Quick-Start Method of Making Money on Amazon That's FAST and DIRT CHEAP!

I’m always bumping into someone that comes up with a new Internet marketing angle I never thought of before.  Funny thing about it is that it is usually some young new maverick that has somehow leaped over us older dudes and are on their first million or so.

Ahh… To be young again!

Anyway, if you have a unique way of marketing or making money online, send it to me here and I’ll post it for you and even let you put your URL and other credits with it: elmo033057(at)gmail.com

Using Amazon to Make $500 a Day

I’m about to start selling a few books and reports myself on Amazon, so when I found this piece of marketing advice I thought it was great.  Great timing too. 

The beauty of using this method is that it doesn’t take great skill, you can outsource a lot of it, and it is DIRT CHEAP!  That’s right, you heard my favorite words…DIRT CHEAP.

OK, so this method of making money online involves information marketing by selling books on Amazon.

What you’ll need to do this:

1) A word processor to write your eBook

2) An Amazon account to sell with

3) Time

Extra stuff that would be great to have:
4) Dragon Naturally Speaking Voice Recognition Software. 

Step 1 – Find a Niche that’s selling but small enough that you won’t have tons of competition

I've already written a rather extensive article on how to find a niche, but here’s the fast and quick explanation.  You can use other sites like For Dummies or eBay, but Amazon is my site of choice for niche research.

Go on Amazon and in their search window, click on the drop down menu and then scroll down and click on “Books”.

Click on the drop down menu until you get to "Books"

Once you click on “books” click on the little search icon and it will take you to another Amazon page.  This page should be dedicated to Amazon books.  Scroll about halfway down the page until you get to a section that has all of the Amazon book categories. 

Next, click on the "Search" icon

You’re going to start clicking on these different categories and drilling down into them looking for hot niches and sub-niches. 

For example you could look through the business and marketing books.  Whenever you click on a book category, more categories open up.  So in the “Business” category, you could click on the marketing link and you’d find pages and pages of books on marketing.  Within those pages are niches and sub-niches.  How do you find out which topics are the hottest? Look at the 
comments!

What The Comments Will Tell You…

There are loads of
categories to drill into!

If people take the time to read a book, go back online, log in with their account, and then write an essay or comments, then chances are it is a good book with good subject matter.  Amazon will also allow you to peruse several pages of the book to include the Table of Contents.

That is where you can really get some great ideas for a short eBook or paper.

At this point, you can do one or two things:

One, you can take an idea from the Table of Contents and then surf the net looking for free information on that subject area. 

Two, you can also just go ahead and buy the book from Amazon. 9 times out of 10 you can get the book dirt cheap used on there, and you know how I feel about getting things done DIRT CHEAP!

P.S. In case you want to watch a video on how to use Amazon to find a niche, look at this:

Step 2 – Write a short eBook based on the hot niche or sub-niche.
 

You want to write a short eBook that gets right to the point if you can.  The title should describe exactly what the eBook is about and the eBook should be SHORT and to the point, explaining exactly what you stated in the title.  Around 30 or so pages should be more than enough.

The reason why you’ll want to write a short eBook is because most people are going to want to read exactly what they’re looking for.  A lot of marketers make massive courses because to the purchaser it looks impressive. 

 However, many times it can have the reverse effect.   People see a vast ocean of information and get overwhelmed, so you want to create short eBooks but make sure that the information in them is well written and dynamite.  You don’t want to produce a bunch of useless crap, either!  

How to Get You eBook Into Amazon

Step 3 – Post and Sell you eBook/Kindle Book in Amazon Books.

Actually, Amazon makes it pretty straightforward about the process, and all you really need to do at this point is follow their step by step set up directions.

TIP: However, it should be noted that when you have to write a description of your product, some knowledge of copywriting techniques will go a long way.  This is where many people fail in their attempts at selling products of any kind on Amazon.  Also, make sure that it’s clear in your description that this is a SHORT eBook and let your potential customer know the number of pages in it.

TIP: For starters you may want to write your short eBooks under an alternate name.  This way, you won’t damage your good name or reputation if for some reason people don’t like what you’ve written.

TIP:   Price your short eBook at about $5.00 a shot.  That way you can easily justify a shorter eBook.

The Dirt Cheap Beauty of this Bid-Ness Model

The thing I like the most about this idea is that you can move very quickly with

it.  You don’t need to spend 4 months writing a pant-load of material for a massive eBook.  The $5.00 price point means that people will probably not mind parting with that much money as they would $30 or so dollars.

(Personally I love Bob Bly’s books, but they almost all start at about $30 dollars or so.  I bought 4 of them a month until I realized how much a month I was spending.  Not Dirt Cheap enough...Ha-ha !)

If you do decide to use your real name in this, make sure you've branded your eBook with your name and contact information.

  However, many times it can have the reverse effect.   People see a vast ocean of information and get overwhelmed, so you want to create short eBooks but make sure that the information in them is well written and dynamite.  You don’t want to produce a bunch of useless crap, either!  

Step 3 – Post and Sell you eBook/Kindle Book in Amazon Books.

Actually, Amazon makes it pretty straightforward about the process, and all you really need to do at this point is follow their step by step set up directions.

TIP: However, it should be noted that when you have to write a description of your product, some knowledge of copywriting techniques will go a long way.  This is where many people fail in their attempts at selling products of any kind on Amazon.  Also, make sure that it’s clear in your description that this is a SHORT eBook and let your potential customer know the number of pages in it.

TIP: For starters you may want to write your short eBooks under an alternate name.  This way, you won’t damage your good name or reputation if for some reason people don’t like what you’ve written.

TIP:   Price your short eBook at about $5.00 a shot.  That way you can easily justify a shorter eBook.

The Dirt Cheap Beauty of the Bid-Ness Model

The thing I like the most about this idea is that you can move very quickly with it.  You don’t need to spend 4 months writing a pant-load of material for a massive eBook.  The $5.00 price point means that people will probably not mind parting with that much money as they would $30 or so dollars.

(Personally I love Bob Bly’s books, but they almost all start at about $30 dollars or so.  I bought 4 of them a month until I realized how much a month I was spending.  Not Dirt Cheap enough...Ha-ha !)

If you do decide to use your real name in this, make sure you’ve branded your eBook with your name and contact information.

Danger Will Robinson...Danger!  Danger!

Danger!  Danger!

One other thing that I almost forgot to mention about selling eBooks on Amazon using this method. You can create quite a few of them quickly using this technique.  However there is a big danger here.  

Don’t make the mistake of creating a piece of JUNK.  Because if you create a piece of junk, no matter what pseudonym or moniker you hide under you’ll eventually get a very bad reputation. 

Besides that, you’ll get used to making junk and not quality products for your prospects and clients.

Please leave comments ...God knows I need them!!!

To Your Success!

Mark “Elmo” Ellis

"When it Comes to High-Response Copy - I've Got Your Back!"

www.MarkEllisCopy.com

(859) 797-9560

elmo033057@gmail.com

eBay! - How I Made My First REAL Money on the Internet!

In my last three posts I asked for readers of this blog to send in their stories on how you made your first money on the Internet.

I must admit, you’re a stubborn bunch.  I had three responses from readers that basically sent me one or two short sentences that I had to expand upon in order to make it interesting.

You can read those posts here if you so desire: 

1. Anyone Can UseThis Simple Technique to Get Started Making Money on the Internet Immediately!

2. How I used eBay!to Make My First Real Money On The Internet!

3. We Need You! HowDid You Make Your First Dollar On The Internet?

In case you’re holding out on me, or are too constipated to get out of your recliner to write it up, my offer still stands.  You can send me your story on how you made your first bucks on the Internet here:

Elmo033057@gmail.com

This offer will stay open until the hot, bad place freezes.

How I Made Some Real Money on eBay!

It’s relatively easy to make a little money on a venue like eBay! But it’s a real challenge to make substantial amounts of cash there, and it requires quite a bit of work.

The way I happened to make money on the auction site was labor intensive.  Actually, anyone that is making good money from an Internet venture will tell you, the same thing: It's a lot of work. 

My wife and I have had a few sewing businesses over the year.  She is quite amazing and has made everything from quilts to canvas covers on the backs of trucks.  I did the marketing, she did the sewing. 

With an embroidery digitizing program any things is possible!

However, she knew how much I like doing graphic arts, so she started showing me embroidery that people were making using computer driven embroidery machines.  I was amazed at how beautiful you could make items using a single head machine.

The other part that I thought was cool,  was that you had to use a digitizing program that was similar to a graphics program to create the designs.  

So, with a little prodding, we decided to get the machine, digitizing program and go into the embroidery business.

However, the embroidery machine start up ran us around $12,000 for the machine, software computers, etc.  We had that money saved up so we didn’t have to get a loan or anything.  ($12,000 to start up regular bricks and mortar business is still dirt cheap, so don’t start accusing me of not being thrifty!  Ha ha!)

Why the Internet Is THE Place To Start a Business and Why I’d NEVER Go On Shark Tank

No, You're Dead to ME!!!!

As you already know from reading this blog, I don’t like going into debt to run a business because I’m too cheap.  As a matter of fact, you’d never see me on Shark Tank begging those folks to go into business with me because I just don’t want the debt and I hate owing people money.

My way of thinking is I don’t want the heavy pressure and stress that’s associated with borrowing money like that.  I’m always trying to think of other ways out of that situation.

The real value of Shark Tank isn’t the money, it’s the Sharks themselves and their connections.  Getting the opportunity to work with them would be the real value.  However, there is a cheaper way to find out how they do business and that’s read and study their books.

Almost every one of them have written books and blogs, made videos, given interviews and all you need to know is in the library on the Internet just sitting there for free waiting for you to read.  Not only do you have their resources, but you also have access to every single entrepreneur’s mind that is significant. 

How to drive your librarian crazy...

If you don’t see their books in your local library, then get on Amazon and buy their books used. 

Why?  Because it’s cheap that’s why! 

The reason why I’m mentioning the fact that I’m cheap here, is because when my wife and I started to scope out places to rent for our embroidery business, we were freaked out by the cost of renting a space. 

The mall in Lexington was only a few short blocks from our house, so we thought we’d rent a kiosk there.  However, the kiosk spaces were renting at $3000 a month, and during the months of October through December the rental went up to $5000 a month. 

So, in my estimation, many of the kiosk businesses at the mall were LOSERS!  I can’t figure out how the people that sell the little painted crabs that crawl around inside little glass cages make any money at all.  You’d have to sell a ton of those things just to break even!

The idea of all of that money being shelled out JUST to get started horrified me!

My Dirt Cheap Solution

Since I had already built websites and done some Internet marketing on my own, I put our single head embroidery machine into our finished basement and started the business there.  I figured out every cheap way I could to get website hosting, a merchant account and a domain. 

Back in those days, merchant accounts weren’t cheap like they are now, but they were a heck of a lot cheaper than renting a space at the stinkin' mall!

 Not only that, but all I had to do in the morning was get up and go to work.  No commute, no spending money on gas, and no rental fees.

Cheap-cheap-cheap!

I didn’t have to worry about when I had to lock up and go home either.  If I wanted to digitize a design and test it, all I had to do is create the design and run it through my machine because everything was right there for me to work with.  It didn't matter if it was 12:00 noon or 12:00 midnight.

eBay! –The Launching Pad for My Business!

Once I got my Website built, I knew I needed to pull in initial sales, however when you build a brand new website, it takes a while to get indexed by the search engines.  So, for the first few months you are pretty much invisible on the Internet.

It turns out that eBay! was my solution. 

I got an account with eBay!, plugged in all of the information I needed to start selling and proceeded to begin to make money.

Well, yeah I made money, but it wasn't much.  Since I’d never sold more than a few eBooks online, I really didn't have much Internet marketing experience to ride on. I threw my embroidery business out there without a clue as to what my niche market was, what my Unique Selling Proposition (USP) was or anything.  

Unfortunately no marketing plan = no business.

I remember some guy ordering a gardening hat from me.  I think I made $2.00.

So, I started reading.  A lot.  I got every eBook and Internet marketing book I could think of and I found a niche I was passionate about – musical instrument apparel.  

This turned out to be a nice niche for me since I liked the graphic aspect of creating my own digitized – embroidered designs as well as my passion for music.

Thus, Ellistrations Music Apparel was born!

So, in my next blog post I’ll tell you how I sold a $3.00 dollar hat for almost $60.00...

Until then, 

To Your Success!

Mark “Elmo” Ellis

"When it Comes to High-Response Copy - I've Got Your Back!"

www.MarkEllisCopy.com

(859) 797-9560

elmo033057@gmail.com

P.S.  If you really want to get started making money lightning fast on eBay! check out this video: