Tips to Finding Digital Marketplace to Sell Your Digital Work

As far as electronic commerce (e-commerce) is concerned, there is no denying that the digital marketplace is the only marketplace that matters. These days, sales not only involve tangible merchandise. Services are not only limited to tasks or jobs rendered by professionals now we see that work has become digital that even the products themselves have become intangible.

Digital goods or digital work are often used to refer to more in-demand, non-tangible products. These may include computer games, software, e-books, digital music, and images. Also included in the list are the currently popular Photoshop documents (PSDs), Photoshop templates, Photoshop files, WordPress themes, WordPress plugins, stock photos, and other applications.

It can be a real challenge to find the right and most effective online marketplace to sell digital work. There are many options available, which can be to the disadvantage as well as to the advantage of modern online entrepreneurs and software/program/content developers. Here are some ideas to get anyone started.

Partnering with a digital marketplace

It would be advantageous for anyone to have digital content that is intended to be sold. However, it could be very difficult to promote/market as well as sell it. A person who has digital content to sell should carefully select the venues where he would put up or market it. The decision should consider several important factors like demographics, demand, and competition.

It is always ideal to do ample research before finalizing any decision. One's chosen digital marketplace should be based not just on commissions but also on fees, consumer reach, and track record. It is always safe and ideal to go with the more popular marketplaces but there would certainly be setbacks in terms of any or all the factors mentioned.

Promoting the digital content

Whichever marketplace is chosen and employed, it is always ideal to effectively promote and market the content. It is not enough that the marketplaces help sell the content. The owner/developer of the digital good should still continue to do his share in promoting and marketing his content/goods.

One can always use his own Websites or blogs to further promote his digital content. This is important even if the digital goods are already posted in any digital marketplace. The more and the better the sales pitches are, the bigger the chance of actually selling gets. Social media or social networks can still be used to promote and market not just the digital content but also (partly) the marketplace.

Julius "Jules" Mariano is a freelance search engine & social media marketing specialist. He is the co-founder of VPRO Digital Marketing. He currently writes for TotalBounty.com. Total Bounty a digital marketplace for buyers and sellers of HTML templates, WordPress themes and plugins, PSD files and graphics, ebooks, and more.

Visit their site and learn more about how to find the right digital marketplace for you to sell your digital works.

View the original article here

Finding The Right Niche For Your Online Business Is More Common Sense Than Inspiration

Finding the right niche for your online business is often regarded as being a little like the search for the holy grail. Many thousands of words have been written about how to unearth previously undiscovered niches, micro niches, where there is little or no competition and some would have you believe that all you have to do is find one of these hidden treasures and you will soon be banking large amounts daily.

However the reality is that the real answer is there for all to see, if you just make a study of people's day to day spending habits. Use a few basic rules as your guide. Look for an area which contains a large number of people who are passionate about their interest, hobby or recreation. Then find the areas within that where people have disposable income. This could be young people living with parents or retired people on good pensions. Think about those areas where people have their own jargon. You can find this out by watching the popular TV programmes that your target group are addicted to. Many television series develop an almost cult status for their followers. Another clue is the magazines that your target group buy. A visit to any good local newspaper store or a look a site like magazines.com can turn up some very interesting and possibly previously unrecognised areas to investigate. If you can, get hold of a copy of BRAD from your local library. This is the major reference book for the newspaper and magazine industry, giving as it does advertising rates for UK print publications. Although you are not interested in advertising rates, nonetheless you may again come across publications that you had not thought of and this could be the source of some very good ideas.

Do your target audience hold their own conferences? It is well worth looking on the search engines for exhibitions, conferences and other events. Many of these events have their own blogs where they show pictures of the latest event and you can find useful information from these such as demographic, composition of the audience (single or family) and the number of attendees. It is also worth noting that some of these events can be worth attending yourself to sell your products. Although you may not sell a great deal at such an event, it can be an invaluable source of market intelligence as you talk to your customers. Lastly, look on social media sites to see who your target group's favourite celebrities are. They can often inspire fashion themes which their followers want to copy. Finding the right niche is not so much a matter of "ferreting out" undiscovered areas as common sense detective work.

Peter Robson is an accountant with over 30 years experience in the small company sector. With his business partner, Debbie Crossley he runs a company helping people set up and run e-commerce businesses. For more information go to http://www.yournichebusiness.co.uk/

View the original article here

15 Tips for Finding Someone to Write Your eBook

So you've decided to get into the internet marketing business. And of course, you've decided that you need an eBook in order to drive your opt-in page. Or maybe you've been hearing about the Kindle and Amazon. And you've decided to make a quick couple of bucks by putting your own book up. Or maybe you have a company and want to encourage pre-qualified customers to call.

There's only one problem -- you can't write! So what can you do?

One of the best techniques is to hire a ghostwriter to write your book for you. But hiring a ghostwriter for the first time can be a scary proposition. In this article, I'm going to give you fifteen tips to help you negotiate the moors and actually produce a useful book. Before you start, I want to qualify my article somewhat. We're talking about a high quality book that you can be proud of producing. There is a world of difference between a proper book (eBook or print) and a ten-page report.

So given that caveat:

1. Don't use same person you would use to produce search engine marketing articles. SEO articles are articles you use for article marketing or blog marketing. Their purpose is to drive traffic to your site. The current price you pay for a 500-word article marketing or SEO article precludes quality.

