. They can then customize the links included in the Ebook, but they can not alter any link or information that you have not entered a customized code for.

The software includes "eBrand-It" software that allows custom fields for your customer's name, affiliate ID or URL. This feature is a powerful marketing tool because affiliates are much happier giving away your Ebook from their own site when they can customize it.

Ebook Compiler

This compiler offers a demo version that allows you to compile 10 files. If you don't include graphics, you can create a 10 page Ebook that allows printing and copying of the Ebook. The catch is that you can't sell any Ebook you create in the demo version.

The purchased software is user-friendly with easy-to-follow help files that not only guide you through the steps of compiling your Ebook, but also explains what an Ebook compiler does. The software provides detailed instructions on how to create source files from Microsoft Word 2000 and 1997, PowerPoint 2000 and 1997, and HTML documents. It contains less detailed instructions for creating source files from other programs.

This compiler allows for password protection of your entire Ebook or for selected pages. Additionally, you can set a time limit on your Ebook. When the runs out, the customer no longer has access unless they pay for it. In other words, it allows you to create a demo version of your Ebook for marketing purposes.

You can set a single password or multiple passwords. Using multiple passwords assigns each user their own specific password. Online help files guide you through setting up your passwords. You can also create a Sales and Thank-you page for selling a password protected Ebook. This is a good choice for the novice, particularly since it includes basic features for password protection and distribution.

Activ Ebook Compiler

This is an easy to use compiler that provides excellent features. This software can support HTML, JPEG, GIF, and all active plug-ins. Features includes password protection, branding, internet linking, icon customization, assigning unique serial numbers, splash screen, file compression, and start-up messages. It also provides free lifetime upgrades. Additionally, it includes a preprocessor, re-brander, active script, and detailed instructions for using HTML, Power Point, and Microsoft Word files.

There are several other excellent Ebook compilers on the market that are worth looking into.

Ebook Generator features splash screens, password protection, branding, icon customization, and compression control. Additionally, it includes virus prevention that alerts the user to any modifications made to your Ebook and offers usage statistics so you can track your Ebook's use. With all these advanced features, this is an excellent compiler for the beginner because it is exceptionally easy to run.

Ebook Creator is another excellent compiler, supporting HTML, JPEG, GIF, and PNG graphics, and Javascript, VB script, and Java applets. It also supports all Internet Explorer plug-ins. Standard features include unique serial numbers, direct linking to a form or a page on your website, disabled right clicking, and search functions. The software allows for expiration after a set number of days or usages, which allows you to create demo versions. You can create up to 1000 different passwords; every time the Ebook is downloaded, a unique password is required to access protected pages. The software provides user-friendly menus and buttons that allow the beginner to the advanced user to easily create their Ebook.

Obviously, there are some excellent compilers out there. So figure out EVERYTHING you need in terms of features, and then compare prices and options. Do take advantage of demo versions if they are offered before purchasing. And then, have fun creating your Ebook!

Top 10 Tools for a Strong Personal Foundation

Coaching is about living great lives. It’s about living lives based on our values, our priorities and our choices.  And, as in building a great building, it takes a very strong foundation. In fact, the more spectacular the visible parts of the building are going to be, the more time and precision has to go into preparing the supporting structures and systems underneath. But one of the most difficult things in life is spending the necessary time on the foundations.

Most of us are eager to build, to start living the life of our dreams, and the temptation is always to neglect the details of a strong personal foundation. Here are my Top 10 Tools for creating the foundation that will support whatever else you want in your life:

1. Get plenty of sleep.  I know, that wasn’t on the list when I was younger either, but as Vince Lombardi noted, "Fatigue makes cowards of us all." Tired people are cranky, they miss opportunities and make careless decisions. And, getting plenty of sleep suggests a fairly regular pattern to your day, some structure and orderliness, and that’s a good thing!
   
   
2. Eat well.  Yeah, I know, another boring one. But the body needs good stuff to keep it sharp and ready to serve you. Some people go a long way on this, carefully nurturing their bodies with organic fruits and vegetables. I don’t have that discipline, but replacing potato chips with carrot sticks, sure does seem to help. Cut down on fat, drink more water and fruit juice, and see what happens!
   
   
3. Exercise.  Even a walk around the block does wonders to clear the head! At least 30 minutes, 3 or 4 times a week, and more if you enjoy it. Work up a sweat, huff and puff a bit. They say you’ll live longer. I know it gets me out of the office, away from the phone and computer for a few minutes, and my dog loves the chance to run! Enjoy it.
   
