By examining the operations of these successful people we find

that they use several simple and easy methods to produce

excessive profits in the Mail Order Book Selling Business. When

you know these methods and put them to work for yourself you will

find that you too have the opportunity to make big money in this

business.

To start yourself on the road to success in writing your own

books and reports then selling them...Anytime and every time you

think of an idea or book title, write it down immediately.

Regardless of how idiotic it may appear to you at first, it could

be the ingredient you need to start you on the way to a fortune.

File your notes and look them over periodically. You put yourself

in a position whereby you have a good chance to come up with an

idea or a title that will be a real money-making "Blockbuster."

If you are writings are about your own experiences on an

inspirational or how-to subject, consider writing the book as

well as the ads that sell it, in the "first person". This gives

the reader the feeling he is getting personal communication and

is not just a number in a computer.

Many in Mail Order business, including ourselves, have indicated

that it is not a good policy and often a waste of time and money

to advertise in a general daily or weekly newspaper. This is true

under ordinary circumstances, but we find that when you have a

real "strong" title it pays to place conservative "test" ads in

the newspaper in order to learn the results quickly. However one

must keep extensive records in order to compare results and

determine if they may have a winner.

When tests indicate you have a winner, all that is left too do is

expand the advertising in the proper media and fill orders. It is

advisable to structure the price of your book so an offer will

stand an advertising expense of at least one-half of the selling

price. You need to spend this much for advertising in order to be

successful.

A 100% guarantee is a must in the book selling business. Not

everyone who purchases your book, regardless oh how "great" it

is, is going to benefit from it. There are always a few who will

want their money back. You must have a unique guarantee which

reassures them they haven't spent their money until they are

satisfied. This can be done in many different ways, such as

holding their checks for 30 days or longer before depositing

them.

For the author/self-publisher, selling by mail is really the only

way to go. The production costs are low because the value is in

the information, not necessary in the number of pages written.

Mail Order is one of the finest businesses ever for the little

guy who wants the opportunity to try for the big "bucks"! All

you have to do is test with just small expenditure, correct your

mistakes and let the business expand itself!

Action pictures used in your ads get fabulous results if handled

right. Especially productive are ideas showing your product in

action. Search out the drawings and pictures used in better ads

that run month after month to learn what effective copywriting is

all about, then use the same ideas for your comparative

publication.

If you are able to write a "self improvement' book or handbook

with very valuable information and at the same time make it

lively, witty and interesting, you could have the makings of a

million dollar winner. After your first tests prove reasonable,

determine if a more reasonable price structure will produce

better net profit through appealing to a large audience. When you

find it hitting real good, promote it in every way possible.

Send out several hundred copies to book reviewers to get

write-ups in as many publications as possible. Learn to deal with

the many small booksellers and bookstores, or cooperate with some

large distributors to get the books out through their normal

channels.

As you grow and progress, build up and maintain your name lists.

Make them available to other firms who wish to make offers to

proven buyers.

When you find the right combination (title, body and ad), a lot

of money can be made in a short time and it is a great thrill to

write and ad, test it, and see the money pouring in from your own

creative ability.

The large publishing companies use a shotgun approach, publishing

many titles when profiting from the few successful ones. They

can't begin to market effectively all the many books on their

list and try to sell your book through them is generally futile.

Do it yourself and control the entire operation. If it doesn't go

you can cut if off before heavy promotional expenditures bury

you. You remain flexible and diversified when you are your own

publisher.

Run some small classified advertisements in the Wall Street

Journal and other good publications, to get inquires. When enough

books are sold to more than cover the cost of the ads and

mailings, slowly, as the profits build up, run more and larger

ad. As sells prove your publications to be winners, you can run

full pages ads in national magazines, inviting direct orders with

a coupon included in the ads.

Remember, as you sit down to write, the information should be

about something in which you are knowledgeable and interested, or

something you have throughly reasearched. It must have some value

for the readers and they should benefit by having read it. If it

is not helpful to the reader and the benefits are not there,

sells cannot be sustained.

In summary, your book must fill a genuine need; the price

structure must be correct, there has to be a large or mass market

for the information in your book, your advertising must be

believeable, you must offer a strong guarantee, you must test

throughly before investing substantial amounts to promote and