>>>(1) is there a web service that handles ebooks for a fee? They would keep the file "in stock" and ship orders. (2) If one were to handle the ordering and shipping themselves, how is the order managed? I use PayPal for "hard" merchandise.>>> This is a big topic and there are many folks out there using these services. Some are great and some are dreadful; a few have a bad reputation because of sporadic quality or delivery problems. Some people decide that e-books will pave their way to fame and fortune and they are often mislead by BS spewing marketing types that are ever present on the web. I have looked at a few sources for the services you seek, and I have decided that Lulu Press is the best way to go. The URL is www.lulu.com. At least the best way as far as I am concerned, but I have not reviewed every service, so some better places might exist. I was interested in effortless simplicity and no need to bother with the manuscript, sales, deposits, etc. For one thing, Lulu is free. They do charge you a percentage of the selling price, but, you can set the price, thus setting your profit level as you see fit. The services they offer are excellent, no set-up fees, and you can also offer your customers bound and printed versions with color covers if you want. You do not need to stock anything, just complete the required setup forms, billing info, descriptions of the product, category selection, etc. Everything is done from your terminal and no salesman will call. Incidentally, you can also create Lulu Calendars and other products geared to the photographer that wants to offer high quality images. I do not know what your goals are, but I can tell you something I have found amazing: printed and bound copies of self-published books sell better than e-books. By almost ten to one. You might consider offering a printed version as well as an e-book version. I once offered a technical guide (photographic) on eBay and I never sold an electronic version, just printed and bound versions. Since you are interested in offering e-books, they handle everything for you and they are honest. I once offered a book of specialty information that had no commercial potentials and I did not want to bother with customers, people, payments or other issues, so I used Lulu to distribute a book. Every so often, Lulu sent me a check and quite frankly, I did not expect to receive any money. My profit was less than fifty cents per copy and I was not in it for the money. Just convenience for a few interested people that required lists of all bolts required for a selected number of Harley Davidson Sportsters. Assuming you want to make a buck, I think Lulu offers you a decent opportunity to do so. Nothing is guaranteed, however. I do think you need a reputable services provider and in my opinion, Lulu gives you exactly that. Bob ... Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com |
