Hello All:

I have a dilemma.

I am nearing completion of a small e-book and somebody has offered to pay me a small fee for every copy that's downloaded in return for having an advert included in it.

If I made the e-book free, I know I could ensure a large number of downloads.

However, a large proportion of those may be nothing more than freebie-seekers who download for the sake of it... meaning they're never likely to patronise the advertiser anyway (unless they give away something free, too )

If I charged a nominal fee instead, I'm guessing this would drastically cut the number of downloaders but potentially increase their value (to both myself and the advertiser.)

Has anyone been down this road before?

If so, what did you do?

Tommy.

You could offer it as a lead generation device. You get their opt-in email and they get the ebook for free...plus you get a few $$ when it's downloaded.

If it were me, I'd promote the hell out of that book.

Think about it, some of us pay dollars per lead. Here you get paid per lead. I'd milk it for all it's worth, but again, that's just me. But I also don't know a host of other factors I'd need to know to make such a decision...but from what you've told us so far, I'd do just what I said.

And there are many more ideas you could use for such a promotion. Not to mention JV deals with your local businesses on the topic.

For example, let's just say that you go to your local store (mom 'n pop or otherwise) that specializes in the same niche as your book. You put a "Take One" box there with your custom printed postcards that invite the prospect to go to your website to get the free book or mail the card to you with their contact info. You can supply the names and contact info to the store...as part of your deal, get a lead, and collect your JV'd "download fee". And if store doesn't want to play ball, just tell them that you've got deals all over town collecting leads, and you could supply them with ALL the names , addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers (just be sure you set that up beforehand). Watch that merchant do a 180!

Ah, there's a million of those ideas.

Hope I've been helpful.

John

Hi John,

Quite true.

Although I want to ensure the majority of downloaders really are people with an interest in the e-book topic (and, thus, likely customers for my advertiser)... not just serial downloaders who'll let it gather dust on their HDD.

That said, a free copy would be a powerful persuader for those who are undecided...

Aaargh... 'tis hard to know what to do; Some more thinking on my part is required, methinks.

Brilliant idea (for any free e-book or online promo)... Thanks for sharing it.

Tommy.