Review: Make Money with Teleseminars and Webinars

Make Money with Teleseminars and Webinars is the new guide from Dana Lynn Smith, also known as The Savvy Book Marketer.

As a fan of Dana's work (see the list of other products of hers I have reviewed at the end of this post) I was keen to see this one as well, and so she kindly sent me a review copy.

Make Money with Teleseminars and Webinars is a bit different from Dana's other guides. Rather than a text-based manual, the product is based around a recording of a one-hour teleseminar. As that is what the product is all about, you certainly can't say that Dana doesn't practise what she preaches!

Buyers are first taken to an Order Confirmation page. From here they can click a link to watch a recording of the teleseminar (audio plus slides), and another to access a download page for the other resources sold with the product. These are as follows:

• Audio recording of the presentation (MP3)
• Slides from the presentation (PDF)
• Resource Guide, with links to dozens of useful resources (PDF)
• Guide to Choosing a Service Provider - this discusses what to look for when choosing a teleseminar/webinar service provider and gives a summary of five popular providers, with Dana's recommendations (PDF)

At the heart of this product is the teleseminar recording. I'd have to say I thought this was extremely well done. Considering this is a recording of a live presentation, I was amazed by how smoothly it ran. I didn't notice any fluffs, backtracks, or errors. This is either a testament to some very impressive editing, or an even more powerful testament to Dana's powers of organization and communication!

The actual advice is conveyed concisely, with the aid of slides that are informative and don't try to cram too much in. There are numerous bullet-pointed lists, the titles of some of which I've copied below. I'm not giving away anything I shouldn't here, as they are listed on the 'What You Will Learn' section of the sales page as well.

• 6 reasons why nonfiction authors should do teleseminars and webinars
• 4 ways to make money with paid teleseminars and webinars
• 5 ways to profit from free teleseminars and webinars
• 5 ways to earn revenue by repurposing content
• Techniques for doing educational presentations, interviews and online conferences
• How to add visuals to your presentation
• Tips for running your event smoothy
• Options for recording and replaying the presentation
• Free tools for editing audio and video files
• Insider tips for choosing a teleseminar/webinar service provider
• Pros and cons of various registration and payment methods
• How to promote your event for maximum attendance

The teleseminar provides a good overview of the various options available and how they work. I also found the discussion of the pros and cons of free versus paid-for events quite enlightening.

There is some excellent advice too about how to choose a suitable service provider. If you're new to this field there is plenty of scope for slip-ups here. Dana's advice should ensure that you are aware of all the key considerations, and choose the best provider for the type of event you have in mind.

The PDFs are also useful. I especially like the resource guide, which lists all the resources Dana has used personally and recommends (or in some cases doesn't). This includes everything from audio and video editing software to USB microphones, press release distribution companies to teleseminar announcement websites. For anyone planning their first webinar or teleseminar, this would more than justify the cost of the product in itself, I'd have thought.

If I had one nitpick, I would have liked a transcript of the whole teleseminar, as (being a writer, I suppose) I like to have all information in text form as well for easy reference. However, you do get a PDF containing all the slides used in the presentation, which is almost (though not quite) as good.

If you're thinking of getting into teleseminars and webinars - and they are not only great for raising your profile but (as the title implies) can be excellent money-makers in their own right - this reasonably priced guide would provide a great introduction and reference resource.

For more information about Make Money with Teleseminars and Webinars (and to order a copy) just click through any of the links in this review. You can also read my reviews of other guides by Dana by clicking on the appropriate title in the list below:

How to Get Your Book Reviewed

Twitter Guide for Authors

Facebook Guide for Authors

Virtual Book Tour Magic

If you have any comments or questions for Dana (or me), as ever, please feel free to leave them below.

• My sponsors, WCCL, also publish an excellent, in-depth guide to creating your own podcasts called The Ultimate Podcasting Kit. If podcasting is something else that appeals to you, please click on the banner ad below for more information.

