Are Ebooks still a worthwhile product?

EllenMoore

10 years ago

I guess the right question is not if eBooks are still worthwhile, but what type of eBooks are?

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Alexa Smith

Banned 10 years ago

What was the intended difference in meaning between the poll answers "I still make good money with ebooks" and "I still sell ebooks and make a good return"?

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Lucian Lada

10 years ago

Originally Posted by Alexa Smith

What was the intended difference in meaning, among the poll answers, between "I still make good money with ebooks" and "I still sell ebooks and make a good return"?

He was trying to be very subtle about differentiating between affiliates and vendors!

:p

(Because, technically speaking, as an affiliate one does not sell ebooks - one just refers people to the vendor's sales page.)

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Dusty196

10 years ago

Originally Posted by Lucian Lada

He was trying to be very subtle about differentiating between affiliates and vendors!

:p

(Because, technically speaking, as an affiliate one does not sell ebooks - one just refers people to the vendor's sales page.)

Lucian you got it in one thanks for your post. Everybody else Sorry for the confussion.

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GuruGuna 10 years ago

Originally Posted by EllenMoore

I guess the right question is not if eBooks are still worthwhile, but what type of eBooks are?

I agree and also who wrote it.
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Romeo90

10 years ago

I still sell an eBook I launched over 2 years ago. The price is £17 (roughly $25) and I make a few sales per week.

Personally speaking, I think that it is not just about what the end user wants in terms of deliverable format - it is about how the end user perceives you.

I am a member of a couple of forums where I am allowed to promote my eBook through threads/signatures etc, and I set aside 10-15 minutes per day just helping people with questions they have on the niche my eBook is written in.

Two things result from that - first, I am, to some, seen as an 'authority' in that particular niche, and secondly, because of the trust gained and the knowledgeable/helpful nature of my posts, people see my signature link or unashamed plugging of my own product (which is allowed on the forum I am on), and click through to my sales page and convert into a customer - because they trust me more than simply arriving on a sales page of Billy No Status who is peddling his latest and greatest eBook.

So in answer to your question - I don't think the format of information is the defining element of whether eBooks still sell - it is more to do with how you position yourself, and how others perceive you within your niche.

I hope this helps.

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neximuss

10 years ago

There is always space for a EXCELLENT ebook on the internet, it doesn't matter which niche, it just should be brilliant!

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3 replies

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Devid Farah

10 years ago

Honestly, what's the point here?

Nothing.

This poll to me is just useless because is like asking if people still buy/read information products. This is a demand that will never die.

How the information is presented it doesnt really matter, you have control on this, the format you wanna adopt is up to you... you can present it as pdfs, video products, podcasts, mp3s, whatever you like but if you think ebooks are DEAD then we live in a different world...

What if i told you that ebooks are still kickin it from 2004?

It doesnt matter.

Let me ask you...why do you think ebooks dont have the demand they did years ago? Just because you heard from a random somebody that dont work anymore? Some people simply state opinions and own beliefs as facts and spread em like "undeniable truths" to others.

People LOVE ebooks, especially reports.

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Dusty196

10 years ago

Originally Posted by Devid Farah

Honestly, what's the point here?

Nothing.

This poll to me is just useless because is like asking if people still buy/read information products. This is a demand that will never die.

How the information is presented it doesnt really matter, you have control on this, the format you wanna adopt is up to you... you can present it as pdfs, video products, podcasts, mp3s, whatever you like but if you think ebooks are DEAD then we live in a different world...

What if i told you that ebooks are still kickin it from 2004?

It doesnt matter.

Let me ask you...why do you think ebooks dont have the demand they did years ago? Just because you heard from a random somebody that dont work anymore? Some people simply state opinions and own beliefs as facts and spread em like "undeniable truths" to others.

People LOVE ebooks, especially reports.

Thanks for your post Devid,

Being a newbie what may seem obvious to YOU Obviously isn't to everybody that is the whole point of the post. I really don't know if ebooks are still in vogue hence the reason for my post. I do appreciate that info products can be in many different formats, ebooks being cheapest to produce i would guess? I don't simply listen to any and every opinion I hear, I actually recently heard from a very successful IM that ebooks are not as popular today as they were a few years ago. Unfortunately I don't have the experience of many on this excellent forum who are successful in this field, this is the whole reason for my post. Essentially to get feedback from those who have much more knowledge and experience than I have.
I'd really like to hear from those who are willing to share what they have found to work best particularly when first getting started.