   
4. Read a lot.  Read magazines and history, read biographies and cheap novels, but read. Follow politics and the economy, keep up with current films and take a moment to follow sports and those funny short stories in Reader’s Digest. It gives you perspective, broadens your point of view, and, like exercise, it gets you away from the phone and computer for a few minutes. It may even make you wiser!
   
   
5. Meditate.  Keep a journal, or pray. Develop your own style and preferences for making peace with your world, and do it every day. Find the time and place that works best for you, sit quietly, settle into your routine, and take time to notice. Stuff will come up. You’ll have ideas, you’ll fall asleep, you’ll remember what’s really important. Whatever happens, be at peace with it.
   
   
6. Eliminate tolerations.  Keep your nest clean! There’s no excuse to be tripping over the same clutter every day. It slows you down, and it wears you out. Some people are "neater" than others, and this isn’t about having a clean desk, unless that’s important to you. This is about eliminating those annoying frustrations that come up every week. Get a housekeeper, a bookkeeper, a gardener, and at least have your car washed! If it annoys you, deal with it.
   
   
7. Keep relationships clean.   It’s not possible to be best friends with everyone, and some relationships do end, but that’s not as expensive as having a strained relationship that drains you every day. If you have "friendships" that need to end, take care of it. If you have an intimate partner with whom you need to spend more time, schedule it tonight. Stay on good terms with those you can, and end those relationships that are never going to support you. Just do it.
   
   
8. Do work you love.  Doing a job you dislike is exhausting. I often talk with folks who are eager to change careers "as soon as…." They usually finish the sentence with something that will happen in a few years. Why wait? Life is too short! I suspect the time lost is a greater risk than making the change right now! Do what you love!
   
   
9. Laugh a lot!  Humor and warm friendships, love and laughter go further to maintain "balance" than all the programs I’ve ever tried. Life is either a wonderful, strange and funny dance…or it’s too scary to think about. Either way, laugh all the way through!
   
   
10. Develop your "Daily 10".   Have a regular pattern of 10 wonderful things you do every day for your own vibrant personal foundation. Find your own little rituals that just make you feel good! Every day, do 10 simple things that remind you how special, powerful, alive and wonderful you are! Delight in them!

Here's to you, and to building a strong, deep and lasting foundation that will support you for many years to come!


"Written by Dr Philip E. Humbert, author, speaker and personal success coach.  Dr Humbert has hundreds of tips, tools and articles on his website that you can use for YOUR success!  It's a great resource!  And, be sure to sign up for his FREE newsletter!  Visit him on the web at:  http://www.philiphumbert.com"
 

United States economy collapsing

Steps to Publishing Success

Even if your best friend owns a top publishing company, giving you an immediate "in," this does not guarantee publishing success.

First, you have to write a quality book that has a clear target audience. And your book must answer a common problem or need that audience shares. Then you have to develop a marketing plan, and stick to it for at least two years.

Let's begin with the process that should commence before you write your first word. Begin by reading A LOT. Read both books you passionately love and books you can't seem to make it past page five. Then figure out what the author did in the book you loved, and what was wrong with in the book you couldn't finish. Write down these points so they are crystal clear to you. Read other people's books for inspiration and to discover what you should avoid as a writer.

The next step is to plan out your book. Narrow down your subject, and then divide it into chapters. Each chapter should address a specific aspect of the problem your book is going to solve. In each chapter, break the specific aspect down into several parts. This will help your readers take in your information a bit at a time instead of overwhelming them with every bit of information clogging up the pages until they feel like they're about to go blind. It's not quite spoon-feeding the information to your readers, but it's close.

The next two steps are obvious. Write your book and then revise it. And then revise it again. And perhaps again. Of course, writing is extremely hard, and writing a book can seem like an impossible task. There are many books out there that give you guidelines to help you become familiar - and even love - the process of writing and revision. Find a number of books about writing. Better yet, find a number of books about writing the specific type of book you aspire to write. These can serve as roadmaps on your writing journey.

Once you've written your ebook and revised it at least twice, show it to someone else whose opinion you respect. If you're lucky enough to know a good editor, see if you have something to barter for him or her to go through your manuscript. Or join a writing group and let the other members critique your work.

Then take all these ideas from other people, and revise your manuscript one last time. And then stop! Put down that pen! Get your hands off the keyboard!

One of the most important steps to actually producing a book is to know when to stop writing and tinkering with it.

You've finally written your ebook! Pop open the bubbly! Give yourself a night out on the town!

