About you...

Are you writing your own ebooks?

Feel free to share your passion for ebooks with us!

I wrote an e-book about a year ago (The Dummy's Guide to Buying a Pre-Loved RV), and sold it using HTML download. I was/am a complete newbie author and publisher. I compiled two versions of my e-book - one as a "give away" and the other as the paid-for version. A customer would have to download the "free" version, read it and decide to purchase or not. Then they would have to re-download their paid-for book, if they wanted it, and go through all the hassles for unzipping it, etc.

Active E-Book compiler has automated all that, and more! The password enabled features have allowed me to create several free e-books (so far), with pay-for-more sections. I plan to publish many more as time permits, because this format just can't fail to produce results.

Thanks for your input and I am thrilled that Activ eBook was successful in automating your efforts.  I just had someone email me yesterday asking me if people publish shareware ebooks... guess yours would be close to that definition?

Nice to see self-publishers successful using free ebooks as a "teaser" for their paid versions -- this would also be an excellent way to create an affiliate program.  You could have each affiliate give away the free ebooks with their affiliate urls embedded within so that when the reader wants to purchase the paid version, the affiliate gets credit --- works well with marketing ebooks that I am an affiliate for!

After reading Eva's post, I went off to check this out and I discovered what Sunil later posted is correct.

Welcome and thanks for offering your help!  I am sure that we could use it!

Could you let us know what your url is since I would like to add it to my eBook Directory since you are involved with eBook Publishing... thanks!

I follow your Ezines and have visited your site several times. You have done a very nice job with it.

To visit my site for general marketing information and access to the main page go to:
http://www.coyote-art.com
For just the information about publishing:
http://www.coyote-art.com/pubserv.htm
I also put out 2 ezines per week. One is a Q&A and the other is Tips. Anyone can signup at the site.

PLease feel free to let me know if I can be of any special help here. mailto:mike@coyote-art.com

Looks like you have some very useful experience and we would really appreciate any help you can give on this forum.

Feel free to help out with any of the questions!

All the best,

My name is Kathryn Hardman and I have just uploaded a new website for ebooks. I have developed an interest in ebooks in the past two years and believe that it will be the future of publishing. Who knows, may be not on the traditonl Computer screen, but more towards handhelds. But most important, everyone now is be able to publish and can bypass the high costs of publishers and distributers.

This forum is still pretty new.  We started in mid-November.  This may explain the fairly low number of posts.

Your husband had told me that you had started an ebook site and I was very impressed with it after taking a look!

Great job and please feel free to contribute to the forum anytime!

WOW!

Your site is gorgeous!

Are we allowed to "pick your brains" for hints to help us more "website challanged?"

I have been writing for about ten -twelve years.  I first published a best selling craft book.  Then a children's then a book on Relationships.

I have been contributing  each month to a Personal Growth Mag here in Brisbane for four years now.  I have been guest editor twice as well.

I wanted to take back more of the profits and responsiblity for my work, so built a website on Homestead.  I choose Homestead because I live in Australia and the cost is always doubled.  So far it has worked reasonably well.  Although it does require me to send the PDF file back via email and have Clickbank do the e-commerce.

However I am looking to expand and increase my turnover etc.  Also I write on a variety of subjects and wanted to start a enzine, but it comes back to where to start.  

I have had a look at the e-Book Compiler and it is a surprising good program for the price.  I paid over $500 for Adobe Acrobat 2 years ago.  And I suspect some of the time lapse features etc are not available in Adobe.

Well I will continue to absorb all I can and make a start.  I think the biggest issue is the marketing...never the writing that is the easy part.

I also wanted to say I AM IMPRESSED with all the info.  Great present.

I wanted to give you a warm welcome to this forum!

I am sure you'll be able to share lots of writing tips with us (you have been writing for over 10 years... amazing!)

I am glad that you enjoy the forum and you should thank Sunil for it since it was his idea and he's footing the bill ... I help him moderate eBookFriends and have been enjoying every minute of it!

Welcome!

When I began writing I just wrote ~ it just flowed out onto the paper.  