Many thanks,
Dusty196

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Devid Farah

10 years ago

Hey dusty,

as i said a big YES, they work

Starting your own ebook business can be very profitable but let me just advice you on a few things;

1. Niche and market research.

Research the market to find out if your subject is wanted. Identify a profitable market first, then try to nail down into a submarket/niche. But you'll need to dig and dig deeper.

For istance, fitness/bodybuilding ---> workout for busy dads

Look for very difficult problems that have made life miserable.

These sites will help you with your research(look at the trends);

TREND HUNTER - #1 in Trends, 2014 Trend Reports, Fashion Trends, Tech, Style, Design & Pop Culture
Magazine Subscription Discounts & Deals | Magazines.com
trendwatching.com: Previous free Trend Briefings
List your goals on 43 Things

2. Spy your competition and study from them, look at their titles, hooks, what they are selling and REPLICATE offering different solutions. Sell what's already selling!

3. Familiarize with the "Word Tracker" tool to find out how many times a month people search and look for such a product or information

4. After you have made the research, start writing your ebook and use tools like Word or Open Office that it is free. After you wrote it convert in PDF

5. Create an ebook ecover for it. You can use many free software online to create an ecover, but if you want an eye catchy design hire TOP designers to do that

6. Then the marketing/traffic part which is ESSENTIAL. You'll need to master this aspect, study the "psychology of buying", persuasion techniques...what make people purchase and how to persuade people to buy from you. You'll need to master some aspects, copywriting is one of them.

So, my advice is dont get discouraged by the fact that there are other people out there selling ebooks. Your product will be different and unique and believe me ebooks/pdfs still rock!

Also mini reports with fast actionable solutions or step by step plans!

Originally Posted by Dusty196

I actually recently heard from a very successful IM that ebooks are not as popular today as they were a few years ago.

So you take this as undeniable truth, or do the research for yourself and focus on your specific goals instead?

Choice is yours.

Best,
Good luck

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Dusty196

10 years ago

Originally Posted by Devid Farah

Hey dusty,

as i said a big YES, they work

Starting your own ebook business can be very profitable but let me just advice you on a few things;

1. Niche and market research.

Research the market to find out if your subject is wanted. Identify a profitable market first, then try to nail down into a submarket/niche. But you'll need to dig and dig deeper.

For istance, fitness/bodybuilding ---> workout for busy dads

Look for very difficult problems that have made life miserable.Y

These sites will help you with your research(look at the trends);

TREND HUNTER - #1 in Trends, 2014 Trend Reports, Fashion Trends, Tech, Style, Design & Pop Culture
Magazine Subscription Discounts & Deals | Magazines.com
trendwatching.com: Previous free Trend Briefings
List your goals on 43 Things

2. Spy your competition and study from them, look at their titles, hooks, what they are selling and REPLICATE offering different solutions. Sell what's already selling!

3. Familiarize with the "Word Tracker" tool to find out how many times a month people search and look for such a product or information

4. After you have made the research, start writing your ebook and use tools like Word or Open Office that it is free. After you wrote it convert in PDF

5. Create an ebook ecover for it. You can use many free software online to create an ecover, but if you want an eye catchy design hire TOP designers to do that

6. Then the marketing/traffic part which is ESSENTIAL. You'll need to master this aspect, study the "psychology of buying", persuasion techniques...what make people purchase and how to persuade people to buy from you. You'll need to master some aspects, copywriting is one of them.

So, my advice is dont get discouraged by the fact that there are other people out there selling ebooks. Your product will be different and unique and believe me ebooks/pdfs still rock!

Also mini reports with fast actionable solutions or step by step plans!

So you take this as undeniable truth, or do the research for yourself and focus on your specific goals instead?

Choice is yours.

Best,
Good luck

Hey,
Thank you so much Devid that is really do helpful I appreciate your help and valuable advice it means a lot. I'm just want to learn as much as possible here and be guided by those who have much more experience than I have. It's this kind of help and support that make this forum the great place it is.
God bless you. 😃

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clever7 10 years ago

Originally Posted by neximuss

There is always space for a EXCELLENT ebook on the internet, it doesn't matter which niche, it just should be brilliant!

Without promotion, this excellent ebook won't be successful.

What really matters online is not the quality of your products, but your marketing techniques.

Wish quality was more important than marketing, but the truth is that many low quality ebooks are selling because they are promoted the best way, while excellent ebooks remain unknown.
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- BritishMike 10 years ago
  
  Ask yourself this question: When is the last time YOU purchased an ebook?
  
