How do you validate an e-book and launch fast?

[Foolness]

I admit I haven't tried learning SEO/landing pag/e-commerce/web design/gathering e-mail lists to the point that I know how to implement them. The road block has always been knowing the initial cost (which I don't know how to calculate) and lacking that one product that I could sell online to test the market place.

With that said, I know it requires offering free chapters, updating blogs and gathering e-mail lists but I just don't understand the initial marketing hook.

1. Why would someone click on a landing page for an unfinished e-book?

2. How do you do a proper book launch?

3. How do you balance the cost for improving the book versus the monthly costs for websites, video production and ads especially when on a tight budget.

Most of these would not be a problem if the book is finished and correct me if I am wrong but it would not be different from regular product marketing but I always hear launch fast and I have zero idea how to generate hype.

 

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[Gale4rc]

Write an article about the topic your ebook will be about
Distribute article
Gauge likeness by shares
Rinse & repeat until you find something that performs outside the norm.

 

[Foolness]

Thanks. How do you plan to go about distributing the article without any list building? Enough so that it gains enough views.

Also could you refer me to the original article that led to Fastlane Millionaire?

 

[Gale4rc]

Thanks. How do you plan to go about distributing the article without any list building? Enough so that it gains enough views.

Also could you refer me to the original article that led to Fastlane Millionaire?

I don't think there was one for Fastlane.

The marketing landscape is consistently changing though. Just like how people used to build business plans and then execute them. Today the new method is building an idea and pivoting based off your customer needs.

The problem with a business plan (or a novel you just write with your head down): Is that you're assuming everything you're going to build/create is going to be exactly what the customer wants.

The realization: We're wrong most of the time but, we can learn what we're wrong about before fully committing to it and then build something good off actual data suggesting what's right.

The basic idea is starting to spread across all industries: Start as small as possible and pivot into something bigger based off actual data you can get that proves your assumptions right.

The guy who wrote this book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591847389/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20 Used the strategy I just told you.

ps he also wrote http://www.amazon.com/Trust-Me-Lying-Confessions-Manipulator/dp/1591846285/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414524692&sr=1-1&keywords=trust me im lying which you may of heard of.

You can distribute the article to the appropriate places where your potential audience is. That could be a number of things.... You should identify where they spend there time online and aim to get the article in those places.

 

[Foolness]

Thanks. Yeah Trust Me is quite a classic.

 

[PeeVee]

Check into: The Launch (kindle or hardcopy). Anyone launching new products should follow this blueprint. Once I read it I started to notice that a lot of very successful people were using these techniques and everyone else was feeling their way along.

 

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[OverByte]

Check into: The Launch (kindle or hardcopy). Anyone launching new products should follow this blueprint. Once I read it I started to notice that a lot of very successful people were using these techniques and everyone else was feeling their way along.

Can you provide a link or author of "The Launch"? I found a few that could be what you are referring to.

Thanks.

 

[PeeVee]

Can you provide a link or author of "The Launch"? I found a few that could be what you are referring to.

Thanks.

It's actually titled Launch and the author is Jeff Walker

 

[EricZ]

Here's your answer -- Do this!
http://okdork.com/2014/02/17/hit-1-amazons-bestseller-list/

And then I highly recommend John Locke's book "how I sold 1 million Ebooks..."
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056BMK6K/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20
-Achtung!- yes that's an affiliate link of mine...

Here is an even shorter and "knackiger" version:
http://ittybiz.com/shhh-how-to-launch/


Basically you do what gale4rc said above,
START in the forums, like goodreads, find out what resonates in the forums and your blogs.
Gather followers and BETA-READERS who will help you actually write the book. These then get a free copy of it on launch.
The beta-readers then give you reviews in amazon...
You leverage Twitter (a la John Locke's technique) - create buzz etc. and drive people to your blog.
YOU MUST CREATE GENUINE friendships with your readers and twitter followers.

This is a very basic "in a nutshell" recipe, read the articles above and John Locke's book - it's only 2.99! And you will be on the way.

I actually want to start a new thread about BUSINESS VALIDATION. That's what it's all about, finding out what people actually want that you can make.
THE RIGHT SEED according to MJ.

Here is for example my landing page for my first line of books:
www.zbooks.co (not .com)
Please let me know what you think about my first try!

I am actually mentoring three people right now about the process, but I think I'd better launch my own and make a million first don't you?

 

[Foolness]

Holy cow! I lost connection to the web and what a welcome surprise.

 

[OverByte]

Here is for example my landing page for my first line of books:
www.zbooks.co (not .com)
Please let me know what you think about my first try!

Hey Eric,

Some hopefully helpful feedback on your landing page. I thought the story was excellent and a good way to pull people in and let them now why they should buy your books, nice work. However, I would replace the pic in the airplane with the navy seal cover. I realize the pic is you and your son and that's cool and all but the pic is obviously not professionally taken which is fine for your desk but is it the first pic you want your prospects to see? The flash reflecting on the paint, the contrast with the background of the site, etc I find it very visually unappealing. Obviously just my opinion but it's something to think about.

 

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[EricZ]

Thank you so much,
that is valuable feedback indeed!
I'll have to think about another way to incorporate the pic,hmm....
Thanks!

BTW there are some excellent threads from users who are fastlaning with Ebooks!

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/my-take-on-self-publishing.49869/
and
https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/hello-from-denver-self-publishing-success.46006/