I then joined an Art Class and my  Art teacher happened to be a writing teacher as well.  I listened to what he had to say and went home and changed everything.  Sentence structure, the lot

I submitted it to my editor...she wrote back...."Jan-Marie just write like you talk".  This has been my motto ever since.  

So the tip is...write it then read it out aloud.  If it sounds okay being voiced then it probably is.

If it sounds stilted..it probably is.  So re work it until it flows as you speak it out aloud.

Make sure you have a BIG glass of water handy!

The only other thing I contribute to my success to ~is being passionate about the subject.  Whatever you are feeling WILL COME OUT in the words...so enjoy what you do...if not then take time out.

Bye for now
Jan-Marie

I've been writing since I was a kid, which amounts to about 41 years of paper and ink, and now computer and printer supplies.  I wish I could say I became rich and famous from this, but alas-- I've been a mouse.  A little scared to send my masterpieces out into the world.  Till now.  I can boast of a few short stories published and one book coming out the end of the month-- nothing major.  

Several years ago, I was corresponding with a woman who eventually started her own ebook publishing company.  She fired my interest in ebooks, and contracted some of my stories and some of my son's to sell. Unfortunately, out of the blue, she dropped the projects, wished me luck, and that was that.  Well, that hurt-- we'd been writing to each other for nearly two years as, I thought, friends.  Still, it didn't invalidate all her valuable information.  Nor kill my desire to know more about this new way of publishing.  

I submitted my stuff to another ebook publisher, but the story I most wanted published is rather long.  Not that I was told that-- never actually got a written rejection for it in any form; email or snail mail.  

Attending some workshops kept me going.  In fact, being the only author trying to become epublished landed me an invitation to speak to one of the internet publishing classes.  I wasn't in any way prepared for that, but I muddled through it somehow, and now correspond with the author whose class it actually was. These were small local workshops,  still I was surprised to be the only one interested in epublishing.

Naturally, I plugged the Ebook Compiler!

This summer, I finally decided to become a self publisher, formed my own company, bought a block of ISBNs, and have two novels ready to go as a download, or a CD or floppy.

Although it's a lot of work to code a long story, I love being able to use illustrations I might not otherwise be able to. When I first came across an ad for the Ebook Compiler, I was thrilled!  In my ignorance at the time, I thought it was the only one out there!  I've been very happy with it.  And happy with the service that comes with it!  I'm never left hanging if I have problems.

I've spent a bit of time, also, checking out some of the member sites.  I try to visit a few each time I come.  Many of them are impressive, and I've bookmarked them.  When I need a bit of inspiration, I go "visit a friend".  I'm not sure that I'll have occasion to avail myself of those offering services, but it's nice knowing they're out there in case I ever do need someone for something. And I agree with the member who wondered why more people didn't post here.  I've learned things here I haven't learned anyplace else.

Well, I suppose I ought to get back to coding my next book.  And working on PR and all that other good stuff.

Here's hoping we all reach our goals!

Anita

I suppose I've been working at writing off and on for about 25 yrs. I was so afraid of rejection and also afraid of being found out (I have learning disorders) that I was afraid to submit anything. When I did get up the courage, looking for a publisher drained the living daylights out of me because I tend to write things that have always been politically incorrect.

I was told by a college professor that I wrote, 'underground' pieces. In other words, my writing would not appeal to the mainstream public. Oh well, I've always been a little etcentric (sp?).

Anywho....I began to get restless in my late 20's. I attended college and one of the prerequisite classes was an introduction to college. We did a lot on goal planning and study skills.

One day the prof. asked us to draw a time line and mark the middle of it as being today. Mark the beginning of it as the first important thing that ever happened to us and fill in the gap up until today.

When we finished with that, she said, "Okay, now I want you to think about your future and what you want to accomplish but before you do that go to the other end of the time line and fill in the date that you are going to die."

My date was 2007. My main goal was to get published and to write a book. I have since then been published in a mag. which has a pretty good circulation. I've also written a couple of books and sold a couple of copies to my professors. I self-published them with my own equipment at home and they turned out great.

Now, I'm working on non-fiction pieces for the religious markets, a couple of non-fiction for the general public and a fiction for the religious market.

I first started working with ebook compilers using free ebook creators. They were easy and great but no password protection. No ability to lock out people from copying either.

Nice to meet you all.

