Chapter 10

Getting Into Self-Publishing

In This Chapter

Tackling written self-publishing

Going the audio route

Venturing into videos

Handling legal issues

Years ago, the power to create intellectual property (a legal term referring to works you produce that are creations of the mind), such as reports, books, and other information products that are the fruits of your labor was a relatively difficult pursuit. Fortunately, doing so today with self-publishing isn’t the case anymore.

Self-publishing is when an author of a body of work (or the creator of an audio podcast or video) takes on the additional role of creator and distributor of that work. Traditionally, self-publishing meant that you created your own book (or report, newsletter, and such), but today self-publishing means your creative work can take the form of a website, blog, ezine, audio, video, or other work that can inform or entertain.

As this chapter explains, self-publishing isn’t just about the written word in its various formats (article, report, book, and so on). It’s also about taking that content and repurposing it in audio and/or video form for the intent of resale. You can build your wealth by putting together some valuable content (which everyone has in their lives) and creating a product that can be sold again and again in different formats — even in the modest corner of your spare time and effort.

Tapping into Written Self-Publishing

You have information and knowledge that someone will pay good money for, so you decide to self-publish the material. The following sections give you the lowdown on written self-publishing, including the basic how-to to help you start, the tools you need, the different avenues of written self-publishing you can pursue.

Getting started

Here are the basic steps you can take, no matter what type of written self-publishing you want to pursue (I refer to the different types in the “Identifying the different types of written self-publishing” later in this chapter).

1. Find out if a market for it exists.

What good is publishing a product that no one will buy? Of course, publishing something that no one will buy is okay; just don’t call it a business — call it a hobby. A market is nothing more than a group of people who are willing and able to buy what you offer. Making sure a market exists first can help you make a better product and also ensure more sales for your business. Your written product isn’t valuable if no one wants to read it. The same goes for your audio or video product. Refer to Chapter 13 for how to investigate your market.

2. Decide on your topic.

You should be proficient and enthusiastic with the topic and have some experience and/or expertise with it.

3. Create the product.

Determine your product’s shape (physical book, ebook, audio podcast, or video). In the next section, I discuss the publishing tools, which you probably already have, to help you create your product.

4. Market it.

Marketing is the process where you find those that are willing and able to buy from you and communicate to them why and how your product should be bought. You can discover more about marketing in the chapters in Part III.

Naming your self-publishing tools

Here are the products you need to have or to acquire (you can either borrow or buy them) in order to self-publish.

Technology requirements

First and foremost, you need a computer. In recent years, desktops and laptops have become very affordable. In fact, I recently saw some desktops and laptops going for under $350 at a major electronics retailer chain (of course, you can do your shopping at sites like Amazon.com, Ebay.com, and Craigslist.com, among others. If you can't afford a computer, you may want to consider renting one until you have enough money or borrowing a used one from a friend or family member. You can also use the free computers at your local library or find an inexpensive one at a pawn shop.

In any case, the computer you use should be minimally loaded with the necessary software to do basic word processing and some ancillary tasks (see the next section).

In addition, you also may need a printer or scanner to print sales pages, which are typical peripheral pieces of equipment, unless you’re self-publishing only on a digital platform.

Necessary software

On your computer, you need the following software to help facilitate your self-publishing endeavors:

Software that allows you to view and create PDFs: A PDF, which stands for portable digital format, is widely used and makes for a good format for your report or ebook.

Although Adobe pioneered this type of software, you don’t need to purchase Adobe Acrobat or other expensive high-end software. In fact, most popular word processing programs give you the ability to save a word processing document as a PDF. If you computer doesn’t have this capability, you can consider some lower-priced software packages you that give you the power to create documents as PDFs.

Software that helps you create information documents: Whether you're using Microsoft Office or the free Open Office Productivity Suite (find it at www.openoffice.org), you may need some basic software to create reports, instructional pages, spreadsheets, presentations, or other documents that may be part of your product.

Software to help you be creative: If you plan to do audios or videos, you may need software to help you edit these types of files. I personally use software such as Roxio's Creator suite (www.roxio.com), which helps you to create and edit audio and video files. I also like audio and video creation and editing software from Movavi (www.movavi.com).

