Controversy Sells to the tune of 101,000% Sales Boost. Anything goes?

Bill Farnham

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Alan Petersen

Can you sell an e-book like this one and sleep at night?

That would depend on what mood your cell mate is in.

If Bubba's feeling a little frisky...probably not.

~Bill

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Gail_Curran 15 years ago

Of course not. Controversy is one thing, evil quite another.

All I can think about is that buyer's list Amazon now has. Bet some law enforcement agency would like a copy.
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Alan Petersen

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Bill Farnham

That would depend on what mood your cell mate is in.

If Bubba's feeling a little frisky...probably not.

~Bill

I haven't read nor do I plan on reading the ebook (I'm not putting money into this creep's pocket) but from the news reports, it appears there is nothing in it that is illegal by law (pictures, etc.) thus he keeps selling ebooks. It's now moved up to #65 Kindle best sellers.

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Bill Farnham

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Alan Petersen

It's now moved up to #65 Kindle best sellers.

I thought I read it's now been removed from Amazon...

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Alan Petersen

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Bill Farnham

I thought I read it's now been removed from Amazon...

The article updated that it's back on so not sure what the current status is. So if he sold one copy before the media attention and sales boost is 101,000% at $4.79 he's made $400,000 in sales! Is my math correct?

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Bill Farnham

15 years ago

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Dan C. Rinnert

15 years ago

Well, keeping to the topic of marketing, would I promote it? Well, yes and no.

First, for the sake of my post here, let's assume that this is a serious guide with real info of value to pedophiles.

As one article said, this book is not likely to convert anyone to becoming a pedophile. So, a general audience is not going to be interested in it.

I would not promote it to former, existing or potential pedophiles.

However, there are target audiences that I may feel comfortable promoting it to.

One would be law enforcement. If I had a site whose audience was largely law enforcement personnel, this book may be of interest to them. It may help them gain insight into the minds of pedophiles and how they try to avoid getting caught and the like.

Another audience would be parents. They may be disgusted by it, but it may help them steer their children away from situations where they may be harmed.

Another audience would be fiction writers, especially crime story writers.

The bottom line is that it is a book. It is knowledge. Having knowledge isn't bad. It's how you use that knowledge that is good or bad.

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Bill Farnham

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert

It's how you use that knowledge that is good or bad.

It's how one got that knowledge that is troubling...

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Dan C. Rinnert

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Bill Farnham

It's how one got that knowledge that is troubling...

Well, then the book may serve to convict him.

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Alan Petersen

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert

Well, then the book may serve to convict him.

Good point. All the money made might have to be spent in attorney fees.

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Dan C. Rinnert

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Alan Petersen

Good point. All the money made might have to be spent in attorney fees.

Don't some places have laws against profiting from a crime? Usually, I've only heard of that being used in cases where someone was convicted and then tried to write a book about it. Not sure what happens in a case where a book was written prior to the person being convicted of the crime about which he was writing.

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bretski

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert

Don't some places have laws against profiting from a crime? Usually, I've only heard of that being used in cases where someone was convicted and then tried to write a book about it. Not sure what happens in a case where a book was written prior to the person being convicted of the crime about which he was writing.

I do have children and while I don't condone the subject matter I have to remind everyone on Veterans Day, of all days, that freedom of speech is a right covered under the constitution. The author committed no crime by writing this book... poor taste, yes... Unethical, yes... do I think that it serves to benefit society in any way, shape or form? no... but he didn't do anything illegal. It is no different than writing a book about cultivating leafy green herbs. There are writers throughout history... even recent history in Russia that have been beaten and murdered for their written words. "This isn't Russia is it Danny?"

I do like the point of the OP though... controversy does bring attention, traffic and sales. Like my old boss told me one time "I don't care if they talk good about me or bad about me, as long as they talk about me... once they stop talking about ya you're dead..."