I enjoy reading all the fora on this web site. I am glad I came across this board while researching for the many eBook sites that I want to visit.

Now a brief introduction:

I have just started an eBook web site (not a commercial one) to promote educational eBooks. I became interested in eBooks by coincidence. I am a music teacher by profession and enjoy teaching recorders. I was trying very hard to look for books on the teaching of sopranino recorders but none were available in any of the bookshops in my country! I tried Amazon.com and some other online shops but couldn't find anything suitable. So I decided to write! I discovered the eBook Compiler and found it Godsend.  I do not want to sell my book - because I want as many people as possible to benefit from it free. (Anyway, how do you put a price on something that comes from the heart?smile:
I will continue to revise it to make it better.  After completing the eBook called "Teach Sopranino Recorder", I decided to start an eBook web site and called it "eBook88" after my music web site "Music88". I hope to introduce the  readers from my music web site to eBooks. There are many recorder experts and I hope they will write eBooks and make web sites  to promote the learning of recorders!

If you are in the business of promoting educational eBooks and particularly FREE eBooks, I will be glad to list your eBooks on my site. I hope to list eBooks related to music and education.

I was introduced to ebooks by Cory Rudl. I believe that knowledge makes the world go round. The reason I feel ebooks have done so well is that people generally don't like to feel that they are "not be in the know" so to speak.

Most successful have been the "how to" ebooks. I am in the process of setting up 3 sites that interlink together and will provide a full service solution to ebook authoring, publishing, delivery and promotion.

I have found some protectionism going on within the ebook industry, with many behind the scenes collaborations. I aim to have an open source policy and sincerely would like to help the ordinary guy to get publishing at minimum cost.

I got started doing web site design when I could not get my personal web site updated by my internet provider and webmaster. He suggested I buy FrontPage and learn it and then I could update my own site. SO, that is what I did.
From there it has been up hill. I found I loved designing.

Soon another friend introduced me to creating FrontPage themes and web templates. So that is what I have been doing for the past 3 years.

A past customer called me and asked if I knew how to create ebook covers. At that time I did not. He suggested this might be something to look into. He sent me some links to ebook sites. WELL, I was so excited on the infomation I found and the execellent resources on ebook information I created my own ebook site for cover design with web site development and hosting.

The ebook world is so fascinating and full of knowledgeable people with helpful infomation.

There are many good programs out there for creating ebooks. I had looked at several before I made my choice. I downloaded eBook Edit Pro and the first time I used it, I was impressed and purchased it. Now when I talk to friends and customers ALL I talk about is eBooks.

I plan on writing and publishing some of my own ebooks.

Best of success with your new site and please don't hesitate to post any questions on this forum.

Glad that you have caught the eBook Fever like all of us!

A couple of years ago, my employer announced that they were slashing 26,000 white collar jobs and that there were no sacred cows! I saw many people, friends and strangers, receiving taps on their individual shoulders by security personnel and given their "walking papers" with only 5 minutes to put their personal belongings in a box before being escorted outside the facility.

I feared for my job and my ability to provide for my family. I resolved on that very day that if I was able to keep my job somehow, I would dedicate myself to building a business where I controlled my own destiny and would not be subject to the whims and fancies of faceless and nameless corporate types who don't really care about their "most valuable resource." I survived the massacre.

In February of 2001, my wife and I enrolled in a wonderful auctioneers college and learned the business of auctioneering. Since that time, we have started our own company, conducted four consignment auctions, and eagerly look forward to the day when this can be a full-time career for both of us!

Currently, our web site athttp://www.elac-llc.comhas proven to be the difference with respect to competing with firms that have been in business for years and years in this area. Although this is primarily a local business, we get "local jobs," inquiries, and calls from across the country to handle business in our area.

Thus, I am resolved to increase our current daily traffic of about 70 - 80 unique visitors to a lofty goal of 1,000 unique visitors per day. My research on traffic buidling suggested that giving away a relevant e-book with affiliate links and links to both our site and newsletter might fit the bill and possibly earn a few bucks along the way.

I found Eva's ebooksnbytes web site and read almost every article and newsletter in her online archives. I also signed up for her very informative newsletter. It was in one of her newsletters that I signed up for a contest to win a free professionally done e-cover. I somehow managed to win and received an outstanding cover for my e-book.

