I have been talking about publishing and writing books a lot on this site lately. Why? Because I think it is going to be my next step in making money online. I have some subjects that I have some authority on, and I feel that I have some books inside me just waiting to get out too, so why not write some books and earn a little money from them? Frankly, a lot of the subjects that I want to write on are based on e-mail questions that I get almost every day anyway, so why not expand on my answers, and also make a little money from answering these questions for people.
One of the discussions that we have been having on this site lately is whether to go for printed books or electronic books (e-books). I have decided to do both. One question, though, that several people have asked me via e-mail is this:
How will you deliver those e-books? Do you need to get an account with Clickbank or some other provider who can ensure delivery as soon as the customer pays?
Well, to be honest… no. The more different companies that you use in the delivery, payment and such, the more people who are going to take a percentage of your earnings! I don’t mind paying for services when people can offer value. I mean, if there is a company that can do a premium job at delivering an electronic product, I honestly don’t mind giving them a percentage of the money. However, when it comes to delivering the e-book, I already have a solution.
For my e-commerce sites, I use OSCommerce (OSC) for the shopping cart software. OSC has a built-in e-book (or other electronic items) delivery system as a standard part of the shopping cart software! That’s right when a customer pays, the software instantly gives him a link where he can download the book! So, the customer shops the site checks out through the checkout, make payment, and instantly has a link where he can download the book! It doesn’t get any easier than that, and I don’t have to pay anybody to handle the downloads.
So, if you are looking for a perfect solution for delivering digital downloadable items, give OSCommerce a look! The learning curve is rather steep for the software, but I think that you’ll find that it is well worth it!
You are exactly right. The technology is already there and it is an easy set-up. I think it is always a good idea to have as few people between you and the cash as is possible! 🙂
Hi Tom Nixon – Yep, we are in full agreement! The more people you put in between you and your cash, the more people take a little scoop!
Oops, I didn’t quite mean an easy set-up, but certainly doable (by you or by hiring a person).
Hi Tom Nixon – After a person takes time to learn how OSC works, it indeed is a simple thing to do. It’s that learning process that is not so simple, though! 😆
I am in full agreement with you, though, in regards to hiring people to do the things that you don’t know how to do. Also, things that you don’t have time to do. Hiring things out can be a money maker for you too, if you are spending your time making the money while paying others to do the work!