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Dan C. Rinnert

15 years ago

Originally Posted by bretski

I do have children and while I don't condone the subject matter I have to remind everyone on Veterans Day, of all days, that freedom of speech is a right covered under the constitution. The author committed no crime by writing this book... poor taste, yes... Unethical, yes... do I think that it serves to benefit society in any way, shape or form? no... but he didn't do anything illegal. It is no different than writing a book about cultivating leafy green herbs. There are writers throughout history... even recent history in Russia that have been beaten and murdered for their written words. "This isn't Russia is it Danny?"

Nice rant. Next time you decide to go off on one, try reading with comprehension first.

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tpw

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert

Originally Posted by bretski

"This isn't Russia is it Danny?"

Nice rant. Next time you decide to go off on one, try reading with comprehension first.

Before you get mad Bretski, I think he does have a valid point...

I am not real sure where you got the idea that was what he was saying...

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bretski 15 years ago

Originally Posted by tpw

Before you get mad Bretski, I think he does have a valid point...

I am not real sure where you got the idea that was what he was saying...

Salright... I get what he is saying. Of course, he didn't need to phrase it as he did but that's Dan... he is what he is.

His point was... a murderer can't make money off of a book about a murder that he committed. I know there have been cases where a serial killer had written a book and I think the proceeds to the book had to go to a fund for the families or something like that. But I believe Dan was wondering if someone wrote a book first about how to commit murder and then went out and committed murder would the publication of the book be blocked or the proceeds be seized... or something like that.

Once again though, I point to the case of a person who writes a book about cannabis cultivation.
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- tpw 15 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by bretski
  
  Once again though, I point to the case of a person who writes a book about cannabis cultivation.
  
  I get what you are saying, but I am pretty sure that his statement was in response to another post:
  
  Originally Posted by Bill Farnham
  
  It's how one got that knowledge that is troubling...
  
  Certainly we cannot convict someone on the premise of "how they knew the information", but that is the kind of knowledge that could indicate that a crime has already been committed, even if the writer had never been convicted of such a crime...
  
  To your example of the person growing cannabis, that is not illegal in all jurisdictions, but to my knowledge pedophilia is illegal even in most third-world countries...
  
  And just to put your mind to ease, I am only pressing this issue to generate some controversy of our own, to give this thread more life... LOL
  
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Colin Palfrey

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Alan Petersen

The article updated that it's back on so not sure what the current status is. So if he sold one copy before the media attention and sales boost is 101,000% at $4.79 he's made $400,000 in sales! Is my math correct?

If he sold one originally, then a 101,000% percent increase means he has sold 1001 copies. So he has sold 1002 in total for $4794.79 minus tax and Amazon's slice.

I wonder how Amazon feel about their profiteering from the book. It can hardly be described as good PR can it.

Cheers,
Colin Palfrey

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Alan Petersen

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Colin Palfrey

If he sold one originally, then a 101,000% percent increase means he has sold 1001 copies. So he has sold 1002 in total for $4794.79 minus tax and Amazon's slice.

I wonder how Amazon feel about their profiteering from the book. It can hardly be described as good PR can it.

Cheers,
Colin Palfrey

I knew my math had to be wrong.

Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert

Don't some places have laws against profiting from a crime? Usually, I've only heard of that being used in cases where someone was convicted and then tried to write a book about it. Not sure what happens in a case where a book was written prior to the person being convicted of the crime about which he was writing.

From the news articles and reports I've seen since it's not a "how to" guide and there are no pictures but it's just telling his story than it's not illegal. Doesn't make sense to me since if I wrote a book about how I killed someone you would think the police would double check. So perhaps the Colorado cops (where the author is from) might look into it.

I hope they do just to make sure this guy isn't abusing kids. I think he just wrote it because he knew the taboo subject would generate controversy which would turn into sales. He claims not to be a pedophile.

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Dan C. Rinnert 15 years ago

Originally Posted by Alan Petersen

Doesn't make sense to me since if I wrote a book about how I killed someone you would think the police would double check.

Unless it's a fictional story written in the first person.
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E. Brian Rose

15 years ago

Promote that book as an affiliate and you are just as low of scumbag creature as the author.

