Are people afraid of opening .exe ebooks?

[Michael Lee]

Hi guys,

I have some pdf ebooks that I will put some "locking mechanism" into. However, it converts the ebooks into .exe format.

I've read that people are afraid of opening .exe ebooks, because some say there might be some risks of getting infected.

Although I'm sure my ebooks are virus-free, how skeptical are people over opening .exe ebooks?

Thanks,
Michael

[Intrepreneur]

I won't open them.. I've seen so many of these lately, and I just think..

"What a waste of time".

[Alexa Smith]

I've discussed this exact topic in 3 different forums over the last couple of months (because it's particularly relevant to me, too).

My issue is that I want to be able to a circulate a free e-book in such a way that it's not possible for anyone to pass it on to anyone else without me collecting their name and email address. I was hoping to find a way other than using a ".exe" file of doing so. To cut a very long story very short, I haven't found a feasible one.

My own overall impression, for what it's worth, is that a really small number of people have very strong feelings about using ".exe" files for e-books, and that these views are disproportionately represented in forum discussions of this subject.

It remains factual that large numbers of marketers are making very good livings using such software as e-book pro 6.0, which produces e-books in ".exe" file format.

Originally Posted by JOny17

most people will not open .exe ebooks because they are afraid of virus infection.

I don't believe this to be so. Especially not these days.

I think some proportion of experienced internet marketers may feel that way, but if that's not who you're promoting your e-book to, you may not actually have an issue there at all.

[melanied]

I would NEVER open a .exe ebook.

[Steven Carl Kelly]

Simple answer to OP: yes. If you're worried about your stuff getting stolen, then the one thing you really have to come to grips with is the fact that if it has value it's going to get stolen regardless of the medium in which it is deployed. That's why you constantly evolve, constantly add more value, and constantly develop new products.

[Jeff Henshaw]

Unless the .exe comes to me from a source that I implicitly trust, I will not download it.

When I say trust, that trust does not apply to anything family, friends or colleagues may email me as attachments. More often than not, they will not understand the dangers of opening and forwarding .exe files.

I would suggest re-creating your ebooks into .pdf and building in the appropriate protection to prevent, as far as possible, piracy. You might need to look at some alternative PDF Conversion programs.

Regards,
Jeff.

[Michael Lee]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. What I want to know is around what percentage of computer users are not afraid to open .exe ebooks?

This way, I'd be able to evaluate if it's still worth pursuing.

Thanks a lot,
Michael

[Brad Gosse]

You can lock your PDF with a password.

I am a Mac user so you would have to refund me if you delivered EXE files

[Josh Anderson]

If someone is afraid to open an exe ebook that they purchased off you then you might consider:

1. Why don't they trust you? It has nothing to do with the exe by the way... the same person opens exe applications all day long if they use a pc.

2. If they have an irrational fear of exe ebooks then they may not be that great of a prospect.

3. Why are you publishing an exe ebook? Can't you publish it as a pdf? Then you are cross platform compatible.

4. Don't call it an ebook. Call it software. I bet they will be less afraid ;-)

5. Offer the content in several formats and let them decide.

[Alexa Smith]

Originally Posted by Michael Lee

What I want to know is around what percentage of computer users are not afraid to open .exe ebooks?

That's not exactly what you want to know, is it, Michael? You want to know what proportion of your potential clients aren't afraid to open .exe books. And so do I.

But by definition, neither question is one to which you can learn the answer by asking the question here, where quite a high proportion of those responding will tell you, though arguably unrepresentatively of anywhere else, that they wouldn't open a .exe book.

Most "computer users" don't know what a .exe e-book is.

[Alexa Smith]

Originally Posted by Brad Gosse

I am a Mac user so you would have to refund me if you delivered EXE files

Speaking for myself, I'd make it really clear on the sales page that you're among the 8% of computer users to whom my product is sadly unavailable. Better than getting you frustrated and wanting a refund.

[Steven Carl Kelly]

FYI, I was interested in finding out more, so I just did a very informal survey...