I culled together my existing content and had enough material for our first ebook, The Live and Online Auction Dictionary." It has over 500 terms applicable to the arenas of live and online auctions. I hope that anyone with an interest in auctions will download it and also read six original articles about live auctions. The articles give free reprint rights to anyone that also publishes the resource box.

About 2 weeks ago, I found this ebook compiler and bought it because it met my requirements and the price was definitely right! I haven't looked back yet! My book is mostly done but I keep finding ways to improve upon its content, navigation, and design. I estimate that it should released within a few days!

In any case, I have rambled on for far too long. After all I have an ebook to finish. Hopefully, my next ebook will be entitled, "How I Drove Insane Traffic to My Web Site in 90 Days By Giving Away a Free eBook!"

A little about me: I'm a 48 year old systems administrator who works from home 200 miles offsite, I have a network at home with 7 machines on it and about 650 gb of disk and an enhanced DSL connection. I also have 4 cats, total darlings all of them, and I'm at the point where I feel it's time to start finding another source of income.

So, I started looking into doing business online as I am already set up here at home for that quite well. As I see it my next steps are:

Decide what to sell
Get a domain
Get web hosting
Register my business
Get a tax number
Talk with my accountant

I have a lot of free time, my servers at work don't require a lot of time of me, and I could dedicate a lot of time to an online business. I have a really great situtation here, and I think it's high time I exploited it.

Amy

They're also great for promotion - I'm awaiting "traditional" publication of one career book and two childrens books.  Giving away ebooks is just one way for others to remember my name...and hopefully purchase my "real" books when released.

First thing that I would like to say is this sight is absolutely awesome! I have logged a few hours on here today making notes and just learning about eBooks in general.

A few short weeks ago I was in such a deep dark depression that the thoughts of suicide controlled my life and came very close to becoming a reality.  I woke up in the middle of the night and for some unknown reason Anthony Robbins popped into my head so I got online and wrote a message for help on one of his message boards.  The response to me was incredible and I will forever be grateful to the kindness of these successful individuals.  The one thing that I heard that really "clicked" in my head was that many successful people achieved their success by restoring a dream by making a decision to take action to bring it to life.

I have a dream that I have tried for 15 yrs. to achieve with no success.  That's not exactly true because my test marketing was very successful but the lack of money is what prohibited me from making this dream a reality.  I wrote a workbook, photo copied it on my printer and sold about 100 copies of it by knocking on doors in the small town that I lived in.  I had people write me awesome testimonial letters and I thought I was headed for success! WRONG!!!

In the prime of my life, at the ripe old age of 33 yrs., I had a massive stroke.  That left me paralyzed on my left side and completely bedridden for 3 yrs.  While recovering from my stroke my autoimmune system became very weak and I developed 8 seperate diseases and had 2 more strokes.  I am terminally ill and physically impaired to where I am bedridden now for the rest of whatever life I have left.  My body is broken but thankfully God has allowed me to retain most of my mind.  I have hosted support groups and have written several newspaper articles that have been published about my diseases.

Sept. 9, 2002 my 22 yr. old son was murdered and that was what really pushed me over the edge to make me have the thoughts of suicide.  This is the worst pain that I have ever dealt with by far.  This is what lead me to the Anthony Robbons website which in turn made me start thinkng again about my book which is why I am here posting today.

I don't have the funds, I live solely on disability which doesn't even cover the cost of all the medicines I am supposed to take, to realize my dream by having my book published in hard copy.  I saw a book last week advertised on a website about making money on the internet in eBay so I decided to take my few dollars and order the book hopeing that when it arrived maybe I could find something in it that I could do from this bed.  It was an eBook, which I had never seen before, when it downlaoded instantly and I had the book right then I burst into tears and cried for hours because I know that this is the answer to me selling my workbook!

The last few days I have hardly slept at all because of this new hope.  I have visited hundreds of websites and downloaded so much information that my laptop is running at a snails pace, I'm going to have to print some of this off to free up some space! The downfall is that my head is spinning with so much information that I am feeling so confussed and that's why I'm here.  I need a guardian angel, someone who will take me by the hand and help me accomplish my dream.