2. Know what you want before you go out looking. There is a big difference between a 25-page PLR quality book, a 200 page executive book, and a four hundred page textbook.

3. Know what style you want. There is a difference between formal, informal, and "try to sound like me". While most ghostwriters can switch between formal and informal, imitating your speech patterns can be difficult.

4. Know what rights you really want and need. The more rights, the higher the cost will be. Although it's not as straight forward as in traditional publishing, since ghostwriters typically sell all rights. For example, will their name be on the eBook or just yours? Can they use the book for their own promotion? Can they disclose that they wrote the book or is it a secret?

5. Be clear & upfront with all ghostwriters about your requirements. You're more likely to get what you want without later arguments. Remember that these people are freelance contractors. Copyright laws favor them as the creator.

6. If you know someone who has used a ghostwriter, ask him or her for a recommendation.

7. Do a web search (in other words a Google search) for ghostwriters, or use a Writers' Union or Guild to find professionals.

8. Try using Kijiji or Craigslist. However, be very clear with your ad as to what your expectations are.

9. Do not use freelancing websites such as eLance or Guru or similar. They tend to focus on lower priced talent. Save these for article marketing writers and similar quality products.

10. Ask for samples of previous work (ghostwritten or otherwise). If possible, these use the same type of style as you are looking for.

11. Check for spelling mistakes & grammar mistakes. Some mistakes on a website are for SEO reasons. However, most writers hate spelling and grammar mistakes. Books and commercial articles should have no spelling errors and few grammatical errors.

12. Look for a native speaking writer. Someone from China or India might be able to write sufficiently for an SEO article. However, a real eBook or a book is another issue.

13. Pay as you go (progress bill) or use an escrow service. For example, 10% on acceptance, 10% on outline, 10% after each chapter (presuming eight chapters). If you pay up front, there is always the chance that your writer will disappear with your money. Just one more reason to deal with a professional ghostwriter.

14. Be prepared to pay from $5,000 to $10,000 or more, for a quality eBook. Professional ghostwriters charge anywhere from 20 cents to $1.00 a word or more. So prices can spiral quickly. Don't forget to set a budget and be prepared to negotiate your expectations. Don't forget to include the cost of editing, reformatting, and graphic design in your budget.

15. You get what you pay for.

Do you want to learn how to write a book in 24 hours? Take my brand new free course here: http://www.learningcreators.com/

Do you want to read more free information like this? Go to my blog: http://www.learningcreators.com/blog/

Glen Ford is an accomplished consultant, trainer and writer. He has far too many years experience as a trainer and facilitator to willingly admit.

View the original article here

Finding Cheap Ways to Get Firewood

If you're like me you love building outdoor fires often, however it can get quite expensive if you have to buy your own firewood or other fuel sources to build these fires. Nonetheless there are simple ways that you can get cheap firewood and all you need are the proper tools and time. Some cheap ways to acquire firewood are to use trees on your own property, trees that are already down in the local area as well as finding logs thrown away in your local landfill. Below I will go in-depth on how these can be some cheap ways to have a great time with outdoor fires without taking too much out of your wallet.
The first way mentioned was acquiring firewood from trees on your own property. The first thing you have to do is check with your local laws and regulations on cutting trees to make sure you're not doing anything illegal or required to pay a fine later. Many times if there are restrictions all you have to do is file a permit which is usually cheaper than purchasing firewood. Once you've done that you're free to make your choice on which tree or trees you'd like to cut. Now I would only suggest felling your own tree if you have the proper training or experience or supervision from an arborist. If you do not have any of these qualifications listed above I would suggest hiring a professional. Now once the tree is down you should begin cutting the logs into smaller sections immediately.
Another way to acquire cheap firewood is to keep your eyes peeled when driving around for trees that are already down. Now when you find a tree that is down there a couple things you need to do such as asking for permission from the landowner, making sure the tree is not termite infested or rotting and finally in a place which you can work easily. You definitely want to ask the landowner's permission before you start removing the wood from the area as this can be a big liability and legal matter. Once you have permission from the owner you really want to make sure that the wood is not termite infested as you could bring that threat to your home which could cost you thousands of dollars in pest control and repairs in the future. You can easily tell if there are termites by looking at the wood and seeing if their small holes or tracks along the wood. If you can't tell from the outside try cutting a small section and looking at the inside of the wood and you'll be able to see small holes or voids in the wood which will give you a better idea if their termites are present. Rotting wood tends to be very soft and very easy to break through which is not a good choice of wood for you to use. Once you've made sure that the wood is good, cut it into manageable sections and load it into the back your truck for transportation. You can split the wood once you're at your own property.
Another good source for acquiring free firewood is your local landfill or yard waste dump. Many tree trimming and tree removal companies dump their wood at local landfills to dispose of them so all you have to do is call the landfill and see if you can pick them up. One warning to this is that many times once these companies drop off the wood the landfill will process the logs into mulch to get rid of the waste easier. All this means is that you have to go in earlier in the morning so that you can have your pick of the logs. This is a great way to get firewood that is usually already cut into smaller sections and as always make sure that the wood is not rotten or infested with bugs.
Once you've acquired all the logs that you need, start splitting them, stacking them and drying them out. You can refer to my other article entitled "How to dry firewood" also on this web site.

View the original article here