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Worth it to write my own ebook as my first IM venture?

by Brendan Carl
20 replies
Hi everyone,

I am about to embark on my first IM venture!

I plan to write an ebook in the stock market investing niche and sell it on my site, and I will offer a free chapter as a "mini guide" or "mini report" to build my email list. I will probably make the home page of my site the squeeze page with the opt-in form offering the free chapter, and once people opt-in, I will redirect them to the sales page for the full ebook. I will also follow up with an autoresponder via email to sell the ebook.

I have not decided yet whether I want to try to integrate this into a blog-like site so I can write and post articles on it to drive traffic.

However, as I know being successful in the internet marketing field is hard for beginners, should I spend the time to write my own ebook as my first venture? Or should I try something else to boost my confidence and knowledge?

To be completely honest, it would be incredibly discouraging for me to spend all the time to write a complete ebook and not make any sales.
#ebook #venture #worth #write
  • Profile picture of the author PPC-Coach
    Do a bit of research first then.

    Figure out if there's a demand for your intended product.

    Also, don't do it, fail, then quit. Do it, get it out there, take a stab at it and let the chips fall where they may. KNOWING that you get unlimited chances to make money online and some things fail, some things do ok and the majority will fail.
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    • Profile picture of the author Brendan Carl
      Originally Posted by PPC-Coach View Post

      Do a bit of research first then.

      Figure out if there's a demand for your intended product.

      Also, don't do it, fail, then quit. Do it, get it out there, take a stab at it and let the chips fall where they may. KNOWING that you get unlimited chances to make money online and some things fail, some things do ok and the majority will fail.
      Would I just look on google, amazon, clickbank, etc. to see if there are competing products?
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  • Profile picture of the author Dan Allard
    Originally Posted by bcarl6 View Post

    However, as I know being successful in the internet marketing field is hard for beginners, should I spend the time to write my own ebook as my first venture? Or should I try something else to boost my confidence and knowledge?

    To be completely honest, it would be incredibly discouraging for me to spend all the time to write a complete ebook and not make any sales.
    This is a very good question.

    I'm not even sure what I would do if I could go back to when I got started. I learned so much from affiliate marketing and then selling services, knowledge that has helped me tremendously in selling products. If I didn't start there would I still have been successful with selling my own products?

    No way to know I guess.

    So I can't answer that. But I can say this: Choose one thing to focus on and commit yourself 100% to it. If you decide to create your own product now GO FOR IT. Don't stop until the project is finished.

    And BTW if you create a product and don't get any sales it wouldn't be the end of the world. Spend a week or two networking with the right JV's and you'll have sales lined up for months. Or you could sell MRR or PLR to the product here at the Warrior Forum. Or you could split up the product into blog posts and create a website. Or you could put the product up on a squeeze page and start building an email list. The important thing here is the finished product.

    UPDATE:     I give some 'out of the box' JV ideas in post #15.
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    Facebook page for inspiration & JV opportunities-

    facebook.com/WantrepreneurToEntrepreneur

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    • Profile picture of the author Brendan Carl
      Originally Posted by Dan Allard View Post

      This is a very good question.

      I'm not even sure what I would do if I could go back to when I got started. I learned so much from affiliate marketing and then selling services, knowledge that has helped me tremendously in selling products. If I didn't start there would I still have been successful with selling my own products?

      No way to know I guess.

      So I can't answer that. But I can say this: Choose one thing to focus on and commit yourself 100% to it. If you decide to create your own product now GO FOR IT. Don't stop until the project is finished.

      And BTW if you create a product and don't get any sales it wouldn't be the end of the world. Spend a week or two networking with the right JV's and you'll have sales lined up for months.
      Thanks for the motivation

      But a quick question, how would I find the right JV's to network with? Look at competing sites and shoot the owners a few emails offering to promote each other's sites with our lists?

      The only problem is, since this will be my first venture, my list will most likely be small. Not much leverage, eh?
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      • Profile picture of the author Dan Allard
        Originally Posted by bcarl6 View Post

        how would I find the right JV's to network with? Look at competing sites and shoot the owners a few emails offering to promote each other's sites with our lists?

        The only problem is, since this will be my first venture, my list will most likely be small. Not much leverage, eh?
        You don't need a list to have leverage. The amount of JV's you can put together is only limited by your creativity. Let's think outside of the box for a minute and look at other ways we could JV with list owners:

        -> Offer the list owner the chance to put their name on your product (along with yours so it's co-written). You create the whole thing they just send it to their list. They gain more credibility in their niche and if/when affiliates start promoting the product* THEIR NAME will get even more market exposure. Many of us product creators/list owners are trying to establish ourselves as experts within our niches, so with right product this would be a no-brainer.

        *Affiliates are easier to find after one or two successful JV mailings. You just need one or two people to promote your product at first so you can get some numbers to back you up.

