Ty's Offshore Telecommute
I bought Offshore Telecommuting from EscapeArtist.com partially because I have lived overseas and my wife and I are planning to move back to Central America, but mostly because I am interested in doing business with the parent company and wanted to make sure that they were someone whom I could trust my professional reputation with. It was a good move and well worth the $20 bucks, because the book is a case study in common mistakes in eBooks and it might help some readers. After all, if a regular book sucks than at least you can light your campfire with it; but you have to be much more creative to get value out of an eBook gone bad.
No Graphics or Photos
Look, with amazing and breathtaking photos available for free on flicker.com (don’t forget to give credit to the photographer) and inexpensive photos and graphics at iStockphoto.com there is absolutely no reason not to include some images that can bring some life into your book. I may turn an exquisite phrase, but the perfect photo can frame and enhance my prose to make it truly a masterpiece. Or at least readable.
No Table of Contents
Nothing screams amateur like the lack of a detailed table of contents with hyperlinked indexes. The first page I read, or at least review, in any book is the index. It helps me organize my reading and serves as a reference when I’m done. God knows I could use a little more organization in my life.
No Section About the Author
It's OK, He Takes After His Mother
I may be a hideous freak of nature but I still always like to include a photo with some biographical information about myself on every book or article that I do. First, it helps the reader establish a connection with me and helps me put some of my personality into my work. By this I don’t just mean in a purely professional way; this is not a resume. Rather it is a blend of the personal and the professional and establishes what makes me unique and interesting. Plus, in my case, I get some sympathy because I’m so damn ugly.
Second, don’t just see your eBook as a one time off the shelf product but see it as a paving stone in the road you are building to your professional success. Your eBook helps establish your professional identity and brand and you need to establish yourself in it as much as possible.
No Personality in Writing
I once had an accounting professor who literally wrote the book on corporate income tax. As you can imagine, the book was your typical, dry college textbook; except he still managed to put some personality in it. In the examples, instead of saying Mr. Jones, Chief Financial Officer of ABC Corp he would use something like Guido McGoodfella, CFO of Concrete Shoes , Inc. Also, the guy had kids that played soccer and was a bit of a soccer nut, this was during the 2002 World Cup, and managed to bring in soccer references in his material. Now when I write I think of that guy and think that if he can put personality into an accounting textbook then really none of us has an excuse not to season our material with our own personalities.
No Updates if Material is Technical or Timely in Nature
The world changes and, unless your eBook is on using the ancient Greek method of fermentation to make wine in your basement, your eBook needs to change too. Open any book cover at Borders and you’ll see multiple published dates, especially if the book is informative or at least somewhat technical in nature. The subsequent dates are often revisions in which the book was revised to keep up with changes in the material. Your eBook, if you continue to sell it, must be kept up to date as well and the reader should be informed of any revisions.
No Follow Through or Use of Social Media
Once you’ve drawn the reader in and dazzled them with your wit and personality then don’t just let them walk quietly away into the darkness but rather give your new friend (the reader) the chance to maintain and even enforce the connection that you have established. Provide links to your blog or Facebook fan page, let them follow you on Twitter, and lead them to other products you have been involved in. This isn’t just good business, this is a service to your client. After all, they’ve just been educated and entertained and are starving for more. So don’t leave them hanging, throw them a bone.
How to do it Write Right
Besides not doing any of the above, you should look to the experts. Pat at the Smart Passive Income blog has a brilliant eBook available that is a guide to writing and promoting better eBooks! Better still, all it costs you is your name and email address. I have used it for my own eBook and I absolutely love it. Note, I get absolutely nothing from Pat, not even a thanks, for recommending this to you. Besides Pat’s book there are a number of books and blogs out there that can help. In addition, if you are going to market through another website then see if anyone will edit your book. Having a pair of experienced eyes read and edit your book adds tremendous value.
Please leave your questions or offer your solutions below. As the WebCPA and the author of WebBizFinance.com, my job is to help you grow your business and solve your business finance and accounting problems!
Tyler
[...] As the WebCPA and the author of WebBizFinance.com, my job is to help you grow your business and solve your business finance and accounting problems! For more information on writing an eBook lease visit me at WebBizFinance.com [...]
Hello Tyler,
First, thanks for your article, I was looking for a review of that ebook before I purchase it. You mentioned aspects of the ebook presentation and form but you did not make any comment about the quality of the content of the ebook. Everything can be improved, some products needs more improvement than others.
Will you be so kind to express your opinion on how the author covers and explains the topics of: offshore company creation, best offshore countries and why, offshore banking and payment gateways?.
Any good resource (website, books, etc.) on how to create an Offshore infrastructure with low budget would be much appreciated, please bear in mind that I do not live in the USA, I am an european resident in South America and I work by myself providing hosting and website services to customers.
Best regards
José
Actually Jersey will have more than the turnpike – there will always be diners and traffic circles that are virtually impossible to navigate.
No doubt the sales tax bill will provide you with at least six more blogs.
I have very strong opinions on politics, so I try to keep them to myself, as well. And the only issue I have with government is that it’s run by the government
Be well,
Jeff
Funny stuff there, Tyler. It almost makes a finance geek like me write a crappy e-book. There are certainly no shortage of them, given that anyone with a Twitter account seems to be an SEO and social media expert these days (to be fair, there are a lot of good ones).
By the way, I happened to read your sales tax article. I’m sure you’re aware of this – they’re getting closer on the sales tax thing. The House just introduced a bill to make all thinks internet subject to sales and use tax. I understand that states and local governments, strapped for cash, are the last ones to get hit by the recession, but looking at the big picture, consumers, who basically drive the economy, aren’t spending already. So, someone remind me again (I forget), just how is this going to stimulate an economy that’s already crappier than those poorly written e-books?
True story: The State Police in New Jersey stopped an interstate trucker and held his truck and cargo until he paid up approximately $60,000 in sales tax. Their reasoning? His truck was passing through the state, so they concluded he had nexus. True story. I never heard the outcome of that one in court, but, in theory, if you’re driving down the NJ Turnpike with your kid in the backseat, a shrewd state trooper will most likely impose sales tax on you based on the theory that your kid is for sale. Another good reason to stay out of NJ.
Good luck on your move,
Jeff
Apparently Jersey wants to give California a little competition in the race to be the least business friendly state in the country. At least California will still have sunshine, mountains and movie stars. Jersey will still have turnpikes.
I make it a rule to never discuss politics, too depressing, but as the uniform sales tax bill (Main Street Fairness?) gets going it will be tough to stop. I suppose its time to add a notice onto my sales tax article to let people know what could happen.
Thanks for dropping by, Jeff