Note: I’ve modified this post now that a new version of the product is available to reflect the new price and features.
Boost your income by writing and selling ebooks in almost no time
(how? it has to do with your blog).
I don’t even know what to say. If any offer on the internet deserves a 100% closing ratio, this is it. Great insights on how to make sure your ebook will connect with your readers and sell well! I haven’t read but the first 20 pages, and this alone is worth way more than you’re charging. Rock on man!
~ Christian
For consultants, coaches, freelancers, and other online entrepreneurs…
The Dirty Little Secret…
If there’s a dirty little secret to online business, it’s this:
Most of its practitioners are living just as “hand to mouth” as the poor slobs working in fast food.
One big interruption in your single income stream… and you’re in a tough place.
A very panicky place, and I know because I’ve been there.
Ask yourself:
- What would you do if suddenly you had a lull in client work?
- What if suddenly a client bails on you or doesn’t pay before you’ve started the next job?
- What if you get no new inquiries for over a week?
Michael Martine, owner of Remarkablogger and a most epic beard.
My name is Michael Martine, and I run a successful online blog coaching & consultancy business called Remarkablogger. Part of the reason why I’m successful is because I do more than just sell my time.
I sell products as well. My income is diversified. Even people who know hardly anything about investing know that diversification to mitigate loss is a smart move. What’s smart for investing is also smart for your own income streams.
Selling Ebooks: It’s So Simple
And one simple way to accomplish this is to sell ebooks. Why?
- Ebooks sell even when you’re sleeping or doing client work.
- Low-priced ebooks are also a great way for clients to warm up to much larger purchases from you.
- Most of your existing clients will nearly always buy your products.
- Ebooks can be produced for little time or effort.
- You don’t need to be a technical genius.
- You don’t need to be a designer with expensive software.
Just adding ebooks into your mix will boost and smooth out the rough spots in your income. Just one ebook selling for $19.99 and selling a paltry 3 copies a week can net you $9,355.32 over the course of 3 years. An extra 10k is nothing to scoff at. Try the math at 5 copies per week. And still that’s nothing, when you could easily sell 3 – 5 copies a day or more. Three copies sold a day at $19.99 comes out to $15,592.20 per year.
And that’s just one ebook. What if you offered a few more? At higher price points?
Not too shabby!
Why I Created this Book
I created this book because you asked me to.
I sporadically get enough emails and social messages asking about how I have created my own ebooks that I felt the best thing to do was to teach you how I do it. If you are a coach, consultant or freelancer, you can easily bump up your income by adding in a new sales stream from ebooks. At the very least, you can use an ebook as an incentive to grow your email list (just like I do and it works like a machine, getting me sign ups every day).
Paid and free ebooks are terrific lead generation tools, end of story. Plus if you’re selling them then you’re making more money than you were before. Seriously, you almost can’t even go wrong. You’ll sell something.
However, if you’re pondering the idea of selling ebooks to boost your income, you want to do a little better than “something.” And you probably have some concerns, which I’ll get to in just a sec.
What’s funny about this particular book is that I wrote the bulk of it over a year ago but then it just sat on my hard drive… not helping you.
I had forgotten all about it.
But a few days ago (March 2011), I rediscovered it and set to work on it. Twenty-six new pages and three new chapters later it was 77 pages worth of pure win (1 cover and 1 table of contents, so actually 75 pages of raw content).
As of this writing, March isn’t even over, yet, and I’m already coming out with the next version, which features some expanded and rewritten areas, plus an improvement to the design and formatting (all you “printers” out there can rejoice!). The new version has more content but fewer pages (a little easier on your fingers and your printer).
Why the title? Because anything that made hyped-up claims of being “killer” or whatever would probably just be too hard to stomach and I would’ve felt silly doing it. So “not sucking” seemed like a pretty good idea that doesn’t take itself too seriously. 
Who This Book is For
If you are a consultant, coach or freelancer, I’m sure you’ve experienced some pretty scary dips in your income from time to time.
Wouldn’t it be cool if you could smooth out those dips?
…And do it with something you already know how to do (write)?
