I know what you are thinking. “Boy this is a great deal of work for me to do, just to sell books.” “Maybe I can just get on Oprah’s television show and I will be set for life.”

The truth is that even if you get on Oprah’s television show, you are still going to have to work hard at selling and promoting your eBooks. The daily marketing plan I present will have you completing just three activities a day for five days each week.

You can still maintain a full-time job while you are completing these marketing activities.

All of the book marketing activities involve letting “your fingers do the talking” rather than requiring you to call or meet someone in person. Once you have your first eBook published on-line, you are ready to tackle a single source solution for eBook publishing that will increase your current eBook sales, give you additional eBook media to market, and turn your eBook into a printed and bound book.

The best total solution that I have found is the 1stbooks Library.

They are located at:

www.1stbooks.com

Address:

1stbooks Library
2511 West Third Street, Suite 1
Bloomington, IN 47404
Phone: (800)-839-8640
Fax: (812)-339-6554
E-mail: 1stbooks@1stbooks.com

The 1stbooks Library can help you in the following ten ways:

1. Publish your eBooks

For a reasonable fee they will turn your finished document into an eBook. They will assign their own ISBN number to it and have it listed in Books-In-Print. You can still offer your eBooks to be sold by the Booklocker, Mightywords.com or any other on-line eBook seller that sell non-exclusively. 1stbooks Library will allow you to retain your electronic and print rights. The 1stbooks Library publishing contract is non-exclusive.

2. List Your eBooks In the 1stbooks Library Bookstore

Yes, it is always nice to have another bookstore listing for your eBooks. I first discovered the 1stbooks Library by conducting a search for “eBooks” on the Yahoo search directory. Since 1stbooks came up first on the Yahoo listing, I knew the 1stbooks Library was expert in Internet marketing. They had the “post position” being the first eBook publisher listed. I felt that their bookstore would receive more page views than any other eBook seller would.

People get tired of scrolling down their computer screen and looking through many choices during an Internet search.

Always make note of which website is coming up first in your search results. You may want to join up with them later.

Now, over a year later, 1stbooks Library still has that “post position” on the Yahoo search directory. There are over 4000 eBooks listed on the 1stbooks Library and more to come. They want to be known as the Amazon.com of
Internet eBook Stores

3. Format and Sell Your Rocketbook Editions

Again, for a reasonable fee, 1stbooks Library will format and market your Rocketeditions. This will allow you to sell Rocketeditions even if you don’t have a publishing relationship with NuvoMedia.

Rocketeditions of books are selling like crazy. I personally sell more Rocketeditions on Barnes & Noble and Powells.com than just about any other eBook media. Don’t overlook this wonderful eBook selling opportunity!

I am predicting by the end of the year 2007, hundreds of thousands of people will own Rocketbooks. Many of these people will be looking for your eBook as a Rocketedition.

4. Print and Bind Your eBooks

1stbooks Library has a unique system of taking your eBooks, printing and binding them on demand. You are allowed to purchase as few or as many books as you need at a wholesale price.

Now you will have a printed and bound book that looks like all of the other perfect bound trade paperback books stocked in bookstores and libraries.

You will receive a unique ISBN number as well. Your new books will be listed in Books-In-Print, which is a major reference for bookstores and libraries.

Your book will be available at the 1stbooks Library. Your book will now have two listings, doubling its exposure at the 1stbooks Library on-line bookstore. You will be listed as an eBook for download and as a trade paperback to be shipped via mail or United Parcel Service to your customer.

Generally an order placed to 1stbooks Library’s website will just take a few days to process and your printed and bound version will be sent out to the customer.

By the way, the packaging of your book will be quality packaging, just like Amazon.com. Your customer will receive the book in tiptop shape.

1stbooks Library will handle the credit card transactions and give you reports on what you have sold through their system.

They will also pay you royalties that are much greater than standard book publishing royalties.

Now you will have a “real book” to impress your friends and neighbors. Hey and maybe even Oprah!

5. Place Your Printed and Bound Version in the Ingram Database.

One solid fact about getting a bookstore to carry your books is that you need to have a working relationship with a large book distributor or book wholesaler.

Librarians and bookstores want and need the services of large distributors and wholesalers.

They do not want to write thousands of checks to authors and small publishers each month, but they do want to carry their titles.

Wholesalers and distributors enable bookstores to carry thousands of books and only a few checks have to be written. They also help control the inventory costs of each store.

Ingram is one of best known and reliable wholesalers in the bookstore and library acquisition world. Along with a standard Books-In Print reference book that most bookstores and libraries use, Ingram provides their own version of Books-In-Print.

Once you are in Ingram’s database, you can approach bookstores for signings and libraries to purchase your books.

Also, when Ingram gets an order from a library or bookstore, they will have your book printed on demand and shipped to the store within three to five days. Lightning Print is the name of Ingram’s service that provides such a fast turnaround on small book orders.

This is much quicker than the two weeks or four weeks quote you will receive when a bookstore has to deal directly with a standard book publisher.

1stbooks provides the electronic files including the book covers to Ingram’s Lightning Print system and the books are printed on-demand. The probability of handling costly returns is very minimal.

This print-on-demand technology will help bookstores and libraries carry more books and reduce storage and inventory costs.

6. Get Your Book Printed on Demand at Store Locations throughout the United States!

This is really exciting. Sprout, a digital printing company out of Atlanta, Georgia, is involved in providing digital printing systems to bookstores.

Current stores that will be using Sprout’s Print-On-Demand system are selected Borders, Waldenbooks, Follett, and other selected bookstores in the United States.

Once you are in the 1stbooks family, you will be able to have your book distributed as an electronic file to a bookstore serviced with the Sprout digital publishing system. On location and right at the bookstore, your book will be printed out while the customer waits.

The turn around time is only 15 minutes!

7. Availability on Amazon.com and Other Internet Bookstores

Everyone that publishes a book wants to be listed on Amazon.com. Amazon.com is the King of Internet bookstores. They have a great reputation for customer service and delivery of products. They are around to stay. By having your printed and bound version published by the 1stbooks Library your book will be sold on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, borders.com, fatbrain.com and other Canadian Internet bookstores like Indiago.ca and Chapters.ca.

This is all because of the fact that Ingram entered my 1stbooks trade paper back in the foreign marketplace.

If your eBooks and print on demand books are listed on the Internet bookstore websites readers will perceive you as a genuine author.

8. Special Market Sales Print Runs.

One way an author can sell thousands of copies of paperback books without having to worry about returns is by selling in special markets.

Special markets include selling to book clubs and selling books to multi-level marketing organizations. Special markets also include selling books as premiums to associations and corporations.

Many times when a special market or premium sale is made, the quantity of books ordered can amount in the tens of thousands.

A typical print-on-demand publisher will not be able to offer competitive enough prices to accommodate such an order since POD works with copy machines rather than true printing presses.

1stbook Library, however, will work through their resources and help you put a competitive deal together for your special market and premium sales clients.

Many self-published authors earn their living from special market book sales. Having access to a full service publisher is a very important benefit for you to consider when choosing a print-on-demand resource.

9. Audiobooks or books-on-tape production and distribution.

Yes, 1stbooks has a program that will take your book and turn it into a book on tape or an audiobook.

People love to listen to books on tape while commuting to and from work. Many listen to books while exercising. As people are living longer and with their eyesight failing with age, audiobooks allow them to continue enjoying books.

1stbook library has an option for authors and publishers to create books-on-tape. They will set up distribution through the Ingram database that will facilitate sales to bookstores and libraries.

10. Publicity and promotional help.

There is another publishing package option offered by the 1stbooks Library that can get the author off to a great start.

This option focuses on sending targeted press releases about your new books. When your new softcover book or book on tape is ready, 1stbooks Library will send hundreds of press releases to media in your region.

From news releases you may receive requests for review copies of your books and possibly radio and TV interviews. 1stbooks library will help you work with these new adventures.

Media interviews can really help all of your book sales increase dramatically.

What is a back up system and why do I need to set one up?

A back up system is a system of backing up all of your website, autoresponder and credit card processing information.

A back up system is needed because sooner or later, your computer system will fail, your website will go down or your credit card processor will have problems preventing your customers in placing orders.

Sometimes two or three of these events will happen at the same time. A back up system is necessary to keep the flow of money going into your bank account and keeping your visitors and customers happy.

You also need to back up your computer each night.

A few weeks before I started this book, I had my primary credit card processor go down for a two-week period. Within a half-hour I had changed the buying links on my pages to activate my secondary account processor. It was a lifesaver. I received over 100 orders or $1000 in that period that I would have lost forever.

People want immediate gratification when ordering eBooks. They will move on and purchase your competitors’ books if they find a problem on your website.

Here are some “Cheap and Easy” ways of insuring an effective back up system.

1. Credit card processing. Always remember that people want to order on-line and in real time. They want immediate credit card fulfillment. If you only have one credit card processor then, mention in a customer service area of your website or somewhere on the ordering page, that if there is a problem to “click here to order.” The link they are clicking on will take them to your eBook description on Mightywords, the Booklocker or the 1stbooks Library eBook Stores.