I asked 5 people I know who range from basic, non-technical computer users to some who you would probably classify as "medium" tech-savvy, whether or not they would open an e-book they purchased if it came to them in an .exe file format. Here are the responses:

2 said: "I'd return it and ask for my money back".
1 said: "Probably not. I'd ask you [referring to me] if it was okay first".
1 said: "I don't know, but why couldn't I get it in a PDF?"
1 said: "I'd scan it for viruses and if it came up clean, I'd open it".

[Marty S]

Originally Posted by Josh Anderson

IWhy don't they trust you? It has nothing to do with the exe by the way... the same person opens exe applications all day long if they use a pc

I don't even think this is relevant because I had a situation this past year using ebook gold, a software program that caused concern even to my long time subscribers. Trust is rather abstract on the internet, you NEVER know who you are dealing with - that doesn't make the seller untrustworthy, it's simply the nature of the internet. Oftentimes the sender is unaware of potential risks. I could trust someone implicilty and STILL not open thier .exe

@OP - I BOUGHT ebook gold, and it is now getting numerous warnings when my subscribers try to download a completely safe ebook that I created. The company itself now states it is out of their hands as they cannot control or understand the warnings that are generated by a variety of virus protection programs.

Eliminate your self doubts and switch to PDF.

[DrewG]

I'd be pretty skeptical, I too would wonder why it couldn't come in a PDF format.

[mmacken]

The main problem you will have is that your readers anti virus protection will block the ebooks from opening, alerting the reader and adding caution. Most people will not get the whole .exe but when that anti virus pops up then won't think twice about blocking it.

[Alexa Smith]

Originally Posted by mdRazimie

Why would you want to do it in the first place?

Obviously I can't speak for the OP, but in my case it's because I want to be able to circulate a valuable, free e-book among a big but slightly "closed community" of readers who will circulate a PDF (with or without password) without my being able to get them on my list if I don't prevent it, as .exe-file clearly can. Other than a .exe-file, nobody has so far managed to find me a reasonable alternative solution to that (and not for lack of asking!). I'd be really pleased if someone can.

On the other hand, it's clearly undeniable that large numbers of marketers are making very good livings using such software as e-book pro 6.0, which produces e-books in ".exe" file format: I've corresponded with several of them myself. So this apparently isn't quite the problem that some people envisage it would be.

[John Wilkes]

We did a big survey just as Ebay was banning ebooks. Although they did not state it openly, one of the reasons they stopped ebooks was that they were scared of liability issues, if customers bought infected e-books on their auctions.

There are calls in the USA to make vendors responsible for anything they transmit over the internet, in the near future just putting a disclaimer in the ebook will not protect you from liability or the website that transmits the ebook, software, exe. file if you unwittingly deliver a virus in your product. The legal onus will be on you to make sure it is clean. It is already apparent that the big boys like Ebay and Amazon will just not want the hassle of taking a chance with "small" vendors.

The calls for this legislation is been backed by the FBI which has been trying to tackle networks of zombies for some time as part of an initiative it has dubbed Operation Bot Roast. They have identified and are in the process of contacting over 1 million computer owners. They advise people not to open exe files on their computers.

We went over to PDF's, and in our experience it widened our customer base.

Hope this helps.

[rainking]

people are freaked out about opening exe files - i'd suggest finding another option

[AverageGuy]

I will not open exe ebook.


david

[John Wilkes]

alexa-s

Sorry, just re read your original post.
Perhaps you should rethink your strategy. Will it actually benefit you to collect the names and email addresses of ALL the people that want a "Free" ebook. Why not put such a strong offer in the back of the free ebook, that it will attract visitors to a squeeze page on your website, where you can start sorting out the freebie chasers from the potential customers. Just a thought......

[Marty S]

Originally Posted by alexa_s

So this apparently isn't quite the problem that some people envisage it would be.

Yeah, I suppose I could have forwarded you the numerous complaints I rec'd about downloading my ebook. You MUST keep in mind that in this type of marketing situation, I probably heard from a MINORITY of people who actually experienced the problem - MOST will not bother.

Trust me, I wanted it to work the way you describe as well. I just decided to make sure I had my active affiliate links working properly and that if it got passed around (without me) that I could realize that was a benefit as well.