…And do it in a way that doesn’t drain your already stretched calendar and resources?
If you said “yes” to those questions then I’m positive you’ll benefit from this book so you can create and sell ebooks.
Coaching, consulting and freelancing are very heavily reliant on information. These kinds of online businesses can do well when blogging, social media and email are the main marketing channels used to get leads. Selling ebooks which compliment the content marketing and the services provided is a win-win for everyone:
- You make more money.
- You even out those scary random (or perhaps seasonal) dips in your income.
- Ebook buyers have now signaled to you they’re willing to buy from you, so you can further your relationship with them and receive a greater customer lifetime value down the road.
- People who buy inexpensive ebooks are signaling they may be interested in higher price-point items, since they’ve already demonstrated they find your work valuable.
- For someone who doesn’t need or can’t afford your personal services and yet has a need your knowledge can fill, an ebook may be the perfect solution. Without an ebook to sell, you’re leaving money on the table. A lot of money, actually.
But You Have Concerns
There’s nothing exactly surprising about the premise, is there? I mean, this is really kind of a no-brainer.
But if you’ve never done it, before, you may not even know where to start, or you’re worried your ebook will suck and no one will buy it.
Maybe you already have an ebook written, but it’s just sitting there on your hard drive, not making any money for you, not helping anyone.
So, what’s stopping you?
Time
You're running a business and you have no time to make money? LOL, good one!
If you’re like most people selling services online, you’re already busy writing content for your blog, spending time marketing yourself on social media, and performing actual client work.
How are you supposed to find time to write and sell an ebook?
Well, that’s a good question.
If you’re running a business selling your expertise and advice, constantly writing blog posts and doing social media marketing essentially for free then you are doing a lot, but without a lot to show for it.
With that in mind, you can see how switching to low-effort, high-impact tasks would be smart. How can you not have time to set up a passive income stream to pull in an extra thousands of dollars a year?
Saying you don’t have time to write an ebook and sell it
is like saying you don’t have time to make money!
In which case I would at least wonder why you bother to be in business at all. How do you not have time to make money?
Nevertheless, it’s true that carving out a big chunk of time to write an ebook doesn’t seem possible right now. I get that.
So I don’t doubt you would be surprised to know that you can write an ebook in very little time. With just a little bit of careful planning, you can just keep doing what you’re already doing, and then spend a few hours putting together your ebook.
The secret to this is in something you already have: your blog. In my book I’ll show you how to intelligently harness that power to save tons of time. You’ll be able to make ebook after ebook with hardly any time spent on writing the content–at least, that’s what it will feel like.
Small Audience
Here's a secret: Ebooks grow your audience. It won't be small for long.
You may believe that your audience is too small for you to make a lot of money selling ebooks online. And you might be right! My answer to this is another question: So what??
Right now you’re not making any extra money selling ebooks. So even if you sold just one stinkin’ ebook that would be money you didn’t have before.
Selling something is better than selling nothing, and you’re already selling nothing, so anything would be an improvement! 
Also, not every ebook needs to be sold. There are very compelling reasons to give them away in the right circumstances. What are the reasons and circumstances? My book will tell you everything you need to know, but basically it revolves around the idea of giving something away in exchange for an email address to build your email marketing list.
This tactic works like mad when done correctly and you won’t have a small audience for long. A lot of people really screw this up, though. In my book I tell you one simple step most people don’t take and it kills their subscription rates.
High Class Design for “Ramen Noodle” Prices?
This awesome cover was created in nothing more fancy than Microsoft Office and some super-cheap 3D cover-maker software.
Unless you’re already a designer, you probably don’t feel too confident in your design skills. You don’t have any fancy-schmancy design software.
You know people really do judge a book by its cover, and of course you want your ebook to be easily readable and coherently put together. Can this be done with a “ramen noodle” budget and little technical expertise?
Absolutely.
You know what I use to create my ebooks?
Freakin’ Microsoft Office!
They look great and have gorgeous covers. I use the same tools you have on your computer. The difference is that I know the software. I spent over a decade as a software trainer, which is how I was able to figure this out and also why I can teach it to you so easily.
