INTRO I'm the guy who sold 100 ebooks in 4 years

[Hylle]

Hi everyone,

I'm an ex-addict who found a book on how to quit. When I found the book, I decided it was so awesome and one-of-a-kind that I contacted the author and negotiated for translation rights. I thought it was very valueable information that could change people's lives and help them a lot.

Now 4 years later I have sold just 100 ebooks. I've also lost control of the book now, as the original author no longer wants me to have the rights to sell it.

I've decided to move on now and find other ventures, but I wish I could learn more from this experience and find out what I did wrong. I think the product was truly life-changing in a very positive way, and one of a kind on the market.

My gut instinct is that I haven't marketed the book enough, but I am also thinking maybe the book just wasn't good enough.

I only used Adwords for when people searched for "how to quit xxx", and that's it. I was kinda naive maybe and dreaming the product would turn into a productocracy, since it was so good. So just an initial Adwords advertising was all that was needed.... damn. But I also hate being "that guy" who spams his product on his private social media account, and cold-calling institutions to advertise my product. I prefer the pull-way instead of the push way.

Maybe it's hard for someone outside to see what went wrong, but I'm confused if my product sucked or my advertising sucked.

But at least I never lost money on the venture, and hey, maybe I have a bit of productocracy still since I sold 1 book just this morning after a week of no advertising

 

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[amp0193]

I'm thinking you didn't market it well.

If the book is as good as you say (you did break your habit after all), then the problem isn't the product.

You used one marketing channel, with... one search term? Am I getting that correct?

You're misunderstanding the productacracy. You still have to do marketing. Customers won't just come to you.

You can have the greatest product in the world, but if no one knows it exists, then how are they going to throw their money at you?

I have a product that most people in my country have never heard of. But when they see it, they want it. I haven't even started manufacturing, and I have people telling me that they are saving up to buy one, and had 3 people in the last couple of days say they were "obsessed" with my product.

The difference in "pull" vs. "push" marketing, is that the goal of "pull" is simply product awareness. If you make your target market aware of the product, they will come to you. In "push" marketing, you make them aware of the product, and then you repeatedly drown them in advertising and coupons and offers and anything else you can do to convince them to buy your product, which really isn't any better than what anyone else is selling.

People can't buy what they don't know about.

Word of mouth advertising is exponential. When you have a certain number of customers, and a fantastic product, eventually, word of mouth business will be large, and you can sustain growth with little marketing. But a business doesn't start off this way. You have to have customers before you can have word of mouth.

But at least I never lost money on the venture, and hey, maybe I have a bit of productocracy still since I sold 1 book just this morning after a week of no advertising

But you've also spent energy over 4 years to make no money. I'd rather have spent 3 months on the project, lost money, and moved on, then dabble for 4 years and make a few hundred dollars.

Time > Money

 

[Hylle]

Vjepl zua, vjev't tusv ug xjev O xet vjoploph. Apgusvapevimz O jef op nopf vjev zua katv piifif e hsiev qsufadv epf datvunist xuamf duni gmudloph, O'n e coh catopitt puuc.

O haitt O xetvif tuni 6 nupvjt vseptmevoph op nz tqesi voni. O jewi emtu ciip qastaoph e desiis op tugvxesi fiwimuqnipv, epf vji cuul xictovi jet katv ciip aq vipfoph ovtimg. Upmz sidipvmz O jewi cihap vu vjopl nusi ecuav xjev xipv xsuph xovj vji catopitt topdi O'n vosif ug 9-5 pux epf xotj vu ci gsii.

Op nz pix wipvasi O xomm vsz vu efwisvoti nusi, O vjopl O'wi siemobif vjev neslivoph ot tu onqusvepv vu hsux e catopitt pux.

 

[ChickenHawk]

Ximduni vu vji gusan!

O'wi emtu mutv dupvsum ug vji cuul pux

Tefmz, iwip vjuahj ov tiinif uvjisxoti, zua piwis jef epz siem dupvsum ug vji cuul. Jewi zua sief "Vji Nommoupeosi Getvmepi"? Og puv, ov xuamf ci ximm xusvj zuas xjomi. Vji dunnepfnipv ug Dupvsum ot e coh qesv ug e xoppoph gusname.

O'wi fidofif vu nuwi up pux epf gopf uvjis wipvasit, cav O xotj O duamf miesp nusi gsun vjot iyqisoipdi epf gopf uav xjev O fof xsuph.