I need help with everything from building a professional looking website to publishing the eBook.  I want good affiliates that have products of interest for the disabled and senior citizens.  My friends online that have the same disease/diseases as I have told me that they would like a great reference site to buy products that we need to make our lives a little bit easier.  I have compiled a list of products that I was thinking I could maybe contact the manufacturers about being affiliates, everything from handsfree can openers to wheelchairs.
I definently see the income potential from affiliates, that seems to be the biggest thing that most successful eBook website owners talk about.

I have clicked on most of the links that the members here have attached to their messages and I see that several of you do offer the services that I am looking for.
I guess in posting this message instead of writing you each individually is that I don't want to waste your time or get my hopes up on someone who does not have the time or the desire to help someone like me all the way through each and every step. I truly understand why you wouldn't want too but I'm posting this and then I'm going to go pray that someone here will reach out to me from the kindness of their heart and honestly help me out.

Sorry this is so long and if you've made it this far with this message you I appreciate your time you've spent reading my words.  I have many ideas, I just need help putting them to action.

God Bless,

I used ebook compiler and have to say I am very pleased with the out put :-)

I have only sent to a few people and have already sold 20 copies at $14.97, seeking to sell 500 at that cost and maybe increase afterwards.

I am offering 50% commissions for those who wish to help me market it.

I came here in hopes that someone could tell me where the best places to list new e-books would be?

I posted it at the "Free Ads" Section of the forum.

Thanks and nice to meet you!

Original quotes, when used at the beginning or at the end of an article provide a touch of class. At the least, it will make your article different from the thousands of articles filed daily. It can be witty, satirical, funny or just a different opinion on current issues. Perhaps, it could be an outrageous prediction that even no expert will dare to rule out.

I am maintaining a list at my website. So far I have 15+ original quotes that any Internet writer can use freely in their articles/ebooks. I am hopring others can also contribute to this list to be shared by all. This list is maintained at:

http://www.seecrets.biz/main/content/view/18/2/

Hope you all can forgive my mistake.

Best regards to all

(Edited by StanSeecrets at 6:48 am on July 19, 2005)

'Librum' is Pennsylvania Dutch for 'Library'.  And we have a LOT of OLD works.  Our problem was that the works were being damaged, or in such poor condition that they could not be used.

One of our elders suggested digitization with html linkage.  And then was an absolute gem of knowledge, assistance, funding, etc.  He is also the patron who purchased Activ E-Book Compilor for us.  Today, all of the works are 'saved' in this E-Book format.

We went to ebooks-on-cd over html-on-cd, as people were walking out of the Librum with the cds!  But with compilation under Activ E-Book Compilor with limited opening option, the thieves did not get much.

Today, we use the ebooks software in the Librum, a patron can use any ebook on cd on any computer in here, and it is registered on each in-house machine.  (The user normally does not even know it is there!)  We still suffer from an occasional theft.  

Over four hundred works are now in ebook format, saving our origionals from damage.
The irony is that we have had requests to register from all over the world of our 'private' works.  And thereby can usually trace the thieves.  And legally obtain restitution.

We also make some of our digitized public domain works available on the web.  We suffer a lot of theft of content.  Our provider installed  anti-harvest breaking software.  But a lot of our web users had trouble.  We did not want harvestment of the site, with repostment elsewhere, but still felt that folks still should have an option, so we started a little ebook section of all the content.  Each ebook is true shareware, try before you buy, with a limited number of openings.  And with $3 - $5 a registration, it is low enough to get the works to the 'masses', without gouging.

The ebooks on the web help keep us in stamp money, and the digitization is a good training in computers.  And we also sell 'shareware smorgasbord' CD collections and a DVD.

This anti-harvest software keeps us out of most search engines though.

Our 'public' offerings are athttp://www.librum.us,and for those who's providers have 'us' problems, this crosslinks tohttp://www.thelitterbox.org/librum/.

This is Bola Oni here. Just completed my first Ebook, The Lessons Of Life. I am giving it away for FREE.

I am in the motivational arena so that means you all have a coach in the house.

Wonder why I have not discovered this site earlier.

Much Love.