(I’ts not about knowing complicated stuff, it’s about knowing the right stuff and being able to explain it in plain English.)
You know those cool 3D pictures that make it look like a real book (like at left)? I’ll share with you my secret weapon for creating spectacular “hero shots” of your ebook.
Here’s what i loved in your book… it made the whole process seem very doable by tying it back to blogging. And I love that you called a secret
EXCELLENT content in the Write to Teach section – and much needed in the online world.
Love that you direct people to a tool they already have – Word – instead of saying you *must* have InDesign or something that is completely intimidating. Would have loved pointers to Word templates – maybe some of your own to drive people back to your site? Or offer them for sale?
You made the “how to do a cover” totally accessible, too. That one vexes many of my clients and they spend more than they have to.
Great info on selling. Totally great.
I’m having a hard time finding anything to critique! Seriously, I’ve bought a ton of infocrap and this is worth at least $47 and, if implemented, waaaaay more than that.
Thank you, Michael!!
~Laurie
What’s in the Book
Are Ebooks Dead?
An examination of the prematurely declared death of ebooks. Let me put it this way: ebooks are about as dead is blogging is. You’ll discover exactly how not dead ebooks are and why.
How to Write an Ebook that Doesn’t Suck
The namesake chapter reveals what sucks about 99% of all ebooks and how you can avoid that suckage entirely. Learn the qualities of both good and bad ebooks (p. 17).
How to Write a Killer Ebook in No Time Flat (And Where to Get the Content)
How will you find time to write ebooks? What should they be about? Both of those questions are answered here. I’ll give you a hint: this is one area where bloggers have the advantage over everyone else. Okay, I’ll give you two hints: the method I show you in the book is how I create all my ebooks (p. 18).
How to Write to Teach
Here’s where you get to take advantage of my decade in software training and all my professional training on how to effectively teach and create learning materials. This is important, because it’s exactly in this area many ebooks miss the mark (p. 22).
Formatting & Structuring Your Ebook for Success
The hidden difference between an ebook your customers love and one that gets closed only moments after first being opened isreadability. And readability is closely tied to formatting, which–surprisingly–is tied to structure. Format your ebook the right way (p. 32).
Package to Impress, Format for Easy Readability
What often stops people from creating ebooks is they have idea or skills or software for how to create the cover. How do you make one of those cool 3D product shots? Learn ninja tricks for ebook formatting that don’t require a lot of time or fancy-schmancy software to make your ebook look professional (p.32).
Getting Your Ebook into the Hands of Readers
Here we cover distribution and selling. Find out exactly how to set up secure digital downloads and how you should determine pricing. Find out about how offer context plays an important role in pricing and how your self-image relates to pricing and what effect Amazon’s Kindle is having on the market (p. 37).
Should You Write an Ebook if Your Blog is Small?
Discover what to do if your blog only has a handful of subscribers and how to know whether or not you should be selling your ebook or giving it away (the answer may surprise you) (p. 45).
How to Get Reviews and Feedback on Your Ebook from Big-Name Bloggers
A practical guide for getting others to review your ebook in order to boost traffic and sales. Find out what triggers other bloggers respond to… and what turns them off from accepting your proposal (p. 55)
Promoting Your Ebook on Your Blog
This is where this ebook really shines, because there are unique elements involved when you have a blog. Find out what to do and not do to promote your ebook from your blog (p. 62).
Should You Have a Dedicated Domain or Sales Page?
Another technical and practical hurdle related to bloggers is covered: the sales page (or… not). One possibility you have before you right now, but how do you know what’s best and why? And if you decide you need a separate sales page, how do you create one if you’re not a web designer? It’s easier than you think (p.62).
I’m sure I’m repeating what other folks are saying here, but Michael does make his book exceptionally readable. There’s no blogging guru bollocks. He just says stuff as it is. Which means that I feel inspired to actually get on and finish my goddamn book rather than just think, “well, it’s alright for you, Mr/Ms Expert”…
I’d say more, but, clearly I have work to do and suddenly I see what!!
~Christine
More Than a Book – Audio Version Included
Audiobook lovers rejoice! Included with your 65-page Adobe PDF ebook file is the full audio version in the form of multiple mp3 sound files. These will play on any computer or media device such iPods and smartphones. They are high-quality recordings, read aloud in dulcet tones by yours truly (people say I have a great voice, so I figure I should put it to good use).
Each chapter is an audio file and together they are like an album. You could listen all the way through, make a playlist out of them in your media player, or listen to them individually.
More Than a Book, Redux – Video of How to Create Gorgeous Ebook Covers Like a Ninja
On page 32 of the book I have an entire chapter called Package to Impress, Format for Readability. In it I tell you how you can create awesome ebook covers with no fancy software and no design skills. But I thought I could do one better by showing you how to do it step-by-step in a screencast video.
The video is in the mp4 file format which will play in any common media player such as Windows Media Player or iTunes. The video is 10:24 long and in 1280 x 720 HD 720p. You’ll be able to see everything clearly without distortion even at full-screen.
Get Everything Now for the Extremely
Un-Sucky Price of $19.99
I could just as easily sell this ebook package for $49, but I would rather more people be able to afford it and benefit from it so they can start creating their own killer ebooks and start selling them (you can buy higher-priced stuff from me later if you like it, LOL).
I wanted this ebook, audiobook and book cover video to have a “you’d have to be an idiot not to buy it” price, so it’s available for you to download now at the extremely un-sucky price of $19.99.
Package includes:
- 65-page PDF ebook How to Write an Ebook that Doesn’t Suck (And Sell it from Your Blog)
- Full audiobook in mp3 format
- 10:24 Ebook Cover Ninja Tricks video walk-through in 720p HD
The “Keep it Anyway” Guarantee
If you somehow manage to completely avoid getting anything helpful out of this tome of wonderment and sparkles, just let me know within 60 days and I’ll gladly refund your $19.99.
The best part? You don’t have to return the product!
‘Cuz it’s digital, get it? Never mind…
P.S. – If you send me a copy of the next ebook you write after buying How to Write an Ebook that Doesn’t Suck, I’ll take a quick look at it for you and offer some feedback on it for no charge. Yes, this is generous, but not entirely unselfish of me because it will give a great opportunity to see how people are implementing on what’s in the book so I can improve it. That’s good for you and for me.
Hi Michael,
Just purchased your ebook and can't wait to dive into it!
Thanks for putting this together.
Awesome, Tom, you're welcome! Please let me know if you have any questions,
feedback, gripes, etc.
Thanks, Michael.
I just finished writing my ebook on video interviewing techniques. Now it's proofing and design time. So far, these have been the easy steps. The next hurdle is formatting and getting it online (learning about digital downloads), etc.
I'll shout if I need help. =)
Can't wait to read it! I've been involved in the writing part of a few e-books now, but I'd love to know more about all the other bits.
Tracy, that's awesome that you get to experience the whole deal, now. Understanding the other parts will change the way you see your role when you're working with others to realize their own products.
OK, to use one of your words, the price of this book is simply retardulous based on the amount of incredibly useful information it contains.
For anyone who's been toying with the idea of writing an ebook, this is the only resource they'll need. Srsly. This takes you step by step through the whole process…not just the logistics but also those things that really end up tripping us up…like WTF to write about and how to speak directly to “our people.”
THANK YOU for addressing the silly proclamations that ebooks are dead. Total bullshit and intentionally misleading in my opinion. Long live the ebook!
If this sat on the shelf for a year, I think it's because it was still slightly ahead of it's time. This is exactly what people need at exactly the perfect time.
…only, on second thought, I do wished I'd had MY hands on it a year ago
It would've saved me so much time and suffering. Better late than never, my momma always said. It's awesome and we've come to expect nothing less from you.
Jenny, thanks! I tried to make it thorough “enough.” I've seen some really good products out there that are SO complete that they make the process seem intimidating. Smart people (my kinda people, in other words) can make their way without needing the signposts to be too close together.
