Making Free eBooks pay

EDITOR'S COMMENTS:

Maximizing your eBook profit is the topic of John Thornhill's article on how to make free eBooks pay.

 Copyright 2006 John Thornhill

Selling eBooks on eBay can be a great way of producing an enviable revenue stream. By purchasing the rights to an eBook at the right price and then selling the eBook to many customers, one can generate a great deal of profit. However, there is an interesting way of increasing eBook sales and producing an additional revenue stream simply by giving things away to customers!

As many eBay sellers have noticed, informational products are becoming an increasingly competitive field. More and more people are slowly learning about the profit potential in eBook sales and are joining the fray. The market is nowhere close to being too crowded, and there is still room for a great deal of money to be made. However, those who want to truly prosper by selling eBooks on eBay can improve their odds by giving customers a little something extra.

Offering a free product to any buyers of an eBook can separate ones auctions from others and make buyers more interested in obtaining a product. If three sellers are offering the same eBook at the same price, the seller who is also willing to include a special free gift will undoubtedly earn the bulk of the sales.

The free gift can be another eBook title on a related subject. You may have another eBook 'in inventory' that is an aging title or somehow 'past its prime.' Although you may no longer be selling the title as a stand-alone product, it can make a great value-added free gift to your auction and may tempt many buyers to look to you as a source for the primary title being offered.

The free gift could also be a special report or other informational document you have authored yourself. Although writing the additional material may be difficult or time-consuming (ghostwriters, of course, could be hired for this function), the end result could be quite valuable. You will be offering something completely unique and timely. That alone should inspire increased sales. You can also embed affiliate links to products for which you receive a commission within the text of the freebie. This could make your free giveaway item into a sales tool that could generate impressive profits long after the eBook sale is completed.

Including a freebie with your eBook auction may seem counterintuitive at first. It doesnt seem to make a lot of sense, at face value, to give away anything! Doing something that increases the cost or effort required to conduct an auction also seems almost at odds with increased profitability. However, this is not the case. In reality, using a little added 'extra' can increase sales by a margin that more than justifies the gift. Your auction may stand out more, give an additional reason to buyers to make their purchase with you, and even provide additional revenue through the use of affiliate links within the free item.

After considering all of these factors, it is easy to see why many eBay eBook sellers are providing their customers with a little something extra! Freebies can actually be used as a great way to increase profitability.

John Thornhill trades on eBay under the username planetsms. For more advice on how to succeed on eBay with information products visit http://www.planetsms.co.uk