Information Product

How to Find Time to Write an eBook (Even if You’re Busy 8 Days a Week)

by Steve Scott

How to Find Time to Write an eBook

We’ve all heard this before:

“One of the best ways to make money online is to write an eBook.”

I think this statement is true.

But I also believe it’s very hard for many entrepreneurs to find time to write an eBook.

We all live busy lives.

This is especially true if you juggle an Internet business with family, work, and other obligations.

So how do you find the time to write an eBook?

I have a simple answer:

You can’t find time to write an eBook, you need to make it.

Let me explain… [click to continue…]

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How to Make Passive Income Online: 6 Strategies for Making Money on the Internet

by Steve Scott

Make Streams of Online Passive IncomeMany people wonder: What’s the secret to making passive income online?

Most of the time I’m not a fan of using the words “passive income” because I’ve never found a business that runs 100% on autopilot.

With that said, I think it is important to create multiple streams of income.  This diversification prevents any “single point of failure” from ruining your Internet business.

{Click here to learn the technique I use to make over 90% of my online passive income.}

So today I’m going to talk about how to build passive online income.  Specifically I’ll detail the six revenue streams I’m currently using… [click to continue…]

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4 Ways to Make Money with eBooks

by Steve Scott

Let others share your ebook for you!

Today we have a guest post from Angela England about some of the ways to make money with an eBook. 

I will let Angela tell you about herself….

I’ve never considered myself a “mom-blogger,” because I got into the online world as a web content writer.


Quickly developing a grasp of basic SEO and technical skills, I created a residual income in my spare time that grew from guilt-free-pizza-nights to covering the mortgage during my maternity leave with my third baby.

What I want to share is how I used ebooks to grow that revenue even further during the year my fourth child was born and I began homeschooling.

When I published Making Money Blogging – Beyond Banner Ad Sales, it was designed to be a recap of the three main ways I used my blog to create an income for myself through ebook sales, through turning web articles into magazine articles, and via content production for several clients and websites.

The book also became my stepping stone to launch myself as a consultant for small bloggers and solidify my standing as a speaker at conferences.

Last year, I used the book to leverage an additional five figures of income for my family – on top of what I already had going on as Editor-in-Chief at Blissfully Domestic, Feature Writer at Suite 101, and of course, busy mother of four! There were four main ways I garnered revenue using my ebook that I want to share with you here.

1. Ebook Sales From Direct Traffic and Affiliates

Of course, the first thing that comes to mind when you think of creating revenue with an ebook product is the income from the actual sales of the book. In this case, the $25 someone paid to purchase the book. But, as you’ll see in the next two steps, this was only one portion of the income generated via my ebook.

Setting your ebook up with an affiliate program of some sort, whether third-party hosting like ejunkie, or a plugin you control yourself, can be a very significant way to increase the amount of sales you generate. Now, you aren’t the only one promoting and marketing your work – you’ve enlisted the help of others. Running a good affiliate program can make a huge difference in the amount of ebook sales you are able to generate.

2. Affiliate Links Placed Within the Ebook

Another great way to capitalize on potential revenue after the sale of the book, is through related affiliate links. This is also a fabulous way to monetize a book you’ve given away for free. Anytime you mention a product or tool that is genuinely helpful, or useful for accomplishing a task you mention in the ebook, don’t be afraid to use an affiliate link if available.

Affiliate links are something I consider a benefit and value to my readers. When I talk about the plugin I use to create my own estore and affiliate programs, it only makes sense that my readers might want to purchase those plugins!

3. Selling Services In Tandem With the Ebook

When I started doing consultations for small and new bloggers, I knew I needed to hone my chops a bit. So when I launched Making Money Blogging, I offered a free, 20 minute phone consult to anyone who pre-purchased the book. This gave me two advantages with the launch of that book:

  • 1 – I had funds upfront for hiring a professional editor and cover design.
  • 2- I had built-in practice audience for honing my skill as a consultant with a crowd that wouldn’t demand money back if it was obvious I was still learning.

As a result of those initial consultations, I raised my rates, developed a positive reputation for someone who could help personalize your to-do-list, and I was able to collect very positive testimonials.

Nearly one-third of the purchasers of that ebook last year ended up hiring me for consultations, some of them, more than once. I offer a discount for the initial consultation with the purchase of the ebook to help overcome that first barrier. Adding a service after the sale of your ebook can greatly increase the overall revenue potential for you!

4. Clients Hired or Speaking Gigs Booked Through Reading my Ebook

I put these two together because I always wind up being hired by clients when I speak at a conference or event, so the two go together in my mind. Sometimes, someone will read what I’ve done or what I suggest doing in the ebook and decide they would rather hire me to do it for them instead of doing it themselves. For example, one area that comes up a lot is keyword research.