        -> Barter your services. Can you write articles? Contact the list owner and see how you can help them- maybe you can create 10 quality articles pointing at their squeeze page. In exchange they just email your offer to their list- plus they get commissions! Again a no-brainer under the right circumstances.

        -> Do a multi-jv where you have 3 or 5 big list owners all agree to promote your product. Each list owner can promote their freebie or giveaway offer on your 'thank you' page, the customer just needs to opt-in to their list to get the extra free product. So 3 or 5 list owners are all pooling their buyers together and exchanging them- at no cost to them! They can add hundreds or thousands of new subscribers (buyers!) this way- can you say no-brainer

        Don't be afraid to contact potential JV's either (as long as you have win-win intentions). They're here to make money just like you. If someone takes the time to put together a creative win-win offer I'm not going to say "who the hell are you?". I'm going to say "great idea, tell me more".

        And RE: where to find them: here at the WF, clickbank, jvnotifypro, digiresults, simpleoneclick, jvzoo, and google "YOUR NICHE + contact" to name a few. Find a list owner, find their email address, and there you have it.
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        Facebook page for inspiration & JV opportunities-

        facebook.com/WantrepreneurToEntrepreneur

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        • Profile picture of the author Brendan Carl
          Originally Posted by Dan Allard View Post

          You don't need a list to have leverage. The amount of JV's you can put together is only limited by your creativity. Let's think outside of the box for a minute and look at other ways we could JV with list owners:

          -> Offer the list owner the chance to put their name on your product (along with yours so it's co-written). You create the whole thing they just send it to their list. They gain more credibility in their niche and if/when affiliates start promoting the product* THEIR NAME will get even more market exposure. Many of us product creators/list owners are trying to establish ourselves as experts within our niches, so with right product this would be a no-brainer.

          *Affiliates are easier to find after one or two successful JV mailings. You just need one or two people to promote your product at first so you can get some numbers to back you up.

          -> Barter your services. Can you write articles? Contact the list owner and see how you can help them- maybe you can create 10 quality articles pointing at their squeeze page. In exchange they just email your offer to their list- plus they get commissions! Again a no-brainer under the right circumstances.

          -> Do a multi-jv where you have 3 or 5 big list owners all agree to promote your product. Each list owner can promote their freebie or giveaway offer on your 'thank you' page, the customer just needs to opt-in to their list to get the extra free product. So 3 or 5 list owners are all pooling their buyers together and exchanging them- at no cost to them! They can add hundreds or thousands of new subscribers (buyers!) this way- can you say no-brainer

          Don't be afraid to contact potential JV's either (as long as you have win-win intentions). They're here to make money just like you. If someone takes the time to put together a creative win-win offer I'm not going to say "who the hell are you?". I'm going to say "great idea, tell me more".

          And RE: where to find them: here at the WF, clickbank, jvnotifypro, digiresults, simpleoneclick, jvzoo, and google "YOUR NICHE + contact" to name a few. Find a list owner, find their email address, and there you have it.
          You are a god! Those are excellent idea, and I will bookmark this page to keep your post a reference. Thank you.
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          • Profile picture of the author Brendan Carl
            Originally Posted by Randall Magwood View Post

            Experience is the best teacher. You should create the ebook and try to market it. If you want to see immediate sales, price your ebook at $7. Neat little trick you should try.
            I actually think I will price it at $7. I heard that prices ending in 7 work good, so I was either considering $7 or $17.

            Originally Posted by honestbizpro View Post

            If you have great content it will find its audience. You just have to adapt and be creative.

            If you are letting people know of your great resource....and that is the way you have to think of your efforts....as a resource not just an ebook.....then people will appreciate what you have to offer.

            So once you have it complete let a few people check it out. Then get to work with social networks and press releases and some review copies to people who are list owners in your niche. You will be fine.

            There is no fail....just adapt and be creative.

            Become guest blogger, create a video, go offline, the list is endless.

            Just have the mindset that you have great information that can help others and that motivation will get you to where you want to be.
            Thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author chinacharly
    Yes. Absolutely! Why? Action. It's action. It may sell. It may not sell. But taking some action is the ONLY way to start anything. Doesn't matter what it is. You learn more from failing than you do succeeding. Not saying it will fail. It may be a hit and take off.

    As for what you are writing about...it's a tough, highly, highly competitive niche but that only means that there are a lot of buyers out there for it. And "stock market investing" is not a niche. It's a subject. Niche would be more like "penny stocks" or "solar companies stocks" or "emerging technologies stocks"...you get the point! Your product needs to be pretty niche specific to stand out. Everybody and his dog has some "miracle stock system, robot, software" that they want to sell to you.

    When creating your product, don't fall into the "gotta make it perfect" trap either. Again, it's more important to just get it out there.