Other software tools: Make sure you have software to create zip files. Zip file software can help you take all the files needed for your product/program and condense them into a single file for easy downloading and transfer.

For any other software needs, consider going online to find free trial software at the following places:

• Tucows (www.tucows.com): This site is one of the most comprehensive sites for free software downloads. Some of the software is totally free and fully functional (referred to as freeware). Most of the software is either a free trial version (which you can then pay for the full version if you like) or fully functioning software with limited features (which provides more features when you pay to upgrade).

• Download.com (www.download.com)

• File Hippo (www.filehippo.com)

• Softpedia (www.softpedia.com)

Considering your delivery option: Digital and physical together

You can easily create digital products and resell them. You may also want to consider the ability to create the same products in physical form, too. Digital form allows your buyers to be able to buy, download, and use your offerings at any computer connected to the Internet, at minimal cost and hassle to you. If your product is in physical form, then you have to physically create it, package it, and ship it with all the effort and associated costs. I suggest that you do your products in digital form, but that you also make them available (at a higher cost) in physical form for your customers who prefer a hard copy.

Creating physical products isn’t difficult. You can make the following:

CDs: Most computers have the ability to read and/or create CDs so you may only need software that helps you create and burn CDs in the CD drive.

Books: For books you can hold in your hand (either hard or soft cover), you may consider a print on demand (POD) service. With this service, you can print a small quantity of hard-copy books for a modest cost. Some examples include

• Book Masters (www.bookmasters.com)

• The Book Patch (www.thebookpatch.com)

• Blurb.com (www.blurb.com)

• CreateSpace (www.createspace.com)

• Lulu (www.lulu.com)

To ensure you’re ready to sell and market your digital products, check out the later section, “Setting up your ecommerce for digital content,” for more information.

Identifying the different types of written self-publishing

If you decide to self-publish your written word, you have several choices. The following sections describe your main options and what you need to do for each type.

Making articles and reports

Creating your own articles and reports is the easiest and best way on the path to being a successful self-employed self-publisher. Furthermore, when you produce them, you can directly make money (you can get paid for your articles; check out Chapter 9 for more details) or you use articles for marketing purposes (refer to Chapter 18 for more discussion on article marketing, which I highly recommend as a powerful marketing technique for virtually any business).

Selling your articles and reports can become profitable. However, sometimes you can make money selling other people’s content. If you want to profit from content you didn’t create, consider the next two sections.

Master resale rights

With master resale rights (MRR), you can purchase a document, report, or ebook, and resell it and keep 100 percent of any sales generated. In addition, you can use those documents for ideas for content creation and marketing.

If you’ve written material, you may also want to contemplate selling your material through an MRR agreement. From a publisher’s standpoint, MRR provides a way to generate sales through viral marketing. (Viral marketing is any marketing technique that encourages people to pass on a product that also has a marketing message to others, creating a potentially exponential growth in the message’s visibility and effect, ideally for more sales or other business objectives.) You may want to sign an MRR agreement because if numerous copies of that ebook (or other information product) are sold, you indirectly benefit. The book (or product) may include numerous links that either go to your website or your affiliate links.

I have done the same. I created a PDF ebook with MRR, entitled Job Hunter’s Encyclopedia, which was packed with hundreds of links to job-hunting resources. I tell buyers that they can freely pass along this publication to others. It has links back to my website and to some other offerings (including affiliate links; I cover affiliate programs in Chapter 11).

To find out more about MRR, you can do an online search or refer to the resources throughout this chapter.

Private label rights

You can buy information products that come with private label rights (PLR). PLR is a great way to get content that you use or change in any way and claim it as your own. In fact, PLR is a great way to get started with content. You can then change and edit it to suit your purposes.

Creating ebooks

One of the most obvious forms of written self-publishing is the ebook. Ebooks come in a variety of formats, including the following:

PDF: This type, which stands for portable document format, is the most common. Files have the extension .pdf.

ePub: Short for electronic publication, the type is also presented as ePUB, Epub, or epub. This is a free and open ebook standard. Files have the extension .epub.

Kindle: Amazon (www.amazon.com) launched this format for its Kindle book reader. Creating a Kindle book is relatively easy and it has become a very popular ebook format.