  Then consider that you're more switched onto online than most of the population, so you're more likely to buy one than them.
  
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Devid Farah 10 years ago

Originally Posted by neximuss

There is always space for a EXCELLENT ebook on the internet, it doesn't matter which niche, it just should be brilliant!

Pardon me, but this is just nonsense.

You are forgetting some CRUCIAL points here.

Your "EXCELLENT" or "BRILLIANT" ebook will barely sell a few copies with poor marketing.

Instead, superb marketing will sell million copies of a crappy one.

Bottom line is its not the content that makes your info product sell but its how its marketed. It has been tested and proven that majority of people dont even open and read your material!

With the above am not telling you to deliberately go out and create a crappy product but showing you the importance of marketing for your business to succeed.

Secondly, the niche doesnt matter? The niche really is relevant.

You can create an EXCELLENT product in a niche no one is interested in or is not a hot topic, this is why is so important to do your initial niche and market research to findout if your topic is wanted.
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Jbarros

10 years ago

Sure they are. Not everyone likes audio products, or is up for a membership. Some people just prefer to read.

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Naeema Anum 10 years ago

Ebooks are great, because people can download it instantly. People also love videos and Audios to much.
But it also depends on the value/ impact of the content .
But there are alot people who likes to market with videos and some of them say ebooks are dying. But there are people, who loves ebook, and are prising ebooks.
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illiptic

10 years ago

Video courses command higher prices, however there are millions of ebooks are being bought every day...so definately a yes.

Just depends on what the ebook is about and how big of a problem it solves for the people who buy it.

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Dusty196 10 years ago

Thanks my friend.
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theimexpert

10 years ago

I think ebooks are in fact becoming MORE saleable as the wider public begin to learn what they are. What with the introduction of the kindle and other ebook readers not long ago, more people actually know about ebooks.

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jbsmith

10 years ago

I have been selling ebooks in several markets for more than 10-years now, I would say it is definitely better selling them now than then. In the beginning there was less competition, but also less demand (less people online, fewer people looking for information in digital format).

So today, the opportunity is MUCH larger, need to have the marketing chops though to get to your market with a unique marketing message.

Also - this industry is much larger than just ebooks...think of your yourself as a trainer or consultant that uses informational ebooks as one product - one way you can help your market, but there are many others from worksbooks, manuals, multi-media, subscription sites, seminars, webinars, group coaching, insider's clubs, personal coaching, etc...

Ebooks provide terrific intro products and test vehicles to enter information publishing that can lead to much bigger ventures.

Jeff

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mgsmith

10 years ago

Some like ebooks, some like audio or dvd products. As long as the quality is good it will sell!

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MagneticKopy

10 years ago

People don't buy e-books, they don't dvds, they don't buy audio cds... they buy information.

better yet, they buy a solution to their problem. The prospect can care less if it comes written on a napkin with coffee stains. If the problem they're having is that pressed, then the end result will be to purchase the information you are withholding.

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spearce000

10 years ago

Yes, there's still a demand for e-books - especially with more people buying Kindle e-readers and Apple iPads.

As E-Book Sales Rise, Apple iPad Bests Amazon Kindle - Businessweek

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Randall Magwood

10 years ago

Originally Posted by Dusty196

Do ebooks still have the demand they did a few years ago?

Yessir!

For the prospect who has swollen nymph nodes near their groin and are looking for information on how to get rid of them... i can imagine such a prospect buying a $30 ebook for this kind of information.

P.S. The cure for this is Organic Apple Cider Vinegar... three times a day, with 8 oz of water.

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Sarevok

10 years ago

People will always buy information products.

We're an information based species and crave knowledge.

:]

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Dusty196 10 years ago

Thanks Folks. There's some great advice and feedback here.

Quality!!

Dusty196
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MeelisM

10 years ago

Ebooks are a great source of income.

Basically the way I see it - ebooks let you do the main work once and keep getting revenue on and on with you only getting traffic to the ebook.

I personally have an ebook up for ~18 months and have made around $2000 in that time from just that one ebook. It took me one night to get the ebook written and then around $250 investment total and the rest has been almost total passive income

MeelisM

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E. Brian Rose

10 years ago

Information has and always will be a viable product. The way the information is delivered will change, but there will always be a market. If somebody needs a problem solved and they find an ebook that solves it, they will buy it.

I kind if have a birds eye view of what is selling and what is not in the IM community and, believe me, there is no slowdown on ebooks.

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bostjan33

Banned 10 years ago

Originally Posted by Dusty196

Hi Warriors,

I guess this is a survey / poll I'm still finding my feet and deciding the best way forward in this field which is so new to me.