    But definitely....go for it!
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    • Profile picture of the author Brendan Carl
      Originally Posted by chinacharly View Post

      Yes. Absolutely! Why? Action. It's action. It may sell. It may not sell. But taking some action is the ONLY way to start anything. Doesn't matter what it is. You learn more from failing than you do succeeding. Not saying it will fail. It may be a hit and take off.

      As for what you are writing about...it's a tough, highly, highly competitive niche but that only means that there are a lot of buyers out there for it. And "stock market investing" is not a niche. It's a subject. Niche would be more like "penny stocks" or "solar companies stocks" or "emerging technologies stocks"...you get the point! Your product needs to be pretty niche specific to stand out. Everybody and his dog has some "miracle stock system, robot, software" that they want to sell to you.

      When creating your product, don't fall into the "gotta make it perfect" trap either. Again, it's more important to just get it out there.

      But definitely....go for it!
      Great advice for making my topic more specific. But, if I narrow down the topic for my ebook, I might not be able to cut some of it out to make a free sample because it would already be too specific. I mean I probably could, but I do not know if I could make the free report/guide/chapter broad enough to be lucrative for use as an incentive to opt-in, you know? Any suggestions?
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  • Profile picture of the author Kierkegaard
    Well, first of all you have been making a good profit on the stock market based on your knowledge.

    You already know that you are offering something new

    ... and something that works

    Based on your own experience - as an expert in the field - in the stock market.

    So, knowing what you know - how could an ebook fail???
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    • Profile picture of the author Brendan Carl
      Originally Posted by Kierkegaard View Post

      Well, first of all you have been making a good profit on the stock market based on your knowledge.

      You already know that you are offering something new

      ... and something that works

      Based on your own experience - as an expert in the field - in the stock market.

      So, knowing what you know - how could an ebook fail???
      Well, that actually doesn't make any sense. There are plenty of people who have something worthwhile to teach someone else, but just because they know that doesn't mean that they can sell it. They could build an ineffective website or write a non-converting sales letter. There are a multitude of things that could go wrong.

      Just because I have knowledge in the investing field does not mean that I can instantly be successful selling my knowledge. They are two completely different things.
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  • Profile picture of the author mattryan30
    It won't be a waste of time as I explain in the next paragraph.Like chinacharly and others have said just getting it done and out there is what you got to do. Definitely spend some time with it,but don't be so much a perfectionist you never complete it.You think all the Gurus were successful their first attempt at selling a product? I highly doubt it.

    If anything whether you are successful or you don't do as well as you thought you'd do with this ebook, it will be a big learning experience and not a waste of time.You can always fix(revise) your ebook, work out the kinks and sell it at a later date, so it isn't really a loss.Once your finished with your e-book or near so you could probably find a few select Warrior members who could critique youre book or advise you of changes that may help it sell better.Good luck though,I'm sure you'll do well as long as you take action!
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    You only have one life to live.Don't withhold your chance to become successful by procrastinating! Take action... Now!

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    • Profile picture of the author Brendan Carl
      Originally Posted by mattryan30 View Post

      It won't be a waste of time as I explain in the next paragraph.Like chinacharly and others have said just getting it done and out there is what you got to do. Definitely spend some time with it,but don't be so much a perfectionist you never complete it.You think all the Gurus were successful their first attempt at selling a product? I highly doubt it.

      If anything whether you are successful or you don't do as well as you thought you'd do with this ebook, it will be a big learning experience and not a waste of time.You can always fix(revise) your ebook, work out the kinks and sell it at a later date, so it isn't really a loss.Once your finished with your e-book or near so you could probably find a few select Warrior members who could critique youre book or advise you of changes that may help it sell better.Good luck though,I'm sure you'll do well as long as you take action!
      Sorry, I should have multiquoted these responses...

      But thanks for the motivation.

      I did not even think about reworking the ebook in the future if it is not successful. That could save me a lot of time in the future.
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  • Profile picture of the author bonaventure
    bcarl6,

    There is no guarantee that you will make money with your own product, or in any IM venture. Like in every traditional business there is risk involved.

    You can try to minimize some of the risk by feeling out the market first (with a short report, say) and build up a mailing list to market your ebook to.

    Test and take action, test some more and take action again, and so on, eventually you will succeed in IM.
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  • Profile picture of the author Brendan Carl
    Ok thanks everyone for the motivation - I plan on getting started this week as soon as I find time.
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  • Profile picture of the author dave147
    If you have the knowledge then yes go ahead and get it done
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    Experience is the best teacher. You should create the ebook and try to market it. If you want to see immediate sales, price your ebook at $7. Neat little trick you should try.
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    ==>> Free book reveals make money with affiliate marketing
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  • Profile picture of the author Mike Hersh
    Doesn't matter what you do, but how you do it. You can write the report, but unless you know how to promote/market the report you're not going to make any money.

    With that said, writing the report is step one. Make sure to go to step two and you should be ok. :-)
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