This is another in my series of articles explaining the online publishing model and how small-time authors and/or self-publishers can use OPM as a more lucrative alternative to the often archaic and dysfunctional traditional book publishing model. . In short, using OPM will make more book sales and profit, faster.
Typically, you will create your book/ebook in a word processing program such as MS-Word or WordPerfect. Once you’ve converted it to PDF, you’re ready to start selling it through the three main channels that make up the online publishing model: 1. Sales mini-sites, 2. Digital download distributors, 3. Print online. Demand Distributor (POD).
This article explains OPM Channel 2, Digital Download Distribution.
Finding out exactly how the digital fulfillment channel works was a huge breakthrough for me. That discovery alone has resulted in thousands of dollars in eBook sales that you might not have made otherwise. Actually!
In my experience, using this online distribution channel is guaranteed to add thousands of dollars a year to your bottom line sales. That’s right: if you take advantage of OPM’s digital fulfillment channel, you’ll be selling hundreds more eBooks than you would simply from their websites.
DIGITAL COMPLIANCE: DEFINITION
It’s important that you understand exactly what I mean when I use the term “digital fulfillment,” as opposed to print-on-demand (POD) fulfillment.
Digital fulfillment refers to when your eBook is delivered to the buyer strictly in electronic form as a “digital download” product. Essentially the same as when your ebook is downloaded from your website, except that the digital fulfillment is provided by a digital download distribution company through their distribution network.
A typical example of digital compliance in action would be when you provide your eBook electronic files (PDFs) to a company that distributes digital download eBooks to amazon.com, for example. Amazon.com would then offer your eBook to its customers as a digital download product.
IMPORTANT: When I talk about “digital fulfillment” here, I do NOT mean delivering a downloadable eBook to your buyers from your own “mini sales site”. I mean when you use external suppliers and/or distributors to deliver a digital version of your book through your own channels.
THE SECRET OF DIGITAL COMPLIANCE
As I said in the other parts of this OPM series, I’ve spent the last few years diving into learning the tools and techniques of successful internet marketing to help me sell more of my ebooks/books.
In the process, I have purchased dozens of “must have” books from many big name internet sellers. But I have NEVER read anything about digital compliance strategy in ANY of those many gurus books/ebooks!
In fact, I basically accidentally stumbled upon this largely unknown money-making publishing secret when I asked a major bookselling company if it would be possible to sell my eBooks through their websites in addition to my own.
They were quick to reply that “yes”, in fact there is a way to do it…by using a digital fulfillment company. Although I didn’t fully realize it at the time, it was a great moment for me!
Typically, a digital fulfillment company maintains large digital libraries of books and eBooks. They deliver those products electronically “on demand” as digital download eBooks in response to requests from publishers, distributors, booksellers, and libraries.
Bottom line: The top digital fulfillment companies offer a wide distribution network, folks. Exploiting this channel means much more than simply publishing your eBook and/or book on amazon.com. It means getting your title in front of the vast majority of eBook wholesalers and retailers!
WHY DIGITAL COMPLIANCE WHEN YOU ALREADY HAVE A WEBSITE?
That’s a good logical question, and you may be surprised by the answer.
I have found that there is minimal crossover between people who buy eBooks on my websites and those who buy them through sites like amazon.com and others. That’s how it is.
In fact, out of thousands of sales through both channels, I only received one email stating that a buyer had viewed my eBooks in both places.
Another proof of this is that even though I use the same list price for my eBooks on my websites and on amazon.com, that company often chooses to offer a 30% discount, which actually makes it a much better deal. better to buy the eBook on their website.
Despite this, sales on my websites are still strong. In fact, I keep selling more ebooks from my websites. So it’s pretty clear that people aren’t cross-comparing prices.
They seem to be two mutually exclusive groups of buyers!
(However, I should add that people who buy the ebook on my website also receive a number of bonuses that don’t come with the ebook when it’s sold through a reseller.)
The key point here is: if I didn’t offer my eBooks online through amazon.com and other digital download distributors, I probably wouldn’t get more than 95% of those sales through my other distribution channels (i.e., my websites). Lucky for me, now I know about this little secret!
DIGITAL COMPLIANCE: EASY TO SET UP
If you’re careful and plan ahead when you create the original version of your eBook that people will buy and download from your website, you’ll also be able to provide the same files to your digital fulfillment reseller with few, if any, changes.
Typically, it will take only 10-15 days from the time you submit your e-files until you start seeing your e-book on book store websites as digital downloads.
This channel works guys! In fact, just this afternoon I checked my account and discovered that over 30 copies of my Recommendation Letter Kit eBook have been sold so far this month, and this is one of the slowest months for that product!
I’ve also sold over 25 paperback versions (PODs) of that same book this month through the same digital distributor, but I’ll get into the POD model in the next part of this series.
The really exciting thing about these digital download sales is that, as I explained above, they are IN ADDITION to any sales you make through your website. It’s almost like “found money”.
That’s what makes using the online publishing model so exciting; gives you three equally productive sales channels for your books and/or e-books.
Copyright © Shaun R. Fawcett. All rights reserved.