Disclosure: I received a free review copy of Make Money with Teleseminars and Webinars by Dana Lynn Smith. In addition, the links in this review include my affiliate code, so if you click through and make a purchase, a proportion of the fee will go to me. This has not influenced my review, but you should of course complete your own due diligence and read the sales page (and this review) carefully to determine whether this product will be relevant to your needs.

Great Shortcut for Finding Words on a Page

Today I thought I'd share a quick tip I picked up a few months ago. If you know this already, my apologies!

If you're anything like me, you frequently search for specific words on a page. I do this all the time in Microsoft Word and also on web pages.

I generally think of myself as quite computer-savvy, but one thing I'd never really appreciated before is how useful the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+F is (for those who may not know, this instruction means pressing the Control key and the F key at the same time).

This beauty of this command is that it brings up a text search box in a wide range of programs. It works just as well in Word or in Firefox or other browsers. Since I discovered this, I've been using it all the time. OK, it may only save a moment compared with clicking on Find or Search in the relevant menu, but those moments definitely add up!

I also discovered a Firefox add-on called FindList which adds to the usefulness of Ctrl+F. It adds a list of up to 50 of your previous searches, allowing you to access them again at any time from a drop-down menu. Here's how it looks in practice...

I hope you find this tip (and the FindList add-on if you use Firefox) helpful.

Dare I mention it, I also use Ctrl+C (Copy) and Ctrl+V (paste) a lot, and find them great time-savers as well!

Review: KDP Select Report by Rosa Suen

In this post last week I reviewed Rosa Suen's report on publishing to the Amazon Kindle.

Today I'm reviewing her companion KDP Select Report - also available as a Warrior Special Offer - about the benefits to authors of opting into the KDP Select program.

For those who don’t know, KDP Select is a new program allowing authors of Kindle e-books to earn money by allowing their titles to be lent out to US Amazon Prime customers (though authors don’t have to be US-based themselves). Such customers are allowed to borrow one Kindle e-book free of charge per month under the program.

Obviously, authors don’t get any royalties from this program - as their books are loaned out free - but Amazon has set aside a substantial fund (an estimated $6 million during 2012), which is shared out every month according to how many times each e-book has been borrowed. With low-cost e-books - as Rosa's report indicates - your earnings per loan are almost certain to be higher than your royalties per sale.

The KDP Select program has been the cause of much discussion among Kindle authors, with some contending it offers a poor deal for authors. This is largely because, if you want to take part, you are barred from selling your e-book digitally through any other outlet (e.g. Smashwords) during the (minimum) 90-day period your title is available through the program. Rosa is the author of around 200 (non-fiction) e-books, however, and she shows clearly through her own sales figures and earnings that the program can be very effective if you use it in the right way.

One key aspect of the advice in the KDP Select Report concerns how to use the opportunity KDP Select authors are given to list their e-books free of charge on Amazon for up to five days per month (consecutive or otherwise). With stats from ten different e-books, Rosa clearly shows the effectiveness of this strategy for generating interest in an e-book and getting it into the Amazon best-seller lists.

She compares the number and value of sales generated (on non-free-promotion days, obviously) with loans per month, and shows the total earnings in each case. She discusses how she intends to refine her sales and pricing strategy to maximize her earnings from each title, and also sets out what she has discovered about the best price points for Kindle e-books.

I found Rosa’s systematic approach to marketing using the KDP Select program impressive, and the specific case studies quite enlightening. The guide doesn’t actually tell you anything about devising or writing Kindle e-books, though as previously mentioned Rosa does have another report, also available as a WSO, which covers this subject. And, of course, my own Kindle Kash guide sets out step-by-step advice on publishing an e-book to the Kindle Store using only free resources.

If you’re a Kindle author and have been wondering whether to take the plunge with KDP Select, I recommend this modestly priced guide. It may not have all the answers, but I guarantee it will give you food for thought. It also demonstrates a systematic, mathematically-based way of analysing the returns you are getting from applying Rosa’s strategy and fine-tuning it to boost your profits further. Incidentally, along with the report you also receive 10 charts (plus one already filled in as an example) to help you apply the strategy to your own titles.

With this report, as with Rosa's original one, there is a 30-day unconditional refund guarantee.

Disclosure: I received a free review copy of Rosa Suen's KDP Select Report. In addition, the links in this review include my affiliate code, so if you click through and make a purchase, a proportion of the fee will go to me. This has not influenced my review in any way, but you should of course complete your own due diligence and read the sales page (and this review) carefully to determine whether this product will be relevant to your needs.

Word cloud by courtesy of Wordle.

Rihanna Ft Jay Z - Talk That Talk Lyrics

Rihanna Ft Jay Z - Talk That Talk Lyrics

Talk that talk to me, yeah


Talk that talk to me, yeah



[Jay-Z]


I be trying to chill, b–ches wanna f–k me

Every little city I go, f–k me

Shorty must've heard

Got the word, I move that D


Had it by a bladder

She like, oh I gotta pee

Ran into a rocko in my restroom

Singer slash actress in my bedroom


God I have the ticket for a walk through

Everything that do is big



I talk big money, I talk big homes


I sell out arenas

I call that getting dome

Million dollar voice

Came through phone


We heading to the top

If you coming, come on

I'm Flying out to Pisa

Just to get some pizza


Fly down to Jamaica

Just to roll some reefa

Sex on the beach

Left love speechless


They say that money talk

Tell these other ni--as speak up

What's up




[Rihanna - Hook]

One and two and three and four, come on let me know if you want some more

You know what I like right now get it right


Boy talk that talk to me all night

Yeah boy I like it yeah boy I like it

Love it when you talk that talk to me yeah


Yeah that talk to me yeah

Love it when you talk that talk to me, yeah




[Rihanna]

Say what you want, say you want you like

Say you want me to do and I got you


Tell me how love you, tell me how to hold you

I'mma get it right on the first try for you

Cause you ain't never had a woman like me, yeah


And you will never have another like me, yeah

Noooooo

So i'mma give it to you baby




[Hook]

One and two and three and four, come on let me know if you want some more

You know what I like right now get it right

Boy talk that talk to me all night


Yeah boy I like it yeah boy I like it

Love it when you talk that talk to me yeah

Yeah that talk to me yeah


Love it when you talk that talk to me, yeah



[Bridge]

What you saying now


Give it to me baby

I want it all night

Give it to me baby

What you saying now


Give it to me baby

Give it to me baby

Give it to me baby




What you saying now

Give it to me baby

I want it all night

Give it to me baby


What you saying now

Give it to me baby

Give it to me baby

Give it to me baby




[Hook]

One and two and three and four, come on let me know if you want some more

You know what I like right now get it right


Boy talk that talk to me all night

Yeah boy I like it yeah boy I like it

Love it when you talk that talk to me yeah


Yeah that talk to me yeah

Love it when you talk that talk to me, yeah




Talk that talk to me

Talk that talk to me, yeah

Labrinth - Last Time Lyrics

Labrinth - Last Time Lyrics

One moment to another

A world to be discovered

And now it's my turn to fly

Let this be the last time I say goodbye



I love tokyo


I've never been

See i'm looking for somewhere that my journey could begin

And now maybe cairo

Guten tag berlin

But I know cause I ai't leaving paris without a french kiss




We're on a trip around the world

Let's make it wonderful



One moment to another

A world to be discovered

And now it's my turn to fly


Let this be the last time I say goodbye



Hey Ibiza

Give me the groove

I'mma party till I black out


And wake up in cancun

If I sleep in seattle

Plan the next move

I'll be having a ball over in ayia napa too



Now we're on a trip around the world



Let's make it wonderful



One moment to another

A world to be discovered

And now it's my turn to fly

Let this be the last time I say goodbye




Atlas on the dancefloor

Round the world like a merry go

New york city, london town

There's a moment somewhere out there

You'll never know, what's waiting outside your window




I'm taking off

I'm taking off

Lifting me up



One moment to another

A world to be discovered


And now it's my turn to fly

Let this be the last time I say goodbye



Atlas on the dancefloor

Round the world like a merry go


Atlas on the dancefloor

Round the world like a merry go

Atlas on the dancefloor

Round the world like a merry go

Atlas on the dancefloor

Round the world like a merry go

Duotrope: A Brilliant Resource for Fiction and Poetry Writers

Today I thought I'd spotlight a brilliant (and free) market-info resource for fiction and poetry writers called Duotrope.

Duotrope currently lists over 4100 current fiction and poetry publications, including anthologies and contests.

If you have written a poem or a story and are looking for a suitable market to submit it to, you can use the search box on the Duotrope homepage (see screengrab below) to search by genre, length, payscale, and so on.

Figure 1 - Duotrope Search Box

Alternatively, you can browse all listings on Duotrope or search by title by visiting this page of the website.

Another great feature of the site is that you can get a weekly email sent to you listing new markets and any significant changes to existing ones. You can opt to receive fiction updates, or poetry updates, or both. You have to register on Duotrope to receive the email newsletters, but this is free and only takes a moment.

I've copied below an extract from the Duotrope fiction newsletter - a partial list of anthologies and themed issues with upcoming deadlines - so you can get some idea how useful this is. All titles in the email newsletter link to the relevant listing on Duotrope.

Figure 2 - Extract from Duotrope Fiction Newsletter

You can also opt to receive market updates in your RSS feed reader if you prefer. In this case you get updates as they occur rather than once a week.

Duotrope has a range of other features as well, including interviews with editors, a calendar of upcoming deadlines, and more. Registered members can also access some additional features, including RSS feeds of their favorite markets, markets where they have submissions pending, and so on. Note that some of these extra features are currently in Beta.

Duotrope is an invaluable resource for fiction writers, so if you write fiction or poetry, I highly recommend checking it out. Although it is free, they do still have running costs to defray, so donations are always welcomed.

If you have any comments or questions about Duotrope, please feel free to leave them below. Or if you know of any similar resources that writers should be aware of, please post them here as well.

Review: Kindle Publishing Report by Rosa Suen

I was fortunate to receive review copies of two new reports by Hong Kong writer/entrepreneur Rosa Suen about publishing non-fiction books for the Amazon Kindle.

The one I'm reviewing today concerns creating Kindle e-books with good money-making potential. The other, which I'll review in a separate post, is about how to capitalize on the new Amazon KDP Select program (if you're particularly interested in this topic, here's a link to Rosa's sales page for this product now).

Both these reports are currently on sale as WSOs (Warrior Special Offers) at the Internet Marketing Warrior Forum. As you may know, people typically launch new products here at a discount in the hope of getting good reviews and building 'buzz' about their products prior to the main launch.

Rosa's Kindle Publishing Report is a concise (34-page), step-by-step guide to devising a (non-fiction) Kindle title with good sales potential. It's sold as an instant download in the standard PDF format.

In 18 practical steps, Rosa takes you from researching ideas, through outlining your e-book, to creating and marketing it.

One thing I should make clear is that this is NOT a guide to publishing low-quality e-books by copying and pasting PLR or out-of-copyright titles. Amazon is cracking down hard on this, and it is not now a viable business model (if it ever was). Rosa’s philosophy is summed up at the start of the book, where she writes:

The Quickest Way To Succeed: Find Out How Others are Succeeding.
The Most Effective Way To Succeed: You Must Be Original and Create Your Own Success.

One thing I particularly liked about the report was the way Rosa uses examples of her own Kindle e-books, alongside bang-up-to-date sales figures and other information. I was particularly impressed by the way she shows how even unknown authors can piggyback on the popularity of best-sellers. It wouldn't be fair to give away too much here, but reading how Rosa developed an outline for one of her own successful e-books from a starting point of Steve Jobs’ biography is a real eye-opener. This is the type of thing many people would never imagine themselves being able to do, but Rosa’s positive, ‘can-do’ attitude is both encouraging and inspiring.

Rosa doesn’t go into great detail about writing and formatting a Kindle e-book. Of course, there are other guides that cover this (such as my own Kindle Kash), or - as Rosa says - you can always outsource some or all of this if you prefer. Essentially, this is a guide to researching a non-fiction title with good sales potential, outlining it, and marketing the finished e-book. It is unashamedly a guide to making money from Kindle publishing, but doing so in a way that does not sacrifice quality for short-term profits.

I found the marketing advice both interesting and thought-provoking. Rosa has some great tips on pricing your book, based on her experience as the successful author of around 200 Kindle e-books, and she also offers some advice on using the KDP Select opportunity to make your e-book available for lending to Amazon Prime customers. As mentioned, she does have another report, which I'll be reviewing separately here soon, which goes into much more detail about how writers can make the most of Amazon Select.

Rosa's Kindle Publishing Report is illustrated throughout with helpful screengrabs. It won’t win any prizes for its prose style, but it’s perfectly readable and understandable. If you're looking for ideas and inspiration for creating money-making Kindle e-books from someone who really has 'been there, done that, and got the tee-shirt', in my view it's well worth the modest fee requested (on which there is, by the way, a 30-day unconditional refund guarantee).

UPDATE: My blog review of Rosa's other report on Kindle publishing, about the opportunities presented by the KDP Select program, is now available to view here.

Disclosure: I received a free review copy of Rosa Suen's Kindle Publishing Report. In addition, the links in this review include my affiliate code, so if you click through and make a purchase, a proportion of the fee will go to me. This has not influenced my review in any way, but you should of course complete your own due diligence and read the sales page (and this review) carefully to determine whether this product will be relevant to your needs.

Photo of Amazon Kindle by the author.

Author 2.0 Blueprint - Great Resource for Indie Authors from Joanna Penn

Just wanted to let you know today about a free, 52-page e-book from prolific author and blogger Joanna Penn.

Joanna describes Author 2.0 Blueprint as 'Your Blueprint for Writing, Publishing and Marketing Your Book'. It's a beautifully written and produced introduction to self-publishing, covering both fiction and non-fiction.

The e-book is a fully updated, 2012 version of Joanna's original Author 2.0 report. It’s based on articles from her blog The Creative Penn, as well as information from other blogs. There are links to many sites and blogs Joanna says she has found useful herself. The book also recommends further resources, some free and some paid-for, for additional advice and assistance.

Author 2.0 Blueprint is published under a Creative Commons licence, so it can be freely shared as long as you don’t use it commercially and you cite TheCreativePenn.com as the source. I've therefore taken the opportunity to embed it below, or you can visit the announcement page on Joanna's blog and download it from there if you prefer...
Author 2.0 Blueprint: Writing, Publishing and Book Marketing using online tools (2012 version)

If you are receiving this post by email or RSS, you may need to visit my blog to see the embedded version of the e-book. Also, if you can't read the embedded version clearly - and I can't control how exactly it will display on different browsers - click on the 'View in Fullscreen' icon at the bottom. You can return to this blog post afterwards by using your browser's 'Back' button.

Thank you very much to Joanna for making this valuable resource available to the world-wide writing community.

Finally, while we're talking about freebies, you might also like to sign up for The Writer's Giveaway by my blog sponsors, The WCCL Network. This features a wide range of free, writing-related reports and software. All you have to do in exchange is sign up for their Smart Writers e-newsletter (to which you can, of course, unsubscribe at any time). Just click on the banner below for more information!