I'm would like to hear from those who are selling information products in the ebook format or is this now a dying format? I have heard both sides of the ebook story, some sources suggest ebooks as a good way to get started in the information publishing niche but I have also more recently heard that ebooks are dying and people much prefer either an audio or DvD product over ebooks.

Please can you share your experience. Do ebooks still have the demand they did a few years ago? What product formats do you find work best?

Looking forward to hear from you all.

All the best,
Dusty196

By my experiences, they are not. If you have an original and high quality content, you really shouldn't be selling it for a few bucks. Instead, create a course or webinar from that content and price it 10x more than the ebook itself would be worth.

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zendot

10 years ago

Hello,

I’d like to test the eBook waters by creating a few short 7-15 page reports, which would consist of various PLR articles and books. I would hire a pro designer for the cover and price the PDF’s from 5 to 10 USD.

Can I also publish these PDF’s on other sites, like Amazon, Tradebit, Shareasale, etc?
Do you think this is a viable strategy for testing this market?

Thanks.

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1 reply

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bostjan33 Banned 10 years ago

Lol, good luck with that pricing
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adelewilliams

Banned 10 years ago

I think ebooks are still cool and they are a fast way of publishing a writing. Of course the prices are lower, but also the variety of the books is larger.

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randak 10 years ago

Of course ebooks still sell very well. How many wso's that are strictly pdf's are on here everyday?
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Roboseum

10 years ago

I have an announcer friend that sells his sports casting book on Amazon. Sales vary from month to month but he assures me it is well worth it.

An ebook is worth the effort if the information is sought after and not otherwise easily attainable on the net.

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Sophie anne weir

10 years ago

hi
I don't know about selling ebooks but I sure still consider ebooks as the main resource for reliable information. The fact that people invest time in making and editing ebooks helps to support this idea so i don't think the ebooks business is dying hope it helps.

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Rob Maggs

10 years ago

From my own personal experience I would say that an ebook has very little perceived value these days because of market saturation. A video course or software however I think offers much more to the buyer. Unless you have a "name" or people view you as an expert I'd say ebooks are just a good means of building your list with freebie offers... IMO anyway.

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Benary11

10 years ago

Some ebooks are old, out of date, and just plain useless. Some ebooks are hot off the press and a fortune waiting to happen. Well I say "ASK"! Most sellers are quick to tell you if they are hot sellers and if they are not they may be able to take a depriciated price and this may still be a good investment for a starter. Don't be afraid to purchase a few cheap ebooks just to get an idea of what you can expect from different vendors. This way you can tell when you get ahold of the real deal.

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NellyColby

10 years ago

Ebooks will always sell if they are written on interesting topics. If they aren't, you cannot expect to sell any.

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Max Anderson

10 years ago

Depends on the eBook as well as the niche...but generally, I would say, "YES!"

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Bannaz

10 years ago

They are definitely still in demand.

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Michael Franklin

10 years ago

I would have to agree that with the growing Kindle marketplace that it has actually put some downward pressure on overall ebook prices.

HOWEVER.....

1) The overall demand for ebooks has never been higher. The Kindle market alone has opened the floodgates in such demand. So despite downward price pressure, the larger demand more than makes up for it.

2) Long-tail/micro niche opportunities are plentiful. There are SO many subniches that are still under-served and are great opportunities to go after.

3) The rise of the "news trending" niches on Amazon have created a HOT ebook market surrounding events that have just broken out in the public arena....Instead of the old model of building blogs around hot trends, now you have eBooks around these trends that sell like hotcakes!

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makemoneywithdannyc

10 years ago

well a lot of people still buy them....a lot of programs still offer them in their back office too....personally though, I have never had much luck with ebooks.

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Fbadist

10 years ago

Originally Posted by makemoneywithdannyc

well a lot of people still buy them....a lot of programs still offer them in their back office too....personally though, I have never had much luck with ebooks.

There's nothing wrong with ebooks, you either have a wrong offer or might have to tweak your backend a bit.
ebooks can be seen as a treasure trove of mental/spiritual wealth to the right person if you match them with the right offer.

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ElijahM

10 years ago

I think the market for ebooks is increasing!

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Fbadist

10 years ago

I cant seem to vote, when did the voting pole close?
ebooks will continue to be useful until the end of time, or until we all evolve into mind-communicating creatures that can simply share experiences and communicate via thought.

ebooks simply provide a type of communication that video, audio and conversation cannot.