Okay, now that this necessary celebration is out of your system, what do you do next?

How to turn your ebook into Profits
Ebooks are a revolutionary way to publish your book without incurring the costs of print production. All you need is a relevant and targeted subject and some inexpensive software, and you can transform your manuscript into a book.

The problem, in terms of actually seeing any profits from your ebook, is that the market is overwhelmed with ebooks, and many of them are not worth the time it takes to download them. Just because the ability exists to easily produce an ebook, doesn't make it good writing.

Make sure your book does not simply rehash old material. You will injure your credibility as an author by claiming to offer valuable new insights and disappointing your audience with material they've read a zillion times before. So spend enough time writing and revising your book to make sure it's of the highest quality and presents the most current information. A good book will eventually sell itself; false claims about your book will make it extremely difficult to sell any future books you may write.

Assuming you have determined that you do indeed have a quality product that answers some question or need of your target audience with NEW information, how do you know how much to charge for it? Rule number 1: Set a price for your book equal to its value. An under-priced book will only give the impression that your book isn't worth very much.

To figure out a fair price, estimate how much time you put into creating it and how difficult it was to transform the necessary information into understandable and engaging writing. Figure out how much your time and effort is worth, and then price it accordingly. The goal is for you to be adequately compensated for your talent, your time, and your effort.

Once you've figured out a price that is high enough to convey the value of the book, but not so high as to be out of the reach of your target audience's mean budget, then it's time to offer it for sale on your website. To attract sales, you will need to develop a promotional campaign, particularly if you are an unknown author.

There are multitudes of books about self-promotion that will guide you in your efforts. Choose a plan that is both creative and professional. Learn how to write a catchy yet informative press release, and send copies of your ebook to sites that specialize in ebook reviews.

Learn how to write powerful sales copy, or hire someone to write it for you. This is an essential. You absolutely need excellent sales copy to sell your book. Make sure the copy includes all the reasons your target audience needs your book, and the benefits they will derive from buying it.

Use graphics in your promotional materials. Beautiful graphics have the power to instantly convey the quality and value of your ebook. Graphics can also convey the amount of valuable information the book contains, and your careful attention to detail. Professional graphics sell professional books. They reassure the customer that the product is what it claims to be.

Consider excerpting chapters for articles. You can offer these tidbits for free on your website as a sort of demo of your book. Include an order form for your ebook at the end of the excerpted articles.

Finally, when you set-up your download link, make sure to simplify the process. It's a good idea to offer a few bonuses that make your book even more enticing to purchase, but make sure the bonuses are valuable and high quality. Too many bonuses that are basically a load of useless stuff will compromise the impression your audience has of your ebook. The goal is to convey to your audience that they are getting a quality product for a good deal. That means applying restraint, especially when it comes to adding bonus items. Too much free stuff offered diminishes your credibility.

Make sure your book is a quality product. Make sure it is relevant and current. Develop an effective marketing plan that includes excellent sales copy and excerpted articles. Then offer your book for sale, and wait for your audience to discover you!

How to Price Your eBook

You've written and compiled an ebook. Now you have to decide how much to charge for it. Finding the right price is essential to the success of your product. If you charge too little, people will think it's of little value, and they won't purchase it, or even it they do buy your book, you will have to sell thousands of copies to get to the point where you can begin to see a profit. If you price it too high when compared with your competition, you will find yourself steadily lowering the price, which will cause you all kinds of new problems in the future. For example, if you sell your ebook at first for $39.99, and later reduce it to $24.95, don't you think the people who bought it for $39.99 are going to be PISSED?

Choosing the right price for your ebook is one of the most critical parts of the marketing process. The first rule of pricing ebooks is to never underprice. Determine the highest price your audience can afford, and then if you find your book isn't selling, you can always reduce the price. Before you take that step, make sure you are promoting your book like crazy on the Internet and on websites. The price should be aimed at bringing in profits, but you should never forget that price is one of the factors that people use in judging the value of your ebook before they buy it. So always start with the highest price, and then launch a mega-marketing campaign.

Pricing an ebook is particularly difficult because ebooks are a fairly new commodity. Since they are digital, the value of an ebook is as confusing as the understanding of what digital actually is to the average layperson. This means that we must look at ebooks in a different light in order to determine their actual worth in this brave, new cyber world.

Let's look at the difference between a book in print and an ebook. A printed book is an object you can hold in your hand, store on your bookshelf, even hand down to the next generation. It is priced on factors such as paper stock, design and production costs, and marketing.

