Sara Lancaster here. Thanks for visiting the No. 2 Pen blog where I share examples of business websites with sharp website content.
Why You Should Not Charge for Your Business eBook
Should a business ebook cost $3? What about $19? $59?
Some say that businesses should charge for an ebook, because a price tag adds a layer of perceived value to the product. Others argue a price tag only stops the spread of a message. At No. 2 Pen, we recommend that our business clients NOT charge for a PDF ebook. There are exceptions to this “no-charge” rule, but we’ll get into that later. For now, here are the reasons your business should not charge:
• While you are demanding money, your competitors are giving the information away for free.
• Generosity is usually reciprocated (you do something nice and others will do the same for you).
• When you charge, you put the brakes on word of mouth marketing. Something that requires a credit card won’t go viral.
• If you put a GREAT offer for your product or service within the ebook, you can make more money on that sale. Should you sell an ebook only to turnaround and sell your goods within that ebook?
There are some situations where it’s perfectly acceptable to charge readers to download your business ebook. For example, if there are no marketing messages within your ebook, or if it contains information that cannot be found anywhere else (e.g., you are publishing the results of your company’s five-year study), then charging for the book may make sense. It might also make sense if you create a hard copy version of your book. Since there are hard costs associated (production, shipping, etc.), those expenses should be covered.
Bottom line: Create your business ebook for the love of the message. If you impress your readers with your wits, they’ll remember you and come back to buy what you’re really selling.
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Want to learn more about ebook writing for your business? Read some of our other posts.
55 Ebook Topics for Your Business
The No. 2 Pen is a full-service writing and communications company. Contact us to discuss your writing projects and editing needs.
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