by: Bluedolphin Crow
Secret #3: Creating an avalanche of sales with Freeware/Shareware sites:
Aho!
Freeware/shareware sites provide a unique opportunity to market your eBooks. This type of marketing method allows the buyer to try your eBook on their computer before paying for it. You simply password protect part of your eBook.
There are numerous freeware/shareware sites on the Internet. Most offer software. There are some, however, which will allow ebooks in EXE format to be listed and sold as software.
After you begin to utilize this avenue of marketing you'll begin to notice a steady stream of sales. Many of the sites also list the number of downloads you have had, next to the title of your eBook listing, making it easy to track your sales.
Unfortunately at this time you cannot upload PDF ebooks, they are considered documents and not software.
One thing you will have to watch out for are the sites what charge a fee for listing your ebook.
What I do is list my ebook at the free sites first. Then I take some of the profits from those sales and apply it to the sites that charge a fee.
The sites that charge a fee are the larger sites and many people have sold thousands of copies of their ebooks on them.
One more thing to know about freeware/shareware sites. In order to qualify to have your ebook on the sites you must be able to give it away for free.
Now, those of you who are selling your ebook there is an easy way to accomplish this. You simply make another copy of your ebook, and this time you password protect most of it.
You should allow the buyer to see the table of contents and one or two chapters for free. Then when they want to read the rest of the ebook they have to buy it.
I have also found it is better to stay away from the automated programs when dealing with the freeware/shareware sites. They do not include the best sites and many of the sites will not list you if you use them.
Although this is a way to really increase your sales, don't fall prey to the one mistake many eMarketers make. Many of them list their eBook on a few of freeware/shareware sites, get a jump in sales and then promptly forget to list at the rest of the sites.
Your goal with Freeware/shareware sites is to maintain a large steady increase of sales not just a temporary jump.
Here is one of the Freeware/shareware sites that allow you to list your eBook for free. Plus, they will list you on all 6 of their sites at the same time!
http://www.sharewarejunction.com/submit/
Happy listing!
Blessings,
Bluedolphin Crow
Copyright 2004 Bluedolphin Crow - All Rights Reserved.