You've heard the expression, "A penny for your thoughts." Let me tell you, your thoughts may be worth millions! (Honest!)The key to success is red-hot, specialized information, plus non-stop, relentless marketing. And mail order selling, with or without a telemarketing tie-in, is usually the best method to use to make "paper and ink" sales.
Even if your business does not currently include information products, you should consider the tremendous profits available by self-publishing select works. My mail order career began over 22 years ago by importing clocks from the Black Forest of West Germany. Twenty years ago I self-published my first book, Twin Cities Cheap, which told people in Minneapolis-St. Paul where to find the best buys on almost anything. The book sold well, and I was hooked.
I am now the author of over 40 books with sales of 2 million copies. I've published many more books and reports, written by others, and I have written ads and direct mail packages for clients, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in "paper and ink" sales! Hey, this is fun, and very, very profitable. Try it, you'll like it!
To make big money selling printed matter by mail, think in terms of packaging and selling information. I have discovered that 90 percent of the many millions of people who buy information by mail, are not really book readers. A large percentage of these buyers will never be found browsing in bookstores. They buy only when highly motivated from an ad or direct mail package that is filled with potential benefits for them.
Most of the mail order buyers couldn't care less how the "valuable information" is packaged: a standard hardcover or paper-bound book, a large or small manual, a report, etc. The information, not the vehicle it comes in, is what is important to the buyer.
Now I want to digress for a moment. Although you can make lots of money with books, manuals, reports, etc., even small booklets, you should always offer information of value. Don't take advantage of people. Most of us know the feeling that comes when we send $10 or $20 to some operator for what we perceive to be vital information, only to receive some small pamphlet which contains only a few pages, and even fewer good ideas.
Don't ever join the rip-off brigade! It only costs a little more to sell value, and it pays big dividends. Keep your customers happy, and they'll reward you with repeat business. Always remember; repeat business is a major success factor in the self-publishing business, just as it is in almost any kind of business.
Once you have packaged and published your vital information, you need to take two important steps:
(1) Target the best media to reach your potential market.
(2) Write (or hire a copy writer to write) the hottest, killer ad copy. The kind of ads and/or direct mail packages likely prospects simply cannot resist!
There is a rich history of self-publishing worldwide. Famous literary figures such as William Shakespeare, The Marquis DeSade, Mark Twain, Zane Grey and Benjamin Franklin, just to name a few, originally self-published their own works.
Recent self-publishing stars who have gone on to win a fair measure of fame and fortune include: Jerry Buchanan, Tyler Hicks, Robert Ringer, Joe Karbo, Robert Shindler, Howard Ruff, Dan Poynter, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Ben Suarez, Dottie Walters, Harvey Brody, David Bendah, Bud Weckesser, Mark Haroldsen, John Wright, Dr. Jeffrey Lant, Art Fettig, Ben and Nancy Dominitz, Ted Thomas, Dean F.V. DuVall, Gary Halbert, Dr. William Savran, and Russ von Hoelscher (hey, that's yours truly!). The list goes on and on and on. Is it time for you to join us?
None of the above, and certainly not yours truly, ranks with Shakespeare or Twain; and DeSade is too kinky, even for me! So what! We're having fun and making money. And some of us take pride in our work, giving our readers exactly what we promise we'll give them! Also, we're in one of the most exciting, creative, and profitable businesses available--the information business!
All of the publishing wildcats, as well as 90 percent of the successful self-published books in recent years, are on business, investment, motivation, and/or some form of money-making topics. In fact, it is my opinion that if you intend to get into publishing today, you'd better be selling vital information in the area of making money, diet, health, metaphysics/spirituality, gambling or sex. Fiction, poetry, and general non-fiction almost always lose money for the small self-publisher. If you write poetry or stories because you enjoy doing so, great! Just don't self-publish them. Submit them to a major publishing house for possible publication or just keep on writing for personal gratification. When you're serious about publishing for profits, stick with hot information topics.
One reason so many new self-publishers fail is because so many people get involved with fiction, poetry, autobiographies, etc., instead of writing and marketing good "how-to" and information-rich titles.
With the exception of specialized knowledge in the form of guidebooks or directories aimed at a select market (specific professionals, special industries, etc.), I would caution anyone against publishing a book outside of the subject matter mentioned. The risk factor in any publishing venture is extremely high. With fiction, poetry, etc., the odds are overwhelmingly against you.
Stick to the basics (wealth, health, and happiness), and you've got your best shot at success.
You don't have to be a famous author to write a good money-making book.
If you can write a readable letter, you probably can write a book or booklet. You need not impress your readers with your literary talents. What they want is your expertise and valuable information. Big success comes when you publish materials for an already existing market, rather than trying to create a market for what you produce.
Reports are very simple to prepare. They basically are just extended articles. To write a book or manual, you simply need to break things down so that you turn several articles (you can call them "chapters") into a full-size book or manual.
Use the Russ von Hoelscher approach. If your book or big manual will have 10 or 12 chapters, what you need is 10 or 12 file folders. Put the title of every chapter on each file folder. Then, whenever you have and idea that relates to the chapter, put it into that folder. Use the same approach when you clip articles or notes from other sources that relate to specific chapters in your upcoming book. Remember: you can "borrow" lots of information from other books, magazines, etc...just make certain not to copy word-for-word.
Focus on providing people with simple, understandable, and truly helpful information that you already know or are willing to research and learn. I'm amazed at the huge number of people who have a treasure chest of valuable information between their ears but do not package and sell it. Some of these folks just keep giving the valuable commodity away free. Others just keep it to themselves. Don't do this. Don't give away what you can sell.
If you simply can't or won't write your own manual, book, or report, you can hire a ghost writer to do the job for you. How much you'll have to pay will vary by word count and topic, but it won't cost you an arm and a leg. For $1,000 to $2,000 you can get a full-length book, and a simple report should cost you $200 or less. Ghost writers advertise in various writer's magazines, such as Writer's Digest, or you can place an ad for a journalism student in a college newspaper. It won't cost you too much to hire a writer to do the work, but don't sell yourself short, you can do it yourself!
The best lesson to learn concerning saving money on all your printing needs, is to get lots of quotes from lots of different printers. Anyone in the publishing field soon realizes that the price and quality of printed matter is all over the map.
That's absolute gospel! Printers are not equal in service, quality, and press room capabilities. And when it comes to price, the difference can be as dramatic as the climate in St. Petersburg, Florida, in July and St. Paul, Minnesota, in January. Truly a world apart!
The first rule: Visit (if at all possible) several printers and obtain several quotes on everything you plan to print. If you decide to do business with mail order printers (their prices are often very good), do so only with a firm that has a good reputation. Ask for names of some of their clients. Reputable printers will gladly furnish you with some.
Also, go to the printer who has the right equipment to do your job. If you're printing a full-size book, you want a printing company that specializes in this. When it comes to a simple report, seek a reliable sheet-fed printer or web printer who can give you what you need quickly and at low cost.
It would be wonderful if the best books and other "information products" always were the best sellers. Sadly, this too often is not the case. In mail order, most sales are made sight unseen. You need attention-grabbing, benefit-filled, "killer-copy" to produce an endless flow of orders. If you can't produce big-league ads or direct mail pieces, hire someone who can. Your advertising/ marketing will either make you or break you in this business. Most people can easily learn to write an information book, manual, or report. Writing super ads and direct mail packages is another story. Hire a great copy writer, because he won't cost you money--he'll make you money!
Regardless of what type of work or business you're engaged in now, start thinking about saleable information that is already in your head or that can be researched and developed. The possibilities are endless, and the profits can be unlimited.
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Russ von Hoelscher is an author and publisher of hundreds of books, reports, and audio tapes, plus a mail order marketing guru who has made millions of dollars in sales for his clients. Check out his money making marketing site and profit malls at http://www.rvhfreegate.com.