[Michael Motley]

i'd never open an .exe from a marketer

[JakeRhodes]

I avoid exe's, too many trojans floating around out there.

[Makabongwe Maseko]

Hi guys,

Two weeks back I converted my ebook into a .exe format because I was able to add more features to the ebook.

But sadly this Monday I got an email from a person who purchased my ebook the previous day and accused me of giving him a trojan.

First I didn't understand because I scan my PC and I also scanned my ebook as well. So reading this thread made me understand.

But anyway this person asked for a PDF format or a refund. I had the PDF format and give it to him. I greatly apologized and told him the last thing I want is to give him a virus.

The next time I get a customer complaining about the .exe I'm going back to PDF.

[CBSnooper]

I wouldn't open an EXE ebook.

In fact I couldn't, because I run a Mac (ok I could use Parallels). What about all the people who DON'T run windows? There's a chunk of people who might be itching to buy and read your ebook, but can't because it's not in a format they can use.

[Michael Motley]

Originally Posted by Makabongwe Maseko

Hi guys,

Two weeks back I converted my ebook into a .exe format because I was able to add more features to the ebook.

But sadly this Monday I got an email from a person who purchased my ebook the previous day and accused me of giving him a trojan.

First I didn't understand because I scan my PC and I also scanned my ebook as well. So reading this thread made me understand.

But anyway this person asked for a PDF format or a refund. I had the PDF format and give it to him. I greatly apologized and told him the last thing I want is to give him a virus.

The next time I get a customer complaining about the .exe I'm going back to PDF.

you'll get more. some antiviruses will pick up .exe's ANY exe as a virus. as many people with computers really dont know what they are doing with them, they take what their antivirus says at face value and scream virus.

[GarrieWilson]

*sigh*

To those who say they never would open an exe ebook, I know that you would. If I sold an ebook, exe format, that told a method to make $1k in 24 hours and guaranteed to pay you the $1k if it didn't work, you would open it.

It's also funny that you say no to exe but run software...an exe.

In my years of selling ebooks, I have *never* had a refund request because it was an exe. I have had one request for an exe format on a pdf though. He said Acrobat lagged his system to much.

jkiley, being an engineer you know that the msi format is like an exe right? It just requires an external ap for the runing. Much like rundll.exe can run code for DLL files. It's just an installer and is no safer than an exe.

People in this thread saying *most* people won't open exes are incorrect. Most people will without giving it a second thought.

The main problem with *all* exe files is that Windows now gives a warning box. If you pay hundreds of dollars, you can have it signed and not displayed though.

Garrie

[n00b]

I think people just need to come to terms with the fact that piracy is going to happen. Even as a .exe what's to prevent me of pulling up the ebook, taking screenshots of every page and then circulating it? The headaches of having a .exe greatly outweigh any potential savings by deterring piracy. Plus, I don't think piracy is that big a threat to IMers. I looked into this because I too was concerned about ebook piracy so I decided to see if I could find pirated copies of several different ebooks ranging from well known ones to the obscure. I could not find a single copy of any ebook, not one! Does piracy exist? Absolutely! But those that participate in it are going to find a way to pirate regardless of what you do, and if they don't they'll simply order from you and then immediately get a refund. Learn to not stress about the things you can't control, and you can't control the actions of others. Put your energy into creating such a great brand and great brand loyalty that people keep coming back to you.

As for giving away a free ebook for a name and email, it's great that you want to build your list, but don't underestimate the power of viral. Your ebook should be building up your website and giving readers a compelling reason to go to your site. I don't know why you wouldn't want people circulating it for you! If a friend tells me to go visit a site a might or I might not, but if they send me a pdf I'm going to read it and if I like it I'm going to go to your site and opt in. If I don't like it then I would've opted out and wouldn't buy anything from you anyway if I had gotten the book directly from you. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

If your free ebook is good, people will visit your site. If it's not good enough for them to visit your site, then that person wasn't going to buy from you anyway. You can even make a portion of the free ebook online on your website, such as, "Chapter 3: Due to the constant changes to this niche go here to read this chapter. I update it every month to make sure you're getting the most up to date information available." (You get the picture.) If the rest of the ebook has been even mediocre people are going to go to your site and opt-in in order to finish that chapter. Don't turn away free advertising! What if every business waited until you approached them and asked to be advertised to? It's silly! Your free ebook is your advertisement, get it out there and trust that your content is good enough to get people to your site. It's like stepping over dollars to pick up pennies.