It’s something I’ve become pretty good at, but is also something that has a higher learning curve for some people or seems too tedious and time-consuming to do themselves. Other ways I’ve seen this work for friends is with website design, graphics creation, editing, freelance writing, and many other things. Always be sure that if you are willing to do per-hour or per-project work on behalf of someone else, you make that clear in your ebook, because you never know when your next client might be reading!

Using these four methods, I turned my last ebook into an additional five figures of income for my family. Granted, we aren’t millionaires, but most of this was while I was home as the primary care-giver for our four children, traveling multiple times, running an online magazine and homeschooling my children. Turn off the TV for a month, make it a habit (Love this post by Steve!) to write every day, and work on your next ebook. Then, you’ll see how you can add to your family’s income this year, too!

Angela England is a problogger, freelance writer and author of 30 Days to Make and Sell a Fabulous Ebook.

Find her on Twitter and at her blog, angengland.com.

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How to Turn $1091.95 into Lifelong Passive Income

by Steve Scott

Passive Income - Information ProductsWell… my first Internet Lifestyle product is finally finished.  It’s been a long six months putting this course together.

The end result is I now have something that can produce lifelong passive income.

With that in mind, I want to break down the “financials” of info product creation.  Specifically I’ll give a real world example of what it’s like to invest in an eBook course.   (Maybe this post will give you that extra *nudge* to create your own.)

Audio Version of Affiliate Marketing without the Bulls**t – $590

Upsells are a great way to create additional product revenue.  The trick is to add extras without filling a sales page with high pressure one-time-offers.

So I decided an audio version is a great way to add value without being too “salesy” to my blog readers.

Here’s what’s interesting.  On the day I decided to look for an audio talent, Morgan from eBook Voice left a comment on my blog.  I check out Morgan’s site and discovered she offers an audio narrating service.  It was one of those serendipitous moments where you stumble across exactly what you need at the right moment.

I really love the quality of Morgan’s work.  She did an incredible job of narrating all eight modules.  We’re talking over 8 ½ hours of audio.  So that’s a lot of talking!

Now, you might think $590 is a steep price to pay.  However I think I got a great deal here.  Just do a search for ‘voice talent’ on Elance and you’ll see it’s a service that’s very expensive.

Another thing to consider is the lifelong value of an audio version.  Right now, I charge $15 for this upsell.  All I have to do is make 40 sales to break even.  Everything else is gravy!

My advice is this.  If you decide to create an eBook, offer an audio version.  And if you decide to offer an audio version, use Morgan’s eBook Voice service.

eCover Images – $295

I’ve used Elance.com for more than six years.  But I wanted to test out other services.  So I decided to try 99Designs.com since I’ve heard a lot of good things about this site.

Unfortunately I wasn’t happy with the end result.

The negative is they charge a ridiculous amount for their service.  I paid $295 for an eCover project.  But only $175 of that goes to the designer.  The rest is kept by 99Designs.com.

Do the math and you’ll see that’s a 40% cut.  That’s simply not a competitive price – Especially when you can find excellent designers from dozens of other sites.

With that said, I’m extremely happy with the work of Phil (the designer.)  I think he did a great job of creating a stylish batch of eCover images.  I highly recommend Phil’s services.  (Contact me if you want more details.)

Overall though, I don’t recommend 99Designs.  It costs an arm and a leg to post a project.  Plus this money doesn’t go to the people who do all the hard work.

Microsoft Word Template – $150

Again, I feel lucky here.  I needed a professionally designed Microsoft Word template.  And I hired Karen (on Elance) who did a great job!

Specifically I liked how the interior design of the eBook matched the look of the eCovers.  If you didn’t know better, you’d think they were designed by the same person.    (As an example, take a look at this free eBook: THE Affiliate Research Formula.)

It’s important to have a professional look for your information product.  This is something that increases the perceived value when people make a product purchase.  That’s why I consider $150 to be a worthwhile investment.

Infographics Academy – $27

Last month I signed up for Tristan Higbee’s Infographics Academy.  This investment has more than paid for itself.

I’m still going through his course.  But I applied some of what I learned to create a simple image for my sales page:

Overhyped Affiliate Marketing Products

I’ll admit this diagram is pretty basic.  What’s important is Tristan’s product has helped me learn a lot about creating images.  I hope to use this information as I build my affiliate center.  Ultimately this will generate additional future income.

Clickbank Activation Fee – $29.95

$29.95 is a cheap price to list a product in the Clickbank marketplace.  This is #1 spot that affiliates use to find a product.  If I get my course to the top of their listings, I’ll receive a lot of extra exposure.

I know Clickbank gets a lot of flak because of their high refund rates.  However this site is still the best place to find potential affiliates.  So I’ll take the occasional B.S. refund request because I’m now able to tap into a vast network of product promoters.

My opinion is all Internet entrepreneurs should have a product listed in Clickbank.  In my affiliate niche, I’ve brokered a number of profitable deals – Simply because of my high profile in the Clickbank marketplace.

Data Transfer Fees (Recurring) – $.08 Per Upsell

You’ll often get a few recurring charges with an information product.

First we’ll go over Amazon’s S3 program.

Amazon offers a simple service – They host large audio and video files.  I love this service because my upsell has 600 MB worth of content.  This kind of data transfer can cause a server meltdown in any standard website.

Fortunately, Amazon S3 handles all data transfer – At an affordable price.

Here is the pricing structure they offer:

Right now, I qualify for the $.12 per GB Transfer option.  This works out to $.08 per upsell option.  That’s a great price for removing a major info product headache.

Clickbank’s Transaction Fees (Recurring) – $1 plus 7.5% on Each Transaction

Yes, Clickbank’s fees are a little steep.   Not only do they ding you for an activation fee; they also take a taste from each sale.

Clickbank charges $1 plus 7.5% on each transaction.  That works out to $3.25 for the silver option or $4.37 for the platinum option.

Again, I don’t mind paying this fee.  Clickbank handles all credit card transactions (which is a real pain in the butt to manage.)  Plus they make it brain-dead simple for affiliates to promote your product.

Conservatively, Clickbank has been responsible for at least six figures of info product income in my pocket.  So I’m more than happy to pay their activation and transaction fees.

Let’s Add it Up…

Okay, let’s add up these fees:

Financials of Information Product Creation

In my opinion, $1091.95 is a small price to pay for something that will continue to make money.

How is this Lifelong Passive Income???

You might wonder: “How is this passive income?”

Well, I admit I’m going to work hard on this product.  So it’s not the true definition of passive income.

With that said, I’m putting together a strong affiliate center.  The end result is I’ll have a product that others promote while I enjoy life.  That sounds pretty passive to me.

Plus, there’s the added benefit of having an information product.  Offering a premium course helps you:

  • Gain instant credibility as a niche expert
  • Drive traffic to your blog – Even from the people who don’t buy
  • Network with other folks in a marketplace
  • Have a potential bonus offer whenever you promote a high ticket item

These are only a few benefits to having your own information product.  Put one together and you’ll see how it exponentially grows your online income.

How to Take Action… Now!

In this post, I covered two techniques to get more from your Internet business:

1) Affiliate Marketing

2) Information Products

So here’s what I recommend you do:

First, check out my report – How to Create a Profit-Pulling eBook Empire in 2011. This is a step-by-step blueprint where I talk about info product creation.

This information comes from my personal experiences with creating an eBook a few years back.  And it’s the same plan that I’m currently following.  So I know it works!

Next, I’d like to remind you about my Affiliate Marketing without the Bulls**t course.

I’m not going to do a hard sell here.  Suffice to say I think it’s a quality product and it seems like others agree.

Also, on Monday I’m raising the price by at least 30%.  So you only have a few days to take advantage of this discounted rate.

Anyway…

Creating this product was hard work.  But I’m glad I invested the time and money.  Now all I have to do is work on the affiliate program.  Wish me luck!

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ANNOUNCING: Affiliate Marketing without the Bulls**t

by Steve Scott

Affiliate Marketing without the Bulls**tWell it’s finally here!

I’ve been writing and editing for six (very long) months.

Now I’m pleased to formally announce my first Internet Lifestyle course:

Affiliate Marketing without the Bulls**t

Okay…this post isn’t designed to ‘sell’ you on this product.

Instead I’ll answer a question I’ve received a few times: “How much will it cost?”

Right now, this course is being offered at a price that’s pretty low considering what’s included.

I’m only doing this for one week.    This isn’t some sort of scarcity tactic.  Come back on Tuesday the 12th and you’ll see I’ve raised the price by at least 30%.

The reasons I’m offering a discount is to reward my loyal readers.

It’s been a year and half since I started this blog.  During this time I’ve learned a lot from all of you who have asked questions or provided feedback.  I’ve received so much value from the connections I’ve made through this site.

So I hope to return the favor by offering a deep discount.

Anywho…It’s been a lot of work.  But I’m glad I did it.

Here is where you can access this course ==> Click Here for Affiliate Marketing without the Bulls**t

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Affiliate Marketing without the Bulls**t [Final Update]

by Steve Scott

I’ve had a number of people email me about my product:  “Affiliate Marketing without the Bulls**t”

So today I’ll give the final update on this course and talk about when it’ll be released.

What’s Included in Affiliate Marketing without the Bulls**t

To start, here is a screenshot of the eight modules that’s included:

Affiliate Marketing without the Bulls**t Modules 1 to 4

(Click to Enlarge.)

Affiliate Marketing without the Bulls**t Modules 5 to 8

(Click to Enlarge.)

I’m very happy with the design of these modules.  The freelancer did a great job of creating an interesting “look” to the product.  Hopefully you feel the same way.

The course includes eight modules; with each being 8,000 to 14,000 words in length.   Here are the titles:

  • Module 1 – Superior Affiliate Mindset Explained
  • Module 2 – THE Affiliate Research Formula
  • Module 3 – Affiliate Niche Domination
  • Module 4 – Building a Rock-Solid Affiliate System
  • Module 5 – Proven Email Income Strategies
  • Module 6 – Lifelong Traffic Generation Blueprint
  • Module 7 – Next Level Affiliate Marketing
  • Module 8 – Affiliate Success…Made Simple

Plus I’m offering three bonuses with every purchase:

1)      An Email Consultation: My time is very important to me.  So that’s why I’ve never offered any sort of consulting service.  Frankly, I’d rather work on creating passive income.

So this is the first time I’ve exchanged time for money.  Anyone who purchases my product will get at least one free email consultation.  (Perhaps I’ll even offer two or three.)

2)      A Quick Start Guide: This course is almost 80,000 words in length.   So there’s a lot that’s covered.   That’s why I’ve created a “Quick Start Guide.”  This blueprint takes the meat of my content and turns it into a step-by-step action plan.  It’s perfect for those who like to take immediate action.  (Like me.)

3)      A Mystery Bonus: Right now, I’m working on a really awesome bonus.  It’s going to add a lot of value to the affiliate marketing skills you’ll learn in this course.  The only catch is I’m not going to reveal it upfront.  You’ll learn what about it on the third day as a customer.  Trust me you’re going to love it!

What’s Included in the Platinum Version?

Hate them or love them, all information products need an upsell offer.  This is an important lesson I learned with my first eBook.  (Grab this free report to see what I mean.)

What I don’t want to do is hit people over the head with an aggressive “one-time-offer” or any of that scarcity bullshit.  My upsell offer is simple:

1)      An Audio Version: Right now, I have Morgan from eBook Voice narrating the entire course.  She’s literally reading all 80,000 words of my product which works out to be about ten hours of audio.  In my opinion, this is an excellent companion piece to the written version.  It’s perfect for anyone who likes to consume content while driving or working out at the gym.

2)      Any Future Bonuses: I’ve missed my self-imposed deadline by over two months.  Plus I’m leaving for a six-week trip to Europe on July 12th.  So I HAVE to launch this product in the next month.   I can’t delay it any more.

Originally my plan was to create a series of bonus reports and offers.  These would be packed into the platinum version.  Unfortunately I don’t have time to write them before I leave.  Probably they’ll be done in August and September.

What’s my point?  I’ll definitely create a lot of bonus items.  It’s just going to take some time.  So anyone who purchases the advanced course will receive these reports.  I’ll be sending them to customers – The moment I complete them!

What’s NOT Included in the Course

I’ve scrapped my plans for the Internet productivity bonus report.  Why?  Because there was way too much information.   The rough draft version was over 15,000 words.  And that was before I added the insights I’ve learned in the last few months.

To keep to my launch date (see below), I had to eliminate certain things.  I feel the productivity report can be really good; as long as I don’t rush it.  So I’ve decided to turn it into a separate product.  Look for it in late 2011.

Will I Offer an Affiliate Program?

The short answer is yes.  But I’m going to launch it a few weeks after my product is released.

An affiliate program is THE best way to market a digital product.  So I want to make sure I build one that’s full of sales tools and top-notch support.  Unfortunately this takes time.

I will offer a great affiliate program.  But it’ll be a step-by-step process.  Just pay attention to this blog after the product launch and you’ll learn how to make money with Affiliate Marketing without the Bulls**t.

Two Important Dates to Remember

This brings us to two important dates you should remember:

On June 30th, I’ll provide a download link to one ENTIRE lesson of my course.  It’ll be Module #2: THE Affiliate Research Formula. (I know this is an area where many people struggle.)

Now when I say a download link, I’m not talking about an opt-in page or any high-pressure sales tactic.  Instead any blog reader will get instant access to this lesson.  Just check out the post for that day and you’ll see a download link.

On July 4th, I’ll launch Affiliate Marketing without the Bulls**t.  Yes, I know it’s Independence Day for those of us who live in The States.  But this is the *only* date that fits with my impending trip plans.

For one week only, I’m going to offer my course at a discount rate.  Probably I’ll charge $37 for the basic course and $52 for the advanced, audio version.  After that, I’m not sure how much I’ll charge.  The one thing I do know is this is lowest price I’ll set for this course.  So you’ll have seven days to get this discounted rate.

//END Marketing Message

That’s it for the update and not-so-subtle push to buy my product.  I appreciate you reading this entire blog post.  Tomorrow, we’ll get back to the free stuff!

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