After you create it, you can upload your manuscript to the Amazon site and Amazon manages everything — including servicing, hosting, and delivering it when someone purchases a copy. Amazon also takes care of customer service. Amazon transfers your portion of the sale to the bank account of your choice. Buyers can get Kindle books either for their Kindle (or other electronic reading device) or for their computer (Kindle software is available for the PC).

I love Kindle. As a matter of fact, I initially did my ebook, Job Hunter's Encyclopedia, as a PDF, but I immediately did a second edition as a Kindle book. Find out more about Kindle publishing by heading to www.kdp.amazon.com.

The great thing about today’s formats is that you can add features, such as making them password-protected or limit what people can do with them. Some advanced features allow you to limit how many copies can be made or how many you can physically print out. Review the features and decide what you would like to do.

Blogs and websites

Blogs and websites are certainly a popular form of self-publishing. Having one or both can definitely complement your publishing efforts and provide a platform for launching and marketing your published products. Go to Chapter 4 for details on how you can set up blogs and websites.

Electronic newsletters, also called ezines

If you’re publishing information that is in a popular topic that is constantly changing, consider doing an electronic newsletter, also called an ezine.

Producing an ezine (either free or paid) can be a smart choice. You can take advantage of ezines in many ways to help you either sell your products directly or build your business. Refer to Chapter 16 for more about using ezines.

To find out more about ezines and the related opportunities, check out these resources: You can also check out Chapter 16 for more information and resources for creating your own ezine and for how to use ezines to market your business.

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Using resources for written self-publishing

Here are some resources for your self-publishing pursuits that can get you on the right track:

Author Link (www.authorlink.com)

Book Market (www.bookmarket.com)

Independent Book Publishers Association (www.pma-online.com)

Dan Poynter (www.parapub.com)

Small Publishers Association of North America (www.spannet.org)

Smash Words (www.smashwords.com)

Writer's Guide to E- Publishing (thewritersguidetoepublishing.com/)

Trying the Audio Publishing Route

The information you publish and sell to your clients doesn’t have to be the written word. Armed with a digital recorder and your mellifluous tone, you can tap into audio publishing. Your digital audio files can in several formats, but the most common are MP3, WAV, and WMA. Your listeners can listen to your audio either from an online source (such as a website or blog) or they can downloaded the file to their computer, smartphone, or other device capable of accessing and playing digital audio.

In terms of what form your audio publishing can take, you can sell your offering in the following forms:

Downloadable digital product: People can purchase your audio file the same way they would buy your ebook (they just use a PayPal account or some similar site).

Subscription-based venue: They may pay a flat fee or other pricing method for a period of time for access to your audios.

CDs or flash drives: Your digital audio may be digital and physically packaged on a CD (imprinted CD in a sleeve, jewel case, or other packaging). Some audio can be sold on a flash drive, but doing so isn’t common.

Redbook CDs: These are regular, standard CDs that your customers can play in a CD player at home or in their car. Places like music stores use this standard, which is different than digital audio. Most audio production software that burns (or creates) CDs can do your CD as a digital data CD (to house digital files) or as a redbook CD, which also means that you’re limited to approximately 70 minutes of standard audio time. (They’re referred to as redbook because the technical guidebook for this industry standard really is red).

Other sale-able forms: Other forms are available, but they’re obscure right now. Just don’t be surprised if new forms appear.

To understand the technical side of doing audio (from the latest technology to tips on how to create quality sound recordings and so on), visit sites, such as Digital Tips on audio (www.digitaltips.com/audio/), the audio section of Techspot (www.techspot.com), and other sites with audio information and technology (by doing a search at your favorite search engine).The following sections briefly explain audio publishing, including its formats and pros and cons, outline how you can use audio self-publishing as another way to make money. Here I explain how to create an audio product and include important tools you need to start.

Recognizing the formats you can use

Audio self-publishing includes these formats you can incorporate into your micro-business:

Audiobook: The audiobook (actually a digital audio ebook) acts like a complete topic that the buyer can listen to versus reading. The same component breakdown of a book applies here (opening, body, and conclusion). I suggest you buy an audiobook or two (preferably of the topic you’re planning to do) and discover from others. Most audiobooks run from 45 to 90 minutes, but there is no set length. Just make sure yours is long enough for the listener to get a complete treatment of a given topic. The audio file format may be MP3, WAV, or some other widely used format.