And as for the “ahead of my time” thing, yup that is one label I acknowledge. Who was talking about business blogging over 2 years ago before anyone else was? Oh, hi there, Hubspot.
Ebook bought Michael!
Interesting subject from a great blogger. Ridiculously cheap
Thanks, Franck, enjoy and please send any feedback you think of, good or bad!
You had me at 'I'll look at the ebook you write after you read this'.
Thanks.
Everybody talks about authenticity. For me, part of that is putting my money where my mouth is. I would love nothing better than for you to be able to say “My ebook rocked people's faces off and that is partly because I read 'How to Write an Ebook that Doesn't Suck.'”
I've just finished reading the book, which all by itself is an awesome testimonial:
1) Michael doesn't talk just to hear himself talk: he says what you need and nothing extra.
And the other things I love about this book:
2) It's written for people who want to write something for THEIR audience. This means you have to know your audience, and care about what they need.
3) The pricing section includes not just math, but philosophy – and you have to consider both when pricing a product.
4) There is a Star Wars reference on page 63.
5) The section on marketing your book from your blog is PRICELESS.
Thanks for such an insanely useful book, Michael.
“I've just finished reading the book, which all by itself is an awesome
testimonial”
HAH! I love that! Thanks so much! “Insanely useful” is something I can
definitely live with. If you think of any questions just let me know.
Here's what i loved in your book… it made the whole process seem very doable by tying it back to blogging. And I love that you called a secret
.
EXCELLENT content in the Write to Teach section – and much needed in the online world.
Love that you direct people to a tool they already have – Word – instead of saying you *must* have InDesign or something that is completely intimidating. Would have loved pointers to Word templates – maybe some of your own to drive people back to your site? Or offer them for sale?
You made the “how to do a cover” totally accessible, too. That one vexes many of my clients and they spend more than they have to.
Great info on selling. Totally great.
I'm having a hard time finding anything to critique! Seriously, I've bought a ton of infocrap and this is worth at least $47 and, if implemented, waaaaay more than that.
Thank you, Michael!!
Laurie thanks so much, you really picked up on a lot of what I wanted to offer in this book that's not the same old bullshit.
Templates didn't occur to me, thanks for the idea. I'll be considering it, especially for future releases/upgrades to the book.
Um…$10? I don't even know what to say. If any offer on the internet deserves a 100% closing ratio, this is it. Great insights on how to make sure your ebook will connect with your readers and sell well! I haven't read but the first 20 pages, and this alone is worth way more than you're charging. Rock on man!
My inbox was snowed under with payment notices, so your observation is spot on! Glad you're getting a lot out of it. If you have any questions or feedback please let me know, man.
Great ebook Michael! I bought it to check out if it was good enough (as expected) to promote to my readers and clients. Oh course it was, I learned a lot myself and it's excellent value. Time to dust off my “forgotten” ebook ideas and put it into practice!
Thanks, Joel! So glad you liked it. Yes where are YOUR ebooks, hmmm? Get
crackin' man.
Fascinating. I can think of a couple scenarios this would fit into rather nicely. I'll give it a try.
Cool Jesse that's great to hear! Thanks very much and I hope you can get a
lot out of it. Be sure to let me know if you have any questions or feedback.
[...] you’ve thought about creating a product or service to generate revenue for your online business, you’ve probably heard some version of [...]
Hi Michael,
I'm so excited to read this! I've started and I keep peeking back while getting ready for my day – too many interuptions this early … wah! It's calling my name! Can't wait to digest it all and get back with you. Love the cover btw!
Have a super day! Elena
Elena, thanks and I hope you can really put it to good use! If you have any
further feedback for me after completing it and/or trying out the ideas in
it, please let me know.
[...] yeah, and get the book before I raise the price. Current owners will get updates for free and I’m about to update it [...]
I'm sure I'm repeating what other folks are saying here, but Michael does make his book exceptionally readable. There's no blogging guru bollocks. He just says stuff as it is. Which means that I feel inspired to actually get on and finish my goddamn book rather than just think, “well, it's alright for you, Mr/Ms Expert”…
I'd say more, but, clearly I have work to do and suddenly I see what!! So, I'll leave it there for now and my product can be the follow up part of my testimonial!