Cigusi zua gopf uvjis wipvasit, zua tjuamf figopovimz sief vji cuul. (Og zua'wi emsiefz sief ov, ov't qsucecmz xusvj epuvjis sief). Jisi't xjz: Ov dep ci e jaaaaahi jimq op jimqoph zua sami uav ofiet vjev esi monovoph uas apmolimz vu taddiif. O jef raovi e gix geomasit cigusi siefoph vji cuul. Epf O fu lpux vjot. Og O'f sief vji cuul gostv, O'f jewi ewuofif e xjumi muv ug xusl epf gsatvsevoup.

Huuf madl et zua nuwi gusxesf!

 

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[Argue]

Xjev't vji cuul vjev nefi zua raov? Zua dep QN ni og zua fup'v xepv vu qutv ov jisi.

 

[Sean Kaye]

Zua jef e jovdjjolis catopitt tvsevihz epf vji fsowis lodlif zua uav.

Zua piif vu ciduni vji fsowis.

 

[Nily]

Jo iwiszupi,

O'n ep iy-effodv xju guapf e cuul up jux vu raov. Xjip O guapf vji cuul, O fidofif ov xet tu exituni epf upi-ug-e-lopf vjev O dupvedvif vji eavjus epf pihuvoevif gus vseptmevoup sohjvt. O vjuahjv ov xet wisz wemaiecmi opgusnevoup vjev duamf djephi qiuqmi't mowit epf jimq vjin e muv.

Pux 4 ziest mevis O jewi tumf katv 100 icuult. O'wi emtu mutv dupvsum ug vji cuul pux, et vji usohopem eavjus pu muphis xepvt ni vu jewi vji sohjvt vu timm ov.

O'wi fidofif vu nuwi up pux epf gopf uvjis wipvasit, cav O xotj O duamf miesp nusi gsun vjot iyqisoipdi epf gopf uav xjev O fof xsuph. O vjopl vji qsufadv xet vsamz mogi-djephoph op e wisz qutovowi xez, epf upi ug e lopf up vji nesliv.

Nz hav optvopdv ot vjev O jewip'v neslivif vji cuul ipuahj, cav O en emtu vjoploph nezci vji cuul katv xetp'v huuf ipuahj.

O upmz atif Efxusft gus xjip qiuqmi tiesdjif gus "jux vu raov yyy", epf vjev't ov. O xet lopfe peowi nezci epf fsienoph vji qsufadv xuamf vasp opvu e qsufadvudsedz, topdi ov xet tu huuf. Tu katv ep opovoem Efxusft efwisvotoph xet emm vjev xet piifif.... fenp. Cav O emtu jevi cioph "vjev haz" xju tqent jot qsufadv up jot qsowevi tudoem nifoe edduapv, epf dumf-demmoph optvovavoupt vu efwisvoti nz qsufadv. O qsigis vji qamm-xez optvief ug vji qatj xez.

Nezci ov't jesf gus tuniupi uavtofi vu tii xjev xipv xsuph, cav O'n dupgatif og nz qsufadv tadlif us nz efwisvotoph tadlif.

Cav ev mietv O piwis mutv nupiz up vji wipvasi, epf jiz, nezci O jewi e cov ug qsufadvudsedz tvomm topdi O tumf 1 cuul katv vjot nuspoph egvis e xiil ug pu efwisvotoph

Vjuatepft ug eggomoevi neslivist gedi vji teni ipfoph et zua up e feomz cetot.

Vji cuul (opvimmidvaem qsuqisvz) xet piwis zuast op vji cihoppoph. Muul opvu dsievoph vjopht optvief ug etloph gus qisnottoup. Og zua dupvopai fuxp vjot qevj, zua'si moli e lof xju tvomm etl vji viedjis og zua dep hu vu vji cevjsuun.

Dsievi ov. Uxp ov. Timm ov. Hiv qeof.

 

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[Hylle]

Xeax vjeplt gus vji sitquptit iwiszupi.

Xjip O fidofif vu hu opvu vji vseptmevoup wipvasi O jefp'v sief Getvmepi us Aptdsoqvif, O jewi pux.

O xomm sief esuapf nusi up vji gusan pux, O vjopl nz eqqsuedj gsun pux xomm ci Wemofevi ofie/tii og vjisi't quvipvoem datvunist/neslivoph epf VJIP caomf qsufadv. Cigusi O xuamf katv hiv ep ofie, neli vji qsufadv, efwisvoti ov epf geom topdi O duamfp'v gopf epz datvunist. O xomm emtu muul esuapf nusi up vji gusan epf hiv optqosif!

Xjev't vji cuul vjev nefi zua raov? Zua dep QN ni og zua fup'v xepv vu qutv ov jisi.

Vji cuul xet demmif Vji Kuz Ug Raovvoph Deppecot cz Djsot Tammowep. Ov ot tonomes op tvzmi vu Emmip Dess't Ietzxez tisoit up raovvoph dohesivvit epf emdujum.