But the fact that unites ebooks and print books is that they are composed of ideas. It is the ideas in these books that have the ability to change, or possibly transform, people's lives.

What do you think an idea is worth when evaluated against the cost of paper and ink?

It is the IDEAS that are valuable! That is how you determine the cost of your ebook.

What should I charge for my ideas?
There are all different formulas and methods for determining the correct price for your ebook. Let's begin with honing in on your ultimate goals.

Decide if your goal is to get wide distribution and maximum exposure. This goal is aimed at drawing customers to your business or service, or to establishing the credibility of your reputation. If this is your main goal, you should aim to keep your price on the low side. Some authors have even priced their ebooks at a profit loss to draw a high number of new customers. The key is to find a price that
maximizes your profits and the number of books you sell.

This is an excellent pricing strategy if you are looking to acquire long-term customers. Long-term customers are extremely likely to buy from you again and again as long as the first ebook they buy is of exceptional quality and beneficial to the customer.

However, if your book contains valuable and more importantly NEW information, references, or techniques then you should aim to price it on the high end.

After you figure out your goal, you must figure out what your audience's need is for your ebook. For example, does your book solve a particular problem? If it does, and solves it in a way that hasn't been written about in one hundred other ebooks, you will be able to achieve high sales at a high price. If your book solves a problem or answers questions in a new and unique way, you should price your book as high as you can go. You will achieve larger profits this way, but bring in fewer customers. Just make sure the question or problem that your book solves is one that is important and relevant to the majority of your market audience. If your ideas are not common knowledge, or you are presenting a brand new technique, you will be able to sell books at a high price. Just be prepared for your competition to undercut you on price as soon as they hear about your book.

Keep in mind that the above pricing strategy is temporary. Eventually, you will cease to sell books at this high price. So figure out in advance how long you plan to offer your ebook at this high price, and when that time is up, change your pricing strategy.

If you want to see large profits over customer draw, aim for an audience that is looking for easy solutions to their problems at a low price. If your book is aimed at solving one particular problem rather than general advice, then you can charge more. Start at the highest price the market will bear to bring in the largest profits, and plan to discount the book a number of times throughout the year.

Marketing Strategies
The key that unlocks the sales potential of your ebook is to find a single sentence that becomes your selling handle. This sentence states what question or problem your book answers and the benefits your ebook can provide. Then be sure to use that sentence in every piece of sales and promotional material, and every time anyone asks you about your ebook.

Besides promoting your books assiduously online, there are several other strategies that can help you sell more books.

One is to give something away for free with your book, such as a valuable bonus item. Or bundle several ebooks under one price, which lowers the price for each ebook if they were sold separately.

An effective technique for figuring out a price is to send out a survey to your current customers. If these customers have already bought an ebook from you, ask for their opinion in terms of price. Do this by creating a sales page for the new book, but don't include a price on that page. Instead, add a number of links to survey questions that ask pointed questions to aid you in assigning a price to your ebook.

Another strategy is to test out prices by creating a number of duplicate sales pages with different prices on each page. Make sure your sales copy is exactly the same on every page, and includes your selling-handle sentence. Then figure out for each page the conversion ratio between visitors to your site and sales of your book. This will tell you what your optimum price is.

Ultimately, if you've written a book that solves a problem or presents a new technique, your book will bring in both traffic and profits. So be sure to write that selling-handle sentence that sums up what problem your book solves and what the benefits of your book will be to the customers who purchase it. And then watch your market come to you!

How to write an eBook

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?

There is only one way to climb a mountain? step by step.

Now think of writing your ebook in the same light. You must create it step by step, and one day, you will take that last step and find yourself standing on the summit with your head in the clouds.

The first thing you have to do, as if you actually were a mountain climber, is to get organized. Instead of climbing gear, however, you must organize your thoughts. There are some steps you should take before you begin. Once you've gone through the following list, you will be ready to actually begin writing your ebook.

Beginning Steps to Writing an ebook

First, figure out your ebook's working title. Jot down a few different titles, and eventually, you'll find that one that will grow on you. Titles help you to focus your writing on your topic; they guide you in anticipating and answering your reader's queries. Many non-fiction books also have subtitles. Aim for clarity in your titles, but cleverness always helps to sell books as long as it's not too cute. For example:

• Remedies for Insomnia: twenty different ways to count sheep. Or; 
• Get off that couch: fifteen exercise plans to whip you into shape.

Next, write out a thesis statement. Your thesis is a sentence or two stating exactly what problem you are addressing and how your book will solve that problem. All chapters spring forth from your thesis statement. Once you've got your thesis statement fine-tuned, you've built your foundation. From that foundation, your book will grow, chapter by chapter.

Your thesis will keep you focused while you write your ebook. Remember: all chapters must support your thesis statement. If they don't, they don't belong in your book. For example, your thesis statement could read: We've all experienced insomnia at times in our lives, but there are twenty proven techniques and methods to give you back a good night's sleep.

Once you have your thesis, before you start to write, make sure there is a good reason to write your book. Ask yourself some questions:

• Does your book present useful information and is that information currently relevant?
• Will you book positively affect the lives of your readers?
• Is your book dynamic and will it keep the reader's attention?
• Does you book answer questions that are meaningful and significant?

If you can answer yes to these questions, you can feel confident about the potential of your ebook.

Another important step is to figure out who your target audience is. It is this group of people you will be writing to, and this group will dictate many elements of your book, such as style, tone, diction, and even length. Figure out the age range of your readers, their general gender, what they are most interested in, and even the socio-economic group they primarily come from. Are they people who read fashion magazines or book reviews? Do they write letters in longhand or spend hours every day online. The more you can pin down your target audience, the easier it will be to write your book for them.

Next, make a list of the reasons you are writing your ebook. Do you want to promote your business? Do you want to bring quality traffic to your website? Do you want to enhance your reputation?

Then write down your goals in terms of publishing. Do you want to sell it as a product on your website, or do you want to offer it as a free gift for filling out a survey or for ordering a product? Do you want to use the chapters to create an e-course, or use your ebook to attract affiliates around the world? The more you know upfront, the easier the actual writing will be.

Decide on the format of your chapters. In non-fiction, keep the format from chapter to chapter fairly consistent. Perhaps you plan to use an introduction to your chapter topic, and then divide it into four subhead topics. Or you may plan to divide it into five parts, each one beginning with a relevant anecdote.

How to make your ebook "user friendly" You must figure out how to keep your writing engaging. Often anecdotes, testimonials, little stories, photos, graphs, advice, and tips will keep the reader turning the pages. Sidebars are useful for quick, accessible information, and they break up the density of the page.

Write with a casual, conversational tone rather than a formal tone such as textbook diction. Reader's respond to the feeling that you are having a conversation with them. Break up the length and structure of your sentences so you don?t hypnotize your readers into sleep. Sentences that are all the same length and structure tend to be a good aid for insomnia!

Good writing takes practice. It takes lots and lots of practice. Make a schedule to write at least a page a day. Read books and magazines about the process of writing, and jot down tips that jump out at you. The art of writing is a lifetime process; the more you write (and read), the better your writing will become. The better your writing becomes, the bigger your sales figures.

In an ebook that is read on the screen, be aware that you must give your reader's eye a break. You can do this by utilizing white space. In art classes, white space is usually referred to as "negative space." Reader's eyes need to rest in the cool white oasises you create on your page. If your page is too dense, your reader will quit out of it as soon as their eyes begin to tear.

Make use of lists, both bulleted and numbered. This makes your information easy to absorb, and gives the reader a mental break from dissecting your paragraphs one after the other.

Finally, decide on an easy-to-read design. Find a font that's easy on the eyes, and stick to that font family. Using dozens of fonts will only tire your readers out before they've gotten past your introduction. Use at least one and a half line spacing, and text large enough to be read easily on the screen, but small enough so that the whole page can be seen on a computer screen. You will have to experiment with this to find the right combination.

Of course, don't forget to run a spell and grammar check. You are judged by something as minor as correct punctuation, so don?t mess up a great book by tossing out semicolons randomly, or stringing sentences together with commas. (By the way, that's called a "comma splice.")

Last of all, create an index and a bibliography. That's it! You've written a book! Now all you have to do is publish your ebook online, and wait for download request from your website visitors.

PERSEVERE

• Persist no matter what.
• Endure discomfort.
• Request help.
• Steadfastly hold on to your beliefs and values.
• Envision triumph.
• Very consistently keep at it.
• Embrace adversity as your teacher.
• Refuse to give up.
• Enjoy and celebrate every tiny bit of progress!

eBooks are Promotional Powerhouses

Ebooks are part of the new frontier of cyberspace. They are an entirely new medium for sharing marketing information, ideas, techniques, and expert knowledge. Each day the number of people accessing the Internet grows, causing the exposure of your ebook to increase incrementally. It's obvious why electronic self-publishing has become so popular so quickly.