When they reach the store, web visitors will be able to purchase all of your eBook titles because you will have already uploaded eBooks from the information you learned in Chapter Three.

Make it very easy for your customers to purchase your eBooks even if your systems go down.

2. Give your customers an opportunity to order by phone, fax or e-mail. Some people never will trust posting their credit card on-line. They will however give their credit card information to a disembodied voice or fax it to a strange, long distance number. Give your customers that option.

Install voice mail on your telephone and make it clear that your customers can leave a detailed message complete with name as it appears on the card, the credit card number, expiration date, and the item that they wish to order.

Out of every 500 or 600 orders, I will get a phone call for help or to place an order. Most problems are solved however through the effective use of e-mail.

3. Computer systems for file back up. Compact disc re-writers are the rage for backing up computer systems. Good ones cost less than $300.00. When you hear people talk about burning in CD’s, that’s what they are talking about.

You can back up all of your files on CD-ROMs and then store them in another room. If you burn up a hard disk or lose information that includes your website pages, you can easily restore all of the information from your CD- ROMs.

Get in a habit of restoring your computer every time you make a change on your website. You can back up the text files that you are using for your autoresponders the same way.

Of course you have autoresponder text stored on you hosting website, but if the information becomes corrupt or lost, you can easily restore from your back up CD-ROMs.

Now, with the low prices, of CD-ROM Re-writers, you will not only have a great way of backing up your files, but also a new version of a printing press to create CD-ROM eBook titles.

At this point in time, Amazon.com does not allow you to sell eBooks from their catalog as downloaded files. However, if you have published CD-ROM versions of your eBooks and have valid ISBN numbers assigned, you can include them in Amazon.com’s on-line book catalog.

You may add book reviews and commentary just like the big-time publishers. You can even get Amazon.com to stock your CD-ROM’s in their “Advantage” program.

For details on the Advantage Program go to:

www.amazon.com/advantage

You may use your new CD-ROM Re-writer as your in-house printing press. You can now become author, publisher, printer and distributor of your own products!

There are many software programs that allow you to design your own CD-ROM labels and J-cards for placing in the CD-ROM jewel cases.

Even with an inexpensive color ink jet or laser printer, you can create professional and attractive CD-ROM eBook packages.

The URL for Amazon.com’s Advantage Program is at:

www.amazon.com/advantage

Once your CD-ROM has a valid ISBN number and you have registered it properly in the Bowker Books-In-Print directory, you will receive a free listing in the Borders.com, and Barnes & Noble on-line book catalogs.

You will then need to add cover art and commentary to your free listing.

I believe that soon, Borders.com will be including Adobe Acrobat PDF eBooks so it will be wise to add eBook listings to their catalog.

Borders.com is located at:

www.borders.com

What is an eBook?

An eBook or electronic book, or virtual book or digital book is simply a digital text file or group of files that when put together can be read on computers or dedicated eBook reading devices.

eBooks may include text, sound, photographs, illustrations and video. eBooks may contain “hot links” that allow the reader immediate access to web sites referred in the text.

eBooks can be published in a variety of ways:

1. eBooks can be published as digital files that are downloaded and read on laptop or desktop computers. This is the primary type of eBook media discussed in this book.

2. eBooks can be created as digital files that are downloaded and read on palm-top or handheld computers.

3. eBooks can be published as digital files that are downloaded and read on dedicated eBook reader devices such as the Rocketbook eBook Reader or Softbook eBook Reader or the Everybook eBook Reader.

4. eBooks can be digital files that are copied onto floppy disks or a CD-ROMs.

By the time you are read this book, other forms of electronic books may have already appeared. I will keep you up- to-date with eBook updates when you register this book.

Give Me Examples of eBooks

Examples of an eBook would be a 400-page novel, complete with any illustrations or photographs.

An eBook could also be a training manual. A Reiki eBook is one of the best selling eBooks and sells for $20.00 a copy.

An eBook is a 5 page specialized report that focuses on solving a specific problem.

eBooks can be short stories. Instead of buying a collection of short stories by an author you are unfamiliar with, you can now purchase one or two short stories at a time for only a couple of bucks each!

eBooks may be multimedia CD-ROMs with sound, video and text just like all the new encyclopedias that are published today.

Many authors in the main stream are now publishing their books as eBooks. Stephen King and Oprah publish eBooks

Why don’t you?