Piracy sucks and it always will, but it's better to get your ebook selling and deal with the tiny percent of the market that will pirate than to turn away sales in fear of your product being pirated. What's more important, selling your product or making sure it doesn't get pirated? People who pirate are just like serial refunders, they just take up your time and get you frustrated. Better to just move on with your life rather than let it be ruled by fear of what other people will do.

Now, all this talk of pirates has the VeggieTales pirate song going through my head, curse my little nephew's VeggieTales obsession...

[n00b]

Originally Posted by Josh Anderson

3. Why are you publishing an exe ebook? Can't you publish it as a pdf? Then you are cross platform compatible.

4. Don't call it an ebook. Call it software. I bet they will be less afraid ;-)

I like the suggestion of calling it software, people are used to seeing software as .exe but if it's an ebook they probably are thinking it's going to be a pdf and then when a .exe comes up they think you're duping them into downloading a virus.

I'm on a Mac so .exe is out for me. However, on my husband's PC we don't download any .exe files unless they are coming from a well respected source (such as Adobe or Microsoft).

Bottom line is .exe files pose a risk and always will because there is a chance, no matter how slim, that it will contain malware. A pdf is always safe and trusted, it doesn't have the ability to do harm. I would opt to have my customers feel as comfortable as possible since they don't know you and have no reason to trust you. Even if you are trustworthy, sites get hacked all the time and spread viruses through downloads, so how does someone know that's not what's happened to your site? Every time you ask someone to download a .exe you're asking them to put their computer at risk and a lot of people aren't willing to do that and they shouldn't be. Trust is earned, and not by a "100% Guarantee" sticker. Earn their trust and you can do what you want.

Personally, even if I trust you, I wouldn't open a .exe ebook because it just doesn't make sense. I would open a .exe software file though, if I trusted you.

[GarrieWilson]

A pdf is always safe and trusted, it doesn't have the ability to do harm.

That's incorrect. As PDFs become more advanced, with scripting, they are becoming less safe.

According to the TrustedSource Blog, malware authors increasingly target PDF files as an infection vector. Keep your browser plugins updated. From the article: 'The Portable Document Format (PDF) is one of the file formats of choice commonly used in today's enterprises, since it's widely deployed across different operating systems. But on a down-side this format has also known vulnerabilites which are exploited in the wild. Secure Computing's Anti-Malware Research Labs spotted a new and yet unknown exploit toolkit which exclusively targets Adobe's PDF format

Source: http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/09/23/1320258

People might want to stop auto-loading them in the browser.

The entire PDF -vs- EXE security debate is about like the Windows -vs- Mac one. Inaccurate.

[gotteeth]

I've just seen a method that involves .exe ebooks. As soon as I realized that's what was involved I moved on...

I won't open one myself.

[John Dreed]

Surely the point is not what is safe or not, but what the customer perceives as safe. If most people out there believe, rightly or wrongly that exe. ebooks are unsafe, they will not buy them. So, sell them PDF's. If a little way down the line, people start to believe that PDF's are unsafe, you will have to find another format. If they something gets a bad rep, you are wasting your time trying to sell it.

[secretssovaluable]

To tell you the truth I always scan .exe files with my anti-virus software. I absolutely do not prefer .exe files and will avoid them unless they have a very high perceived value to me.

Are they dangerous? Of course they are dangerous. Opening a bad .exe file could completely ruin your computer.

[Josh Bartlett]

Originally Posted by alexa_s

I've discussed this exact topic in 3 different forums over the last couple of months (because it's particularly relevant to me, too).