The publishing industry, I hope, does not intend toforever banish the printed word to the dustbin of history. Books in print have their own special qualities and merits, and the world would be diminished by their disappearance.

Having said that, let's look at what makes ebooks so important and so unique. Ebooks have certain abilities and qualities that other mediums do not possess.

For example, ebooks are fairly easy to produce, and their production cost is inexpensive. Just think about it: you don't need a publisher, an agent, a printing press, offset film, ink, paper, or even a distributor. You just need a great concept, the ability to write it or to hire a writer, and the right software.

Additionally, ebooks are easily and rapidly distributed online. They are also easily updated; they do not require a second print run. All you need is to go into your original creation and modify the text or graphics. Because of this flexibility, ebooks can change and grow as fast as you can type.

Ebooks are also immediately obtainable. You don't have to go to a bookstore or search through endless titles at an online bookstore. All you have to do is download it from a website, and presto! It's on your computer, ready to be read.

Ebooks are interactive. This is one of the most unique and specific qualities that ebooks offer. You can add surveys that need to be filled out, order forms for customers to purchase your products or goods, sound and video that draw your reader into the virtual world of your ebook, even direct links to relevant sites that will expand your ebook outward. The potential is virtually limitless.

Ebooks have a particular kind of permanence that other mediums do not possess. Television shows and radio shows air once, and then may rerun a few times. Ebooks remain on your computer for as long as your choose, and they can be read and reread whenever you choose to. They can even be printed out and stored on the shelves of your traditional home library.

Another wonderful quality is that ebooks have no barriers in terms of publishing. You don't need to go through the endless process of submitting your manuscript over and over again, and then once you land an agent, having the agent submit your manuscript over and over again. Nor do you have to shell out thousands of dollars for printing a self-published book. All ebooks require is a writer and appropriate software. Figure out your market, write your book, post it on your website, and with the right business savvy, your audience will come to you.

Finally, you have creative control over your ebook. You don?t have to compromise with an editor or the publishing trends of the time. You don't have to haggle with a designer or wait for copyedited galleys to arrive by snail mail. You are in complete control of the design and the text.

How to Use ebooks for Marketing and Promotion

There are innumerable ways to use ebooks to promote your business and drive quality traffic to your website. Once posted on your site, you can turn them into a daily course, which brings your customer back to read the next chapter. You can use them as a free gift for making a purchase or for filling out a survey. Put your ebook on a disc, and you will have an innovative brochure. Blow your competition away by inserting the disc into your sales packages.

The most effective marketing products are those that are unique. Copyright your ebook, and immediately, you have a powerful tool that you, and you alone, can offer to the public. People will have to visit your site to acquire your ebook, which increases the flow of quality traffic and the potential of sales and affiliate contacts.

Make sure that you keep your ebook current. Update it frequently as the market and trends change. Add new advice and techniques to show your prospects how your goods or services can enrich their lives. By constantly keeping abreast of new trends and techniques, you can continue to see profits from your ebook for years after your original creation.

Another phenomenal advantage of ebooks is that you can test their marketing potential without putting out hardly any cash at all. You can even produce an ebook one copy at a time, each time you receive an order, eliminating the need for storage and inventory. By this method, you can gauge the saleablity of your ebook, and make adjustments as necessary until the orders start pouring in. Ebooks allow you to learn about your market and customer habits and motivation over a period of time, without risking your precious financial resources. They also provide you with an invaluable way to gather marketing information, which you can use in many different facets of your business.

Use your ebook to discover what the specific goals and problems are in your specific industry. Then figure out how to solve these problems, and publish an ebook with this invaluable information. This will increase the value of your business, upgrade your reputation, and get you known as an expert in your field.

You can extend the value of single ebook by breaking the book down into chapters for a serial course, into special reports available on your website, or into audio or visual tapes. Ebooks can be broken down into several different promotional materials by excepting some of the articles and using them to promote your product. You can include a catalog in your ebook to promote all the products or services you sell. You can include a thank-you note for reading your book and an invitation to download a trial version of your product. Or you can include a form for your audience to contact you for further information or with questions, thereby building your business relationships and your mailing list.

Using ebooks in this manner helps to cut the cost of individually producing separate promotional materials. You can use a single ebook to entice new prospects and to sell new products to your current customers.

No other medium has this kind of flexibility and ability for expansion. Think of your ebook like a spider spinning a beautiful and intricate web. Now go and create that web, and see how many customers and prospects you can catch!