1. They seem like they take FOREVER to write. If I remember correctly, it took me almost 6 weeks to crank out the sales copy for Desperate Buyers Only. It normally takes around 2 weeks before I feel like a sales letter is ready for human visual consumption.
2. Once you spend all that time perfecting the sales letter, there’s no guarantee of sales. And after 2+ weeks of working on a single piece of sales copy, you’re going to feel a wee bit crappy if sales are slow.
3. Certain groups of people hate long sales letters. I’ve actually had a couple of affiliates e-mail me to say that they won’t promote DBO because the sales copy is too long.
4. Every so often I get a random e-mail from some fruit cake who scolds me about me overly promotional ways. No doubt, they’re referring to my sales copy.

But in spite of all the reasons I just gave, I see my own future filled with lots more long detailed sales letters. And for one good reason… they produce sales.

And I think what most naysayers forget is that sales copy is A LOT more than mere words on a page.

Long sales copy is the equivalent of me (the salesperson) selling you (the buyer) a $2K dress by telling you how another customer got her fiance to marry her while wearing said dress. Long sales copy is me fixing the dress on you… clasping a necklace around your neck and handing you the perfect mini clutch so you can get the full effect.

You ever go into one of those home goods stores (like Bed, Bath and Beyond here in the States) and get stuck sitting on one of those massage chairs? Long sales copy is having the test massager constantly running on a chair.

Long sales copy is Ikea’s children’s play area. Parents drop off their kids before they start shopping, allowing them the time to shop longer.

Short Copy is a Ticking Time Bomb for Disaster

If you let a desperate buyer leave your site, they’re probably NOT going to come back. Why? Because they’re desperate for a solution. They want answers now.

You can’t be stingy with your sales copy when people want answers AND they’re in a position to buy your product right there and then.

You have to answer all of their questions. You have to make them feel like you identify with their situation. You have to show them the end result of using your information. You have to make them feel comfortable about buying from you – a complete and total stranger.

And that doesn’t happen in 5-6 paragraphs. Period.

So even if you’re cussing the technique, suck it up, and keep on writing. The career you save by being a little chatty just might be your own.

Like the paparazzi to Britney Spears, my blogs seem to attract the dregs of the Spammerhood.

Once I forgot to check my comments here for a week, and I’d accumulated so much spam that my browser froze up every time I tried to delete it.

Being the non-technogeek that I am, I had to do a Google search to find out how to delete the spam through the database, blah, blah, blah.

It was an un-frickin-believable pain in the arse.

But I recently started using a plugin called WP-SpamFree. And let me tell you… it’s better than Akismet (which is probably the most popular Wordpress spam prevention plugin, but a hassle because you have to get an API key, etc).

Not ONE single piece of spam has made it past WP-SpamFree since I started using it 3 weeks ago. WooHoo!

If you’ve got a blog spam problem, this is THE solution.

Whether you’re writing an ebook, formatting it, or trying to get the word out, this list of resources will provide you with a launch pad. If you know of an additional resource that should be listed here, e-mail me (travelwithme AT gmail DOT com).

Locating Experts

Absolute Write: List Your Specialist Subjects
A fantastic list of people who are experts on a variety of topics. Good for browsing if you’re looking for an ebook topic.

Yearbook of Experts, Authorities and Spokespersons
You can search for experts in any of dozens of categories. A good resource because these experts are seeking the free publicity and normally respond quickly.

GuestFinder
Find experts to interview on a variety of subjects.

Kasamba (soon to be LivePerson)
They have over 30,000 experts who will chat with you on a variety of topics. Fee’s start at $1.50 a minute and up. And experts are reviewed.

Improve Your Writing Skills

Visual Thesaurus
An interactive and visual dictionary/thesaurus that creates awesome word maps. I love this one.

Daily Writing Tips
Find simple, yet effective writing tips.

CVisual.com List of Active Verbs
Active verbs add excitement to your writing. Print this PDF out and keep in on your desk.

Key Action Verb List
This one features verbs normally used on a resume. Good for business orientated writing.

Improve Your Writing With These Editing Skills
A nice list of editing tips.

50 Tools that can Improve your Writing Skills
50 Great tips culled from the Poynter Online.

Hire a Ghostwriter

Elance
One of the most popular site for hiring ghostwriters and freelancers.

AbsoluteWrite: Writers Wanted – Paying Markets
A forum where you can list paid opportunities for writers.

Rent A Ghostwriter
You post your project and wait for freelance ghostwriters to bid on your job. Over 750 writers are listed here.

Hire a Ghostwriter
Similar system as Rent a Ghostwriter.

Get A Freelancer
Post your writing jobs here.

Hire an Editor/Proofreader

EditAvenue.com
You choose an editor based on their qualifications and reviews. I’ve happily used this service on a few occasions.

Editors’ Association of Canada
Search for Canadian-based editors according to genre.

Editorial Freelancers Association Directory
Search for editors according to their specialization.

Ebook Cover Designers and Images

Killer Covers
I’ve used this service and have been very pleased with the results.

eCoverArtist
They do ebook cover designs, virtual box covers, CD covers, membership cards, etc.

Nitro Covers
They create 3D ebook covers and website headers.

Cover Action Pro
A software program that enables you to create your own ebook covers.

iStockPhoto
An excellent (and inexpensive) site where you can find graphics for your ebook.

Flickr
You can find free images here. But be sure to read the following tutorial…

A Complete Guide to Finding and Using Incredible Flickr Images
Skellie has created the end all/be all guide for using Flickr images.

Tools to Help You Format Your Ebook

Create Adobe PDF
Instead of shelling out $200+ for the desktop program, Adobe has this $10 a month version. However it’s only available in the US and Canada.

CutePDF
They have a free program that allows you to format your files as PDFs. They also have a $49.95 program that gives you more features.

VeryPDF
They also have a free PDF writer and a $29.95 version with additional features.

Camtasia Studio
Create online video tutorials using Camtasia.

eBook Pro
Create viral ebooks (ebooks that people pass on to others) and get paid, using eBook Pro. The Internet Marketing Center (publishers of this program) have been around for over a decade.

eBookGold
Create ebooks with audio, video, and more.

Digital Text Platform
Publish your ebooks in Amazon.com’s new Kindle bookstore.

