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Make Money Selling Your Own E-books

© Roxianne Moore

How would you like to pull in $1,000 a month from your writing? Maybe you're already working at that level, which means writing two or more major articles, or a lot of minor articles, every single month. But, how would you like to write 50 pages, then sit back and let the money come in, month after month?

Angela Adair-Hoy earns $1,000 a month selling e-books. She has low overhead, orders are processed within 24 hours, and she has a ready market for her work. In How to Write, Publish and Sell E-Books, one of three e-books she's written, she'll tell you how you can start making money in this new market.

I've discussed e-books before, in a two-part article on electronic publishers. Some of them offered high royalties, but didn't market well. Others were simply unethical. Now, you can learn how to become your own e-publisher, and leave the middleman out of the picture. Bottom line: More profit for you.

Aside from a computer, a word processing program, and Internet access, Adair-Hoy recommends the following:

• E-mail program software
• Your Own Website (It's easier than you might think)
• Your Own Electronic Newsletter
• Fax Machine (for orders)
• E-mail Account
• Merchant Account

If this sounds too complicated, don't worry. She'll also lead you step-by-step through the whole process. About the only fault I could find in her suggestions is that she didn't discuss merchant accounts in more detail. Most of the ones I've looked into want a $400 application fee, then a monthly service charge. Less expensive options are available, but you'll have to do a lot of searching to ferret them out. She also doesn't talk about a very real concern: how reliable are these banks offering merchant accounts to Internet vendors? Finding a reliable bank that will stay in business could be the biggest challenge you face in selling e-books.

Okay, maybe not the biggest. Writing the book would probably be tops on that list. You'll find ideas for writing, formatting and organizing your book. Adair-Hoy even invites you to use her e-book as a template.

The second half of the book is devoted to market your book. You'll learn several free or inexpensive techniques for getting the word out. Once again, Adair-Hoy suggests you simply duplicate her methods. And who can argue with her success?

The book is brief, but well organized and packed with solid information. At the end, you'll find ads for her other books, as well as The Write Markets Report, her bimonthly market publication.