The Story of a Downsized Manager and His Ebook Business

If you've been following the business and economic news around the globe, you should know about how unemployment rates have hit year lows. The recent economic downturn was one of the worse in history and has affected loads of people. In fact, companies were cutting cost for any small reason and retrenched numbers hit more than 1 million worldwide.

My best friend of 10 years, Mark, was a manager with a listed company. About a year ago, he got retrenched and suffered from depression. Just recently, we met up for some drinks and he has started his new career with much success, earning a hefty 5 digit figures monthly. I got him to write the below article which describes his career path.

*** *** *** ***

It was 4th of April 2002, and after having a light breakfast, headed for work as usual. While I was driving along the busy streets, my eyes kept twitching, and deep inside I knew something was going to happen, I drove real careful that rainy morning.

Upon reaching my office, I was told to make a stop over at my superior's room. The moment I stepped into her office, I knew instantly that something was wrong. She went on and told me about the company's difficult moments, how I have performed during recent years and finally came the final stab, "Mark, I'm sorry, our company no longer needs your service and feel you can crave your own career somewhere else." Even though I was kind of prepared, my heart sunk.

I was making almost $10000 per month, and suddenly I'm left with nothing, the only relief was that I'm alone in my family, no one else had to suffer with me. For the next few days, I was trying to drown my sorrows with drinks. That was my life for the next few weeks, until one day, I flipped through the morning papers and saw a seminar which caught my attention: "Quit Your Job, Make Money At Home!" Okay, I thought to myself, "It was a free preview and I had nothing to lose, why not."

I attended the seminar and my life took a 360 degree turn. Although the seminar only briefly introduce about the concept of Ebook Businesses, I had made up my mind to start my first Ebook Business. I couldn't spend on boot camps, expensive workshops with my current situation. That didn't stop me though, with a little savings, I cooped myself at home learning all about building an ebook business. I spent tons of time, in fact almost five months before I came up with my first Ebook business. Unknowingly, I had spent thousands on learning to build my ebook business. My savings were seriously depleting to a point that I might not be able to feed myself any further. Fortunately, that point didn't never came and I'm hoping it won't.

After I successfully created my first Ebook Business, I made some money and went on to build a couple more businesses. I'm proud to say that I can build my ebook business with much ease now. In fact the following 5 steps is all anyone really needed to build an ebook business.

Every time I plan to start another ebook business, I follow my 5 step formula:

Choosing a Topic

Creating the Ebook

Creating the Site

Accepting Payments

Marketing my Site

Choosing a Topic:

Most people back off when they try to come up with a topic for their ebook. For me though, it's one of the simpler steps. I ask myself a few questions:

"What is my Passion?"

"What do I know about, my knowledge?"

"What am I interested in at this instant?"

These three questions usually immediately give me a topic that I would love to write on. I have written on a few subjects I was totally alien to, but my interest in the subjects allowed me to write about the subject and at the same time learn more about it.

Creating the Ebook:

This is also real simple, once I've decided on a topic, I simply elaborate on the points I wish to put across. I write my ebook in Ms Word and then convert it into a PDF format, because I want more people to be able to read my book. There's some common logic to writing an ebook. For example: Its much more difficult to read from a screen compared to a printed copy, for this reason, I always format my sentences to be of 1.5 spacing and try to use larger fonts.

Creating the Site:

I was a total computer idiot when I first put my mind to starting an ebook business, in fact I still am one right now. When I first started, I didn't want to use professional web designers (they cost too much!). SoI approached a few web designer friends and asked them to come up with templates that I can just edit and use. Of course, I didn't know anything about loading the site and all, and til today, I'm still grateful to my friends who created those templates with detailed instructions to using the templates. Now, whenever I plan to launch another ebook site, I simply use an HTML editor and edit the templates according to their documentation. I spent nothing on creating my sites, my friends only requested dinner for their work and I truly appreciate that. Technically speaking, I haven't spent a dime creating my sites.

Accepting Payments:

This is the whole point; I wanted to start my ebook business for one simple reason, to make a living. I was downsized, I had no money, and I needed money!! I didn't have particularly good credit history and couldn't get myself a 1st party merchant account, (I didn't want to spend thousands on those anyway!). Still I am able to accept credit cards in all my sites, and I spent a one time fee of less than $50.

Marketing my Site:

This is where I had to work really hard on. No wonder they called it Internet "Marketing". Marketing makes or breaks any internet marketing site. I learnt that first hand with my first ebook website. I only made a tiny amount simply because of ineffective marketing. Now, a year later, I"m able to generate targeted traffic, some of them totally free. One important equation I learnt was that Sales was Directly Proportional to Marketing!!

It has been almost 20 months since I was downsized, and frankly speaking I went through some of the most difficult times of my life. The Internet literally brought me back to life and I"m real grateful. Now, I live comfortably off my ebook businesses and have plans to marry the woman I have loved all my life.

(C) CreaTeEbookProfits.com. All rights reserved

About The Author

See how S.S.Jay uses Mark's style of building Ebook businesses "Hold you by the Hand Style" Get his Free ebook "Tips to Starting An Ebook Business" at http://www.CreateEbookProfits.com

In The News:

---

The death of the book, yet again
Financial Times, UK - 3 hours ago
It comes with 100 classics loaded for free, and more books can be bought through Waterstone’s newly launched eBook scheme. You have to do this through a ...
What's the story with ... e-books? The Herald
Books: Slow start in the shops for Caxton's latest competitor guardian.co.uk
all 5 news articles

BusinessWeek
E-books don't furnish a room
Independent, UK - Sep 4, 2008
Nobody seems to feel neutrally about the e-book. The debate is about to get even more personal. Sony's eReader went on sale at Waterstone's yesterday. ...
One-Stop eServices for Perseus Clients Publishers Lunch Deluxe
all 9 news articles

E-books via the internet
Jakarta Post, Indonesia - Sep 4, 2008
Hereby, I would like to request President SBY rethink his new policy on electronic books via the internet for students of primary to senior high schools. ...

The next phase of libraries rolls into town
Christian Science Monitor, MA - 10 hours ago
Rather than cede ground to search engines, e-book readers, and download services, more than 7500 US libraries are adopting their competitor’s tricks and ...

guardian.co.uk
Happy Ending For E-book?
Sky News, UK - Sep 3, 2008
A new electronic gadget is being launched that could change the way we read books forever. Ebook: Will it shake up the book market? ...
Sony’s Electronic Book Reader Gives A Glimpse Of Tomorrow's ... TopNews
They still haven't cracked the ebook guardian.co.uk
A library at your fingertips Times Online
The Press Association - Sky Newsall 14 news articles

e-books take weight of learning off the shoulders of students
Irish Times, Ireland - Sep 3, 2008
First year students Megan Toland and Theresa Andrews at Caritas College demonstrate the e-book. A GROUP of 18 secondary school pupils yesterday became the ...

BBC News
HMV lifted by in-home boom
Financial Times, UK - 3 hours ago
Waterstone's has entered an exclusive partnership with Sony to launch its e-book reader in stores alongside a range of e-books. ...
Update: Waterstone's hampers HMV growth ShareCast
Grand Theft Auto 4 gives HMV a lift Telegraph.co.uk
HMV boosted by technology and games prior to Christmas Daily News Round-up (press release)
all 68 news articles

The Bookseller (subscription)
Waterstone's e-books open for business
The Bookseller (subscription), UK - Sep 4, 2008
Waterstone's e-book store opened for business today (4th September), with around 7000 titles available from its website as e-books, including titles from ...

E-paper displays are an open book
What PC?, UK - Sep 3, 2008
The problem, simply summarised, is that bi-stable electronics which allow the image on an e-book reader to stay “lit up” for months, or even years, ...

Reading Profit Into E-Book Move
Financial Post, Canada - Sep 2, 2008
Canadian retailers, such as Indigo Books &Music Inc., sell audiobooks on their Web sites and in their retail stores, but Mr. Neville does not see them as ...

e books - Google News

How to Write Your First Ebook

Writing your first ebook may seem like a daunting task. But like many projects, it won't seem so bad when it's broken down into manageable chunks. Not all projects are successful, so don't... Read More

The Advantages Of Being An e-Book Writer Or Publisher

All well known experts have agreed that informational products especially eBooks are without any doubt the number one home based business opportunity. They are much easier to create than one may think.Everyone can... Read More

Your Guaranteed Path to Becoming an Information Product Money Machine

How To Turn Your Talks or Articles into Books, eBooks, CDs and MoreYou may be writing a monthly newsletter. You may have written some short articles or reports. Or you may have the... Read More

For Wannabe eBook Authors - 5 Key Questions

Are YOU ready for the eBook authoring adventure? Do you have what it takes to author an eBook? Is there an eBook author inside of you? Are you not sure whether or not... Read More

Look How Easy It Is To Write Your Own eBook

What happens when you stumble across a promising market, idea or topic for an ebook, but don't know how to quickly find out what content you should package to sell?Let's look at a... Read More

How To Find HOT, Non-Internet Marketing Topics For Your eBooks

It's so tempting to write ebooks yet again, on "How To Make Money on the Internet" isn't it?You see the thousands of books pitching the next big tip, technique or strategy for making... Read More

How To Protect Your eBooks From Piracy And Copyright Infringement!

eBooks, or electronic books, mean big business for all aspiring writers. Not only can eBooks be sold in their own right as standalone products, but eBooks are fast becoming the weapon of choice... Read More

Who Really Wrote That Ebook?

The publishing world has never been more fun, and opportunities for new authors have never been better than they are now. It is possible to be published literally overnight ? and have hundreds... Read More

10 Secrets to Write Your eBook Like a Winner!

You already have what it takes to write your first e-book. And like other winners you can create or increase your passive income stream each month. Your winning competitors wish you would never... Read More

An eBook Publishers Dilemma: Should I Use PDF or Exe Format?

If you write and publish eBooks, sooner or later youwill probably be faced with a dilemma - should youcreate your eBooks as .exe files or .pdf files?PDF, which stands for Portable Document Format,... Read More

Self Publishing Era: Digital Publishing Tears Down Walls

Since the birth of publishing, authors have been forced to deal with the middlemen of this industry; the publishing houses. Often some of the best authors are turned away at the door because... Read More

How To Get Your Article or Ebook Started Fast... Time Saving Tips To Get Your Writing Moving..

As we have all heard time and again (and it's very, very true), writing articles for ezines/newsletters and ebooks is a great way to increase your exposure, brand your name, establish yourself as... Read More

Stop Trying To Sell Your eBooks

Throughout the Internet there are many people who have written ebooks, are writing ebooks or have produced other information products such as reports. No doubt, each writer wants to sell them. And many... Read More

Why Write an EBook?

It's not true that everything that has been said has already been written. Since that unfortunate axiom came into use, the whole universe has changed. Technology has changed, ideas have changed, and the... Read More

Information at What Price? Exploring Fee-based e-Content

In pursuit of a paid model for content, many businesses offer newsletters for a fee or ebooks. These models offer pros and cons. Some organizations send out two newsletters: fee and free. The... Read More

3 Steps To Turning OK eBook Sales Into Unbelieveable Results!

Have you noticed that 90% of "How To" information about creatingand marketing your own information-based products online is basic beginner stuff? Yet, every week we hear from those looking for help taking theirbusiness... Read More

How to Protect Your Ebooks and Software from Being Stolen!

There are many systems that can lock your software or document, allowing you to control access to that file. But the problem arises with assuming that this will stop all theft. A well... Read More

Internet Journey - From Storms To Desktops

After battling the sea for nine years, it's time to move on. That's what I told myself when I first stepped ashore to search for a land job. The decision was not made... Read More

7 Secrets to Explode your eBook Sales! Part 7

Secret #7: How to create a mountain of sales using multiple Royalty Publishers!Aho!Are you making this mistake in your eBook business?You submit your sales page to search engines. Then you submit your eBook... Read More

The Bible of Marketing Ebooks

The ebook from Michael Cheney really is the bible when it comes to make a successful website.I highly recommend this ebook. This should in fact be the first ebook you buy, before you... Read More

10 Ways To Make Money With eBooks

Ask any internet marketing "guru" and they will tell you the same thing:"Sooner or later you will have to have your own product to sell."The fact is, the easiest product to make and... Read More

3 Powerful Types of eBooks That You Can Sell Online

A big part of knowing how to write and sell ebooks is understanding exactly what will turn a prospect into a hungry buyer.As you may have already discovered in my "Ultimate Information Entrepreneur's... Read More

Internet Marketing Online: 15 Smart Quick Ways To Profit From Ebooks

If you have an ebook, I can show you 15 internet marketing online secrets to profit from it:1. Allow other e-zine publishers or web site owners to republish small nuggets or excerpts of... Read More

Rapid Knowledge Development for Businesses

When there is little time to go to the local public library or shop around for a good business book, e-books on the Internet may be the best solution. If you are looking... Read More

Are Ebooks Overpriced?

Who ever thought that one day books would not be written. People no longer have to go to stores and buy books anymore, they can read them online by authors who instead of... Read More

Surefire Way To Find Hot Selling eBook Topics

To become an entrepreneur, you need product ideas.Even more important,YOU NEED PRODUCT IDEAS THAT SELL.To locate products that sell online, you need to understand what people already want to buy.The single biggest cause... Read More

More Than An Ebook

The following in an excerpt from the E-Book of the same name.Utilising the Full Resources of the Internet to Promote your FictionFiction writers appear to be the despised members of the internet writing... Read More

How to Build and Sell your eBook at the Same Time

Why write an eBook? You want ongoing, lifelong multiple streams of income. You want to raise your credibility and trust ratings with clients or customers. You want to get your message out so... Read More

Why eBooks Are The Most Overlooked Path To Online Prosperity

The ebook revolution is here! The Internet now makes it possible to come up with an idea, turn it into an ebook, distribute it over the Internet, and start making money - all... Read More