Karma can be a bitch. Promote that book and your first customer may very well be your daughter's school bus driver.

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maddydp

15 years ago

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Chad Heffelfinger

15 years ago

I remember hearing the original story and being shocked, now that they had a sales boost it is even more disturbing. That's the problem with the news a lot of times, they take a story and run with it and let more people know about something most should not, or give away a tip on how to do something wrong or illegal.

But as a marketing lesson, yes it does prove that controversy sells and that having a little involved can go a long way.

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Joe Benjamin

15 years ago

I could not sell something like that and sleep at night, and even out of
desperation I DID sell a book like that I couldn't keep any of the profits
that were made and would be ethically and morally forced to give it all
a way to charity because that's just the kind of person I am.

We can all CHOOSE to sell narcotics and make a mint, or we can sell a
product that teaches us how to grow ourselves as people.

Either way we ALL will have to live with every decision we make while
here on earth and when we arrive at the pearly gates. You will either
feel extremely good about what you've accomplished, or feel really bad...

and you will feel all the negative or positive energy you gave that person
at that moment in time. Karma IS real and it always comes back to you.

I happen to enjoy positive karma MORE than negative, so any temptation
to do something that is immorally wrong is thrown out the window because
the thought of knowing I participated in someones habit that could kill
them or another person -- I could not live with it and would probably kill
myself in the end.

Even if it made that person feel good in the end (drugs, making a bomb,
pedophilia) I would have failed my job here and called it a wrap.

Just so happens some peoples morals are lower than others, and it would
make them feel good about knowing they may have contributed to another
pedophilia case that gets spread nationwide.

In the end, only we can judge our actions and live according to our standars

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Anonymous Affiliate

15 years ago

Controversy, taboo, explicit sex, what's forbidden, etc do sell. I am not sure why, but I guess it's within our human nature.

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Tyrus Antas

15 years ago

Controversy gets you attention, but can it build a
sustainable long-term business?

Tyrus

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Anonymous Affiliate 15 years ago

Originally Posted by Tyrus Antas

Controversy gets you attention, but can it build a
sustainable long-term business?

Tyrus

It seems to have worked pretty well for FCUK (French Collection UK), the clothes brand. I'm sure pretty much of their success was in their flourish name and how well it stuck.
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Nick Brighton

15 years ago

This must be some kind of ironic stunt. I'm willing to bet that it's a way to help parents protect their kids, but they've tried to do it in an ironic way.

It's distasteful, of course.

I'm just hoping I'm right on this one... and even more hoping that those sales were from parents looking to protect their kids.

But somehow, I feel I could be wrong.

EDIT: Just did some research, and it turns out I was wrong. This was a literal guide to pedophilia.

Sickening to think about how quickly it sold copies too. What a wonderful world.

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sbucciarel

Banned 15 years ago

Originally Posted by Alan Petersen

I think in the end it boils down to our personal morals and ethics. Can you sell an e-book like this one and sleep at night?

Of course not. Make money and put more children at risk? Not even a consideration. But the same goes for fake health claims, and forced continuity programs. Not interested in making money at all costs.

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Jason Moffatt

15 years ago

Somebody is going to f*ck the sh*t outta that guy. Over and over and over again. And rightfully so.

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tpw 15 years ago

Originally Posted by Jason Moffatt

Somebody is going to f*ck the sh*t outta that guy. Over and over and over again. And rightfully so.

If they can locate the victim and convict the author...

Well... It is true...
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Ty Wagner 15 years ago

Originally Posted by Jason Moffatt

Somebody is going to f*ck the sh*t outta that guy. Over and over and over again. And rightfully so.

LOL! Hilarious

This wouldn't be a huge deal if CNN didn't blow it up last night.
I couldn't/wouldn't create this crap and sleep at night. But then
again some people could sleep pretty well owning this product
and making a killing off of it.

Who are the freaks buying the book is what I'm more concerned with?

There's always a niche ready to tap into. (Horrible I know)
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Controversy Sells to the tune of 101,000% Sales Boost. Anything goes?

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