Podcast: In the same way people listen to a regularly broadcast radio program, you can do the same with an audio podcast. In fact, a podcast is an ongoing series of regular recordings that have an identity and a structure. A podcast may be a 30- to 60-minute format done on a regular basis (like every week) and regularly uploaded to a site (like every Monday). Listeners can then listen to it at their computer while the audio is playing at the site; or they can download it and play it or transfer the file to listen on their MP3 player, smartphone, or other personal electronics device.

Other audio formats: Your creativity matters here; as long as you have good content that can be heard and people are willing and able to pay for, you have a sale-able product. I have recorded entire seminars (typically about three hours’ long) and sold them as audio seminars either online at my sites or as physical CDs either in person or via mail order.

Audio does have some downsides, too. Being profitable with audio may be challenging because of lots of competition in this medium. In addition, keeping the sound quality consistent in each podcast or broadcast can be difficult. If you aim to do audio podcasting, finding or creating content on a regular and constant basis can also be difficult.

These resources can help with going forward with audio publishing:

Audible (www.audible.com)

The Audio Publishers Association (www.audiopub.org)

Blog Talk Radio (www.blogtalkradio.com)

iTunes (www.apple.com/itunes/)

Listen and Live Radio (www.listenandlive.radio)

Creating your audio product

If you decide you want to provide an audio product for your customers, you’ve made a smart choice. In fact, an audio product is one of the easiest information products you can make. To make a simple audio product, follow these steps:

1. Research your market.

Before you create an audio, find out whether there is a market for it. Make sure your market has some type of demand or interest in your audio topic. If people are buying products and services in that market and you have good content that they can listen to related to that topic, you can proceed.

The markets best suited for audio products include those related to education and where how-to information is helpful, as well as news and views and the entertainment market (ranging from music to fictional stories to other types of entertainment). The sites in the previous section can help you do your research (along with the information in Chapter 13.)

2. Create a script.

You want to be specific and write down the points you want to cover, what you plan to explain, and so on. You don’t want to just ramble. Make sure the opening minutes are a clear introduction with the title of your audiobook, a verbal table of contents (what you plan on covering), and your introduction.

If you are stumped about what to write in your script, take clues from other audiobook authors. Listen and take notes on how they say what they say and how they pace themselves with the structure and style. In my case, I’m more of an extemporaneous speaker. I don’t use a full script. I just list some topic headings and important points I don’t want to forget, but otherwise I speak off the cuff and in a conversational style.

3. Practice your recorded session.

Your first recording likely won’t be your best. You’ll be a little nervous, so practice it several times and record it each time. Listen to it and have others critique it as well. Remember to use a quality digital recorder that can easily connect to your computer (see the next section for what equipment you need).

4. Record your audio product.

You want to sound relaxed and confident in the final product; after all, you’re talking about something that you’re proficient in. You’re talking about your specialty so you should sound confident with strong content.

5. Prepare it with instructions.

Include some written introductory instructions with the audio, including a table of contents or agenda of what you’re going to cover. The intro can be a text or PDF file. (You can call it something like Read-Me-First.txt.) This file has written information about the program and the author, suggestions for a better listening experience, and any links to your website and other products or services that are related to this audio topic. You may also include your copyright notice and perhaps a disclaimer (see more on the disclaimer later in this chapter). The agenda can be a simple list so that the listener can follow along, or it can be a little more elaborate, such as a PowerPoint presentation. It just has to reinforce your audio content.

6. Added profit centers.

Your information is also an indirect form of marketing. You can briefly mention at the beginning and end of the audio content where listeners can get more information your website and blog.

7. Upload the final product to a digital delivery service.

When finished, take all the files and put them into a single zip file (a compressed single file that is created with file compression software). You can then upload it to your digital delivery service (such as payloadz.com or shopify.com). At those sites you'll also need to write the ad copy for your item because they have a products section (much like Amazon) where visitors to the sites can see and ideally buy your stuff.

8. Market it.

You can market to sell your audio program in many ways. Peruse the chapters in Part III on marketing strategies.