My issue is that I want to be able to a circulate a free e-book in such a way that it's not possible for anyone to pass it on to anyone else without me collecting their name and email address. I was hoping to find a way other than using a ".exe" file of doing so. To cut a very long story very short, I haven't found a feasible one.

Alexa,
My advice would be dont circulate an actual ebook.

Provide the content that would of been in an ebook inside a members only blog area or a members area with articles inside. That way, everyone would need to sign up to gain "Free" access to the content inside.

You could also package this as an "e-course" with free access to the "student only area" (Whilst there are positions still available etc etc..) and overall that would probably create more perceived value AND urgency than the free ebook. It also obviously means that everyone HAS to enter their details to gain access to the information and overall I would imagine you would see some good results.


Apart from that, to answer the question of this thred, I agree, .exe files, id NEVER open them.

[Steven Carl Kelly]

Originally Posted by John Dreed

Surely the point is not what is safe or not, but what the customer perceives as safe.

Precisely. Fact and truth are irrelevant, for each individual perception is reality.

[Sonja]

Originally Posted by Josh Bartlett

Alexa,
My advice would be dont circulate an actual ebook.

Provide the content that would of been in an ebook inside a members only blog area or a members area with articles inside. That way, everyone would need to sign up to gain "Free" access to the content inside.

You could also package this as an "e-course" with free access to the "student only area" (Whilst there are positions still available etc etc..) and overall that would probably create more perceived value AND urgency than the free ebook. It also obviously means that everyone HAS to enter their details to gain access to the information and overall I would imagine you would see some good results.


Apart from that, to answer the question of this thred, I agree, .exe files, id NEVER open them.

Hey! This is excellent advice for you two. With this method you can have your cake and eat it too!

BTW, I won't say that I wouldn't open a .exe because I do all the time...in the form of software

But....

I would feel some apprehension about opening an .exe ebook because I would question why???? when .pdf is the standard *now*

[Michael Hackett]

I wouldn't bother with an .exe ebook either, and being on a mac 99% of the time, well, that's been covered.

I think PDF is the way to go. It's just so simple and user friendly. And Alexa, it seems like if you really want to distribute a free ebook and collect email address, perhaps you could distribute a free "teaser" chapter or mini-version of your book that would compel readers to opt-in to your list to get the rest of the (password protected) ebook? Just a thought...

[Chris Grable]

1st Thought: exe ebooks are old school....

2nd Thought: exe ebooks are not secure

3rd Thought: I've never read an exe ebook thaty I liked (cumbersome to read and even worse to refer back to)

[JAIDEEP2959]

Even I was afraid earlier, but most of the ebooks comes with pdf format now.

[GarrieWilson]

Originally Posted by jimmytron

Agreed, you'll lose a lot of customers that way.

Want to make a bet?

People keep screaming "no" but not one person has said:

1. they asked for a refund because it was an exe
2. a buyer asked for a refund because it was an exe

I've *never* had a single refund request on an exe ebook out of 10s of 1000s that I have sold.

Remember, people always say they would *never* but in reality, will.

Most of the replies on this thread are based on assumptions by inexperienced/new people.

I'll split test my next ebook and see which sells more and split test downloads. If I remember...

Garrie

[steveknipschild]

Well...

Since I am a computer nerd... I also run a web hosting company (My servers do not allow .exe files to be downloaded) But zip files come through....

Sure enough I recently downloaded a bunch of files from a "reputable" big name e-marketer. While going through several of the files... several of which contained .exe files.... I tried a few.

A couple days later when I did a computer scan... guess what. Found a couple viruses. And I keep my computer locked down!

As an average user... I tell clients NOT to EVER open exe files from the web, unless it is a software purchase from a major company.

Just my .02

[edman]

My first project was in exe format, I used a program that allows me to compile html into exe formats... and because PDf doesn't allow me that flexibility of menus, banners etc to be arranged the way I would do with html, I prefered this method for this project.

So the way I helped people overcome the fear of exe was to use an installer to compile it, so that it is like a software you can install, and I present it this way.

[mrjasonser]

Originally Posted by Michael Lee

Thanks for the feedback, guys. What I want to know is around what percentage of computer users are not afraid to open .exe ebooks?