Advantages of Purchasing and Reading eBooks

The eBook serves customers in the following ways:

1. The international customer who does not want to wait a month or longer for the information can now have it shortly after credit card payment is made.

2. The college student who has limited funds for purchasing books can access a computer and can quickly download, print and read information at a very low cost. eBooks generally save the student at least 20% of traditional books.

3. The travelling executive who doesn’t want to carry around heavy books in her luggage but wants access to reading a variety of topics can pack a light load.

4. Conservationists love reading this way. eBooks save not only trees in the process, but the associated inks and chemicals as well as oil production in moving those trees to the mills and books into traditional bookstores.

5. Many people want privacy. There are eBooks available that focus on religious, personal hygiene or sexual topics that can be easily downloaded and read without the reader going to a store and bringing an embarrassing title to the attention of the bookstore clerk.

6. Some readers love to use their computers. Even a slower speed, cheaper computer can hold thousands of books on the hard disk. Since there are many titles that can be downloaded for free, many readers can now have a library that competes with their local library.

7. People that have poor eyesight now have the ability of changing the size and shape of all the characters they view on the computer screen. They are not fixed into one font size like a typical paper book.

Once you start publishing your own eBooks you will be more apt to download and purchase them for yourself.

Don’t you agree?

What do I write about?

What do you write about? What are your interests in life? What do you do for a living? What lessons in life did you learn that would have value to your fellow man? What are readers interested in reading about?

Take some time and write down answers to these questions. Remember that an eBook can be only 5 pages long or it can be 400 pages long. Whether you are finding solutions to problems, writing a great short story or even a complete novel, you will find a market for that eBook if you follow the easy steps presented in this book.

You can always change content and edit your book. This means that you can keep adding and changing to meet your readers’ needs. It is impossible to do that in a cost-effective way when you march down to your local bookstore and buy a printed and bound version. You will earn money as you perfect your eBook products and become a better writer. Did you ever think you would get a lifetime scholarship or grant to write books?

Let’s get some of that scholarship or grant money right now!

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Self-publishing eBooks)

1Q. Do I need to copyright my work?
1A. Yes, you should copyright your work. In the United States, where I live, copyright law automatically protects any document you create. The reason you file papers with the U.S Copyright Office is so that the U.S. government has a record of when, where and by whom this specific document was created.

2Q. Where do I go to copyright my work?
2A. Once you have completed your eBook, you can obtain the copyright forms from the United States Copyright Office on the Library of Congress Website. A “Cheap and Easy” way to getting the job done is by going to the United States Copyright Office located at:

www.loc.gov/copyright/

3Q. What is an ISBN number and do I need one?
3A. The ISBN number is a number that you will need for each binding of your eBook. For the two eBooks and marketing plans that I am including in this book, you can get by without an ISBN number. However, in order to present your eBook to traditional bookstores that will be selling eBooks, you will need an ISBN number. I will advise you how to get ISBN numbers later in the book. You can let your sales from publishing with the two basic publishing plans I offer pay for the cost of obtaining ISBN numbers.

Here is the address of RR Bowker, the company that issues the ISBN numbers. When applying for a number, always remember that even if you have just one book to publish, you will need many additional numbers.

For example, if you publish your book on a CD-ROM you will need a number. If you publish your eBook as a digital file to download off the Internet, you will need another ISBN number.

If you decide to publish the same book in printed form you need another number. You must have separate ISBN numbers for hardbound, softcover, trade paperback, audio books, and any other potential binding you can think of. You will need at least five ISBN numbers for every eBook you publish.

In order to make the eBook strategy work for you; consider publishing a series of three to five new books.

If you publish at least three versions or bindings on each book you will need at least 15 ISBN numbers to assign.

Read the specifications and directions at:

www.bowker.com/main/home/index.html

4Q. How do I keep someone from stealing my eBook and passing it out to everyone for free?
4A. If a person wants to steal your material, what prevents him from buying your bound version from a local bookstore, ripping the pages out of the book, scanning the pages into his computer, and selling your brilliance? Theft can happen, but if you are making more money than you can spend and becoming very popular, maybe it will actually be a good thing for you in the final tally. After all, just recently Stephen King the great American author gave out free copies of his newest eBook over the Internet. Over 400000 people responded and overloaded the network servers of major Internet booksellers. Even if a few free copies were pirated, don’t you think Stephen King benefited by the publicity associated with those kinds of sales figures?