Seeing what equipment you need

To create your own audio self-publishing products, you need the following tools:

Quality digital recorder: Being able to record your voice clearly and having the ability to readily connect to your computer are the two musts. Many quality brands are available from manufacturers, such as Olympus, Sony, and Phillips. For years I have used an Olympus digital voice recorder, and I’m satisfied with the voice quality. If you’re doing a lecture-style program, then standard voice quality is acceptable. Many computers now have the ability to make a digital audio recording so see if your computer provides a suitable recording for your purposes. However, some audio experts say that you’ll get better voice quality with other equipment, such as digital voice recorders.

Editing software: Many free or low-cost audio editing software programs are available to help you edit the audio to make corrections and re-record material. I have used the Roxio Creator software program that edits audio and video.

Look online for Audacity Audio editing software (www.audacity.sourceforge.net). Movavi has an excellent suite of audio (and video) editing software programs that are affordable (www.movavi.com). Another great audio editing program is Sound Forge, which is in Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 11 Productions Suite. This suite of software offers HD editing.

I recommend that you find free trial versions of some of these programs and others as well at active software sites, such as Tucows (www.tucows.com), Softpedia (www.softpedia.com), and SnapFiles (www.snapfiles.com).

Considering Video Publishing

Not long ago, a small businessperson faced a difficult challenge if she wanted to create and market a decent video. You needed expensive equipment, a decent-looking venue (such as a professional studio), and assistance from a videographer. Today’s technology has made it very easy for you to create and market your own videos.

The following sections explain more about the advantages (and disadvantages) of using video, how you can create a video and use YouTube, and what equipment you may need.

These resources can help you with discovering more information and resources in helping you create and market your own videos (including how to create videos that are for sales and marketing purposes).

Reel SEO (www.reelseo.com)

Tube Mogul (www.tubemogul.com)

Video Maker (www.videomaker.com)

Vimeo (www.vimeo.com)

Web Video University (www.webvideouniversity.com)

Spelling out the ins and outs to video

The Internet has created a platform that makes doing and marketing videos easier than ever. You can easily upload your first video to YouTube or other video platforms within hours of reading this chapter. You just need to have a plan and purpose.

A video has three main components that you need to figure out:

Content: The content will be what your topic or specialty is. In addition to making sales videos and videos that you can sell, you also want to offer videos with free content.

Free content isn’t difficult or costly to do, and it can help you connect with your audience and build a relationship. People like to buy from people and businesses they like and have a relationship with, even if it’s only through videos. The free content also acts like a nice sample of your knowledge and your insights. If people see that you’re generous with your content through free videos (or free reports or other content), they’re usually more conducive to buying from you. However, don’t give away your bread-and-butter content that you make a living on; give away free content that helps you better sell the content you specialize in.

For example, at my YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/paulmlad), I provide plenty of free content, such as my commentaries on economic, financial, and business issues. I even provide free lessons on economics and how they relate to today's political and economic issues. Because my paid-for content is meant to help people navigate the economy and financial markets, they work well together. I provide free content (about today's problems) and content that my customers can buy that provides solution (from my knowledge and experience).

Style or presentation: This means both technical concerns (such as the video equipment) and cosmetic concerns (such as your video recording environment; and your clothes, lighting, and so on). Review the next couple of sections for more info.

Residence: The site for the video(s) can be a simple and free venue, such as at YouTube (www.youtube.com). Refer to the later section, "Using YouTube" for more specifics on setting up a channel.

Creating your own video

Making your own videos (from a technical point of view) has never been simpler. To create your videos, stick to these steps:

1. Research your market and competitors.

By now, you should have decided on your topic or specialty. You should have also analyzed and reviewed your competitors’ videos, too.

2. Decide on your video’s content.

Figure out what you want your video to do, such as provide how-to information, news, or just entertainment. You can take any topic and have ten different spins on it — and ten different ways to make money. Just make sure you figure out before you start recording what you want your video to look like.

3. Choose your video equipment.

Plenty of good video recording products are available. I have even used a Flip camera because I don’t need sophisticated equipment. (I do commentary and don’t need lots of special effects). Refer to the next section for specific help.

4. Choose your studio where you’ll record.

Decide whether you’ll use a professional venue or some suitable place in your home. For my video commentaries, I actually use my basement. I set up a whiteboard to write some comments. I use a brick background with adequate lighting. It’s simple, but it works for me. Your topic or approach may be totally different, but you need to choose what works for you. You can also hire a local videographer. A client of mine actually hired a college student that was a communications major who specialized in video. Some entrepreneurs also outsource some of the video production (see Chapter 19 for more on outsourcing).

5. Create your script.

You need a script that spells out what your video is about. Your script doesn’t have to be a detailed Hollywood production, but you do need to jot down what you’re going to say. When you write a script, you can stick to the plan, and viewers can tell whether you really know your stuff.

When I do my video commentaries, I do practice them a few times, but ultimately they’re spontaneous because I’m talking about what I research and comment virtually everyday in my business. If you don’t write a script, make sure you stay focused and talk only about what you know.

6. Record your actual video.

Make sure you dress comfortably and appropriately for the video you’re recording. When all is ready, do your video and do it several times. Watch it and critique it. Ask others you trust to watch it and critique it. Rerecord until you produce something meets your satisfaction.

7. Edit your video.

From the video recorder you’re using, transfer the video to your computer to edit. If you flubbed a word or didn’t speak loudly enough on one take, edit parts of the many takes to create a final take. I use Roxio software to do things, such as add text to my videos. I also add my website where viewers can go to sign up for my ezine to increase my subscriber list.

8. .Place your finished video online.

The simplest and most versatile may be on YouTube. You can also email the video to your customers. You can also host it on your website.

Knowing what equipment you need

To produce your video, consider getting the following equipment and accessories:

Recording equipment: You can use a camcorder, flip camera, or some other recording device; just shop around to check for the features and pricing. Start your research with the video sites I list earlier in this chapter in the "Considering Video Publishing" section. Websites such as Bizrate (www.bizrate.com), Pricegrabber (www.pricegrabber.com), and Shopzilla (www.shopzilla.com) offer product features, ratings, reviews, and price comparisons. As smartphones improve their technology, they may provide suitable recording capabilities, so use the same sites to shop for them, too.

Accessories: You may need accessories, such as lighting, a tripod, or any props for your production, such as costumes. It depends on your production.

Video software: To help edit and produce your video, consider the necessary software programs. I like programs like Roxio's Creator software (www.roxio.com) and Movavi's video editing software (www.movavi.com). Many computers with Windows 7 (or higher) come with video editing software. In this chapter I provide other sites to help you research video editing and production software.

Other software: You may also consider screen capture software and presentation software for some types of videos (such as instructional videos where you need to guide viewers step-by-step through a process, such as filling out a form on your computer screen). You can find some great screen capture software at Camtasia (www.camtasia.com) and at Movavi. There is also a free version of Camtasia called Camstudio (www.camstudio.org).

The good news: You can quickly discover that indeed anyone can be a video producer.

Using YouTube

When talking video and the Internet, I must discuss YouTube (www.youtube.com). YouTube is the most heavily trafficked video website on the planet, and it's in the top three of all websites when it comes to total traffic.

You need to set up your own video channel to have your venue to present your videos to the world. Setting up your video channel is free and easy. Go to YouTube and click on “Sign In,” to go to a Google page (Google owns YouTube). There you can click on “Create an Account” and fill in the basic information (name, email address, and so on). Keep in mind that you can have more than one YouTube channel. I prefer to have one for my business and one for personal use.

Having a YouTube channel means folks can subscribe to it. If you develop a following, every time you upload a video, your subscribers will automatically be alerted via email (think of the marketing possibilities). In addition, you can have your YouTube channel connected with your accounts at Facebook and Twitter, giving you even more marketing power.

When you make videos and post them to YouTube, you can designate them as public or private. A public video means that anyone searching for videos can find them (your videos can have keywords associated to them). You can also do private videos, which means that only people with the link can find it.

For your business YouTube channel, make your free content videos and your marketing videos public so that anyone can view them. However, you can use the private video feature for your products. For example, when I did my tax program, I created more than 35 videos for it, and I made them private videos. When people bought my program, they received all the videos through the private links that were provided with the purchase.

Handling Legal and Management Stuff

If you delve into the self-publishing world to make money, sell products, or market your business without first handling important legal and management issues, you may face some potential problems. The following sections cover some important points on legal and management matters.