This way, I'd be able to evaluate if it's still worth pursuing.

Thanks a lot,
Michael

To be honest, with the amount of "Increasing" .exe viruses flooding the
net and mails, we better stir clear from using this, not unless your .exe
solution are back up with Big Names in the market, and by Big Names I mean Microsoft as such.


Cheers
Jason Ser

[Harvey Segal]

I have a number of free books where I offer the visitor to
choose between PDF or EXE format

Around 75-80% choose PDF.

Harvey


.

[Tyrus Antas]

Common folks, don't project your opinions onto other people. The fact is we're better informed than most and are used to consume this kind of information. However, most people aren't and they're less likely to have an expectation over whether what they've just bought should be delivered as an application or a PDF.

That said. I now deliver all my information via password protected website with option to download content as PDF. An application format isn't really that good to deliver information and most people do it for the wrong reasons: overblown concern over piracy.

Tyrus

[Steven Carl Kelly]

You can employee a publishing system that presents a barrier to adoption based on perception, or you can use a system that is perceived as safer and is more likely to be accepted by potential buyers.

Your choice.

I think Harvey's comments are probaby very likely in line with the reality of how buyers would react give the choice. If not given a choice, I'm guessing that a buyer that has already paid and received an EXE file as their only option would more than likely go ahead and open it, perhaps reluctantly. I'm guessing the number of actual refund requests would be quite low.

I'd be interested to compare conversion rates on the exact same offer that included a disclaimer screen which informed the buyer -- before payment -- that they will be required to download executable software that must be installed on their PC and run in order to access their purchase, versus a screen that informed them that their product will be delivered in PDF format.

[oleskool]

I wouldn't open a .exe file for fear of a virus. I opened a file from a jumpstart program that had me in tears for hours, now I'm more careful of what I open.

[Alexa Smith]

Originally Posted by Steven Carl Kelly

I'm guessing the number of actual refund requests would be quite low.

The evidence so far, even here, is apparently that this is correct. It look like so far we had only one reply from a mass seller of .exe-file e-books, and he said:-

Originally Posted by GarrieWilson

I've *never* had a single refund request on an exe ebook out of 10s of 1000s that I have sold.

Which is reassuring (and is what I've been told repeatedly elsewhere, too, by people actually making their living this way).

I must admit, though, I'd certainly be re-thinking my plans if members of this forum overlapped with my target prospects at all! And this is probably a very valid point: it really does depend on who you're offering them to, it seems.

[n00b]

It might be wise to also consider the effect on repeat business. I almost never ask for refunds because it's too much hassle, I just don't buy from that person again. I like to make things as easy and comfortable for people as possible, it builds trust.

I do like the idea of password protected content on a website with the option to download.

As for target audience, do you think that we as internet marketers don't have other interests in life? I think that when a lot of people sit down to determine their target audience they think of people as too one dimensional. I've seen so many people assume that their target audience are idiots in all aspects of life outside their niche. If you're marketing to people on the internet, then your target audience has some degree of knowledge about the internet and perceptions about it, otherwise they wouldn't be forking over their credit card online. Unless your product is "How to Live Your Life Completely Free of the Internet" you can't say that IMers aren't at least somewhat representative of your audience. To be honest, my non internet savvy friends are the most cautious and paranoid because they are terrified of viruses and have no idea what they're doing. At least as IMers we can somewhat reasonably determine if the source of a download is to be trusted.

So, I wouldn't disregard the overwhelmingly negative response on this forum towards .exe files.

You might want to join a forum for the niche you're trying to sell to and just ask them, "Hey I found this great ebook but I have to download this software thing to view it in, do you guys think that's ok?" and see what kind of response you get. You could even be more upfront and say, "Hey, I'm developing this really great ebook with great info for this niche. I just wanted to ask you all since you're active in this community if you would buy it (assuming the price is right and the content is good) if it's a .exe." If you want to know what your potential customers are thinking, ask them, don't assume.

[WarriorNY]

I wouldn't open any .exe file from the internet unless I was really confident with the source.