5Q. Can I publish an eBook and then publish a bound version of the same book?
5A. Yes, you can! In fact you may find you have a much better product to sell as you receive feedback from people that have spent money on your eBook and basically perform a job of editing for you at the same time. Your success in publishing in this fashion will give you new insights and new markets to explore using traditional print publishers. Make sure you study each eBook-publishing contract. Some publishers will want exclusive rights to publish your work in electronic format. Some publishers will even ask for exclusive print rights. When you see the word “exclusive” in a contract, run away. Just because print publishers may have a handle on the print world, they may have no clue on how to reach the book buyers of the electronic world.

Electronic book publishers have no lock on the Internet buying market either. The eBook publishing business changes daily. You need to keep up with what is going on. You need to educate yourself and stay ahead of the curve. You can accomplish this feat by selling your eBooks through many different eBook sellers.

6Q. Can I include pictures or video in my eBooks?
6A. Yes, you can. However, it may be best to offer text only eBooks with links that take the reader to the Internet to view full color illustrations and video. If you keep the file size small by including just a few pictures, it will be easier to deliver to your buyers’ e-mail. Generally you want to keep the file size under one megabyte so you can deliver your eBooks easily over the Internet. Hyperlinks also add to the size of the document. For example I have a 186-page eBook that is all text. The file size is 200k. When created hyperlinks and bookmarks from the table of contents to the chapter headings, the size of the document grew to 640k.

If you want to e-publish and want tons of graphics, links, sound and video then you need to purchase a CD Re- Writer. Good ones cost around $300.

Many CD-ROMs hold 600 megabytes of information. Reference books and mailing lists are published on CD-ROM.

7Q. How much money can I earn selling my eBooks?
7A. That is a hard question to answer. There is no guarantee that you will sell anything. However, if you use the techniques outlined in this book, your chances of earning book royalties are fantastic!

You will be more profitable at selling eBooks than many other Internet products.

Why? Because of the instant gratification and privacy it offers the reader and the wonderful value inherent associated with books.

8Q. How long does it take me to get my finished eBook uploaded and actually have it selling on the
Internet?
8A. With some servers it may take a week or two, with other’s including your own, it may take 15 minutes!
Yes, in 15 minutes you will start showing off your book to the entire world!

9Q. What subjects are hot right now?
9A. The best selling subjects right now seem to be how to, romance, erotica, health, and non-fiction.
Go to barnesandnoble.com and borders.com and look at the book titles they are marketing. This will give you a good idea of what is hot and what is not.

10Q. How can I sell my eBooks in traditional bookstores?
10A. Both Barnes & Noble and Borders are planning to sell eBooks out of their traditional stores. Amazon.com will be selling eBooks by the time this book is in printed form.

By the time mainstream book publishing gets involved selling eBooks, your popularity and sales figures may get the attention of store managers when the time comes to include eBooks in their business plans. Now, many independent storeowners sell eBooks in the form of floppy disks and CD-ROMs.

At this very moment, two of the major traditional book wholesalers, Ingram and Baker & Taylor are considering offering eBooks to their customers. Their customers include traditional bookstores and libraries.

11Q. Where Can I find eBooks?
11A. The cheap and easy way to get familiar with eBooks is to locate and read the many free eBooks located on-line. The largest resource is a website called Project Gutenberg, located at:

www.gutenberg.net

There you will find around 10,000 free eBooks. These will be easy to read because they are formatted in straight ASCII text, just like all of your e-mail messages. This way they can be easily downloaded on 99% of the computers in existence.

You will find eBooks that are in “public domain.” This means that anyone can distribute these eBooks without worrying about violating copyright.

Another great source of free eBooks and book samplers is called the Rocket Library. It is located at:

www.rocket-library.com

You will be able to download and read these books in the new Rocketbook eBook format and you can contribute to the Rocketbook Library.

Since many eBook-publishing houses distribute their own free eBooks to the Rocketbook Library, your free eBook may get the attention of eBook publishers.

12Q. Where Can I purchase new eBooks?
12A. Here are some wonderful places to purchase eBooks.

1stbooks Library:
www.1stbooks.com

The Booklocker:
www.booklocker.com

Fatbrain:
www.fatbrain.com

Mightywords:
www.mightywords.com

Rocket Edition Books by NuvoMedia available at Barnes & Noble and Powells.com:
www.bn.com
www.powells.com

Softbook Editions by the Softbook Press:
www.softbook.com

Softlock:
www.softlock.com

The NetLibrary:
www.netlibrary.com

To get a more complete and up to date list, go to major search engine directories like Yahoo, altavista, excite, etc, and search on the words, “eBooks” or “electronic books.”

Are you excited? The list gets bigger every day. Good luck! Your first eBook will soon be listed and sold by many of the above eBook sellers!