Getting an ISBN

When you create a product, you have the ability to sell it where you see fit. In order for your ebook to appear on Amazon, in other large book buying networks and in major bookstores, or online in venues that sell similar products, you need to acquire an International Serial Book Number (ISBN). Not acquiring an ISBN won't stop you from self-publishing, but without one, you won't get the potential sales. For more information about getting an ISBN, go to www.isbn.org.

Respecting copyright

In the world of producing intellectual property, you must be familiar with the copyright laws. Copyright is legal protection for you — the publisher — in the event that someone takes verbatim (word-for-word from your work) what you have produced. Other people can write about the same topic, but they can’t use it in the same manner that you did.

Make sure that you protect yourself and your copyrighted material. At the same time, respect other people’s copyright.

Fortunately, you can get a great resource on not only copyright but also other forms of protection for your intellectual property (such as trademarks). Check out Patents, Copyrights, & Trademarks For Dummies, Second Edition, by Henri J. A. Charmasson and John Buchaca (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.).

Stating your disclaimer

Did you ever park your car at a parking garage and see the sign “This garage is not responsible for any damage to your car or for the theft or loss of anything in your car”? That is a disclaimer and whenever you write or produce a self-published product, find out (from your attorney) whether you need to include a disclaimer somewhere prominent in or on your product.

A disclaimer is a formal statement telling the reader what you can and can’t guarantee and what you can’t be held responsible for when the reader takes action with your content. The disclaimer is meant to hold you harmless and prevent any potential legal issue if the readers have a problem when they attempt to enact any strategies or actions described by your product. The disclaimer is also intended to protect the reader as well.

If your ebook, for example, is about how to save on taxes, then include a disclaimer in the book that states the book is only informational or educational and not meant to be formal advice. Then tell the reader to seek appropriate professional counsel.

Make sure you put the disclaimer statement in a prominent spot within your program. The front page (or close enough) is best. Your readers or viewers should immediately see it. If the topic is serious or sensitive, it may be a good consideration to put the disclaimer statement in several places, such as at the front of the book (or in the beginning of the audio or video program) and a reminder at the end. Placing a disclaimer statement in the sales page or other point of purchase is a good idea so readers are aware of the risks even before they buy.

Find out how other authors and established publishers handle the same situation in the same topic. Read their disclaimers, which are prominently displayed either in the front or back of their book (or both).

In addition, make sure that whatever you write or produce has integrity. Don’t, for example, give medical advice if you don’t have a medical degree and license to practice. Don’t lie about someone or say fraudulent stuff.

Setting up your ecommerce for digital content

When you finish creating your PDFs, audios, and so on, you want to make sure you’re ready to sell and market them so your customers can easily purchase and download them. To ensure that your market can buy them, follow these three steps:

1. Get PayPal or some other payment option.

You need a way for people to pay for it. PayPal (www.paypal.com) is one of the leading payment processors for Internet commerce. Find out more about PayPal and other payment alternatives in Chapter 4.

2. Acquire a digital delivery service.

You still need a mechanism in place so that when your customers pay, they can download what they purchased to finalize the purchase. A digital delivery service integrates with your PayPal account to make a delivery of their purchase. Consider these places:

• E-Junkie (www.e-junkie.com)

• Payloadz (www.payload.com)

• Shopify (www.shopify.com)

• Trade Bit (www.tradebit.com)

Some of these sites also feature a shopping mall area, which can work much like a mini-catalog site for your digital products. If you can’t or choose not to do a website or a blog, this can serve as a site for one or more of your products.

When you investigate these sites, find out how they charge. Some charge a monthly fee (such as E-Junkie), and others may charge a percentage of the sales (such as Payloadz). Some may have different rate structures based on your volume of sales, transactions, or activity. The pricing can impact when you start doing larger volume of sales.

In the beginning when you don’t have a lot of sales, use a digital delivery service that charges a percentage of the sale. That way, if you only sell $100 worth of product, your cost may only be, say, $5 if the site charges 5 percent. If you anticipate that your sales will substantially increase, price out a digital delivery service that charges a flat monthly fee. One service I work with charges a flat $15 per month for its basic plan. The price is the same whether you sell 1 unit of your product or 1,000 units of it.

3. Market your product.

Refer to the chapters in Part III about how to market your products.