You can't sell it if you don't finish it.
Can't wait to see what you
creat!
[...] How To Write An eBook That Doesn’t Suck Share and Enjoy: [...]
Michael, I just downloaded the book. I have no intention of using guarantee #1, but I will take you up on guarantee #2. Thanks!
Awesome, I look forward to it! Feel free to send me any other feedback you
have, too. I'm already planning the next upgrade.
i don't have a kindle is there another version?
It's not actually available on Kindle. I'm just pricing it like a Kindle
book for now. Please accept my apologies for the confusion. The book is a
common PDF file format which anyone can use on any kind of computer.
[...] My reaction? I bought the book. $9.95 with a money back guarantee. I will let you know what I think about the book. However, in a sense, I already know. Michael is as good as they come. End of statement. You can find out more about the book; So you don’t have time to write an ebook. [...]
Call it fate or a God-given opportunity or whatever but I was sat here procrastinating in front of Open Office. I have pages and pages of lists of contents and mindmaps and sooo many multimedia products I want to create for my readers but I totally failed to follow my own advice and left Twitter open as I started to write. The result? I saw your tweet for your book and the deed was done. Thanks for aiding my procrastination by giving me another awesome book to learn from
What? No, wait that last sentence is wrong. “Thanks for helping me get
started to actually finish something and sell it.” <– There I fixed it for
you.
[...] find a better example of over-delivery and high-value than Remarkablogger’s newest “How to Write an e-Book that Doesn’t Suck.” For less than the cost of a hotel porn video, you’re a fool not to check it [...]
This looks like a great resource. I'm going to buy one and then make it a giveaway on my FAN page, if that's OK with Michael. I'd like for people to comment on the topic of e-books since it's such a much discussed item these days…
Sure, that sounds like a great idea! If there's anything else I can do to
help, just let me know.
This looks like a great resource, I{m going to buy a copy as e-books have been on my mind a lot lately. Will offer as giveaway also on my FB Page, asking the people post comments on e-books and related, should be interesting…
i was looking for such a thing since a long time but I can not find it useful for me except in this article. Thank you very much
I wish I'd had this book before I launched any eBooks. After reading it yesterday I have a better idea of why those eBooks haven't sold the way I had hoped. On the bright side, there were some things that I realized I was doing right (writing to teach being one of them), and that alone was worth the price of two skinny caramel macchiatos. But then I got to the part about marketing on your blog and 'ding' the lightbulb went off. I suck at selling my eBooks!
Or I did, until I bought your book.
Thanks so much for a no nonsense how to that's all thriller, no filler!
Thanks, Tina! Often confirmation alone can be worth the price of an ebook
but of course I'm very happy to hear you got much more out of it than that!
[...] I uploaded it to E-Junkie, wrote my sales post, and that was that: in a few days I had over a hundred [...]
[...] http://remarkablogger.com/2011/03/22/how-to-write-an-ebook-that-doesnt-suck-for-sale/ [...]
Hello Michael,
I am new to the idea of writing and publishing e-books. I have never blogged before and wondered if you have (or could recommend) the best e-book to teach me successful blogging.
Sincerely,
Debra McVaney
It depends on why you want to blog. If you already have a business and want
to market it with blogging or start an online business, books by David
Meerman Scott, C.C. Chapman, and Shel Israel are great. If you want to just
have a blog, the Problogger book by Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett is
awesome.
[...] “How to Write an eBook That Doesn’t Suck” is a must-read for anyone wanting to create a new product. HINT: This info is extremely valuable [...]
[...] by Michael Martine, Remarkablogger.com [...]
[...] How to Write an eBook That Doesn’t Suck - For consultants, coaches, freelancers, and other online entrepreneurs Do you have any other Book or eBook resources that you found helpful? What advice would you give to someone trying to self-publish or get published? [...]
[...] por exemplo, comprei o ebook “How to write an ebook that doesn’t suck” . Me tirou muitas dúvidas no planejamento de escrever e lançar meu Guia de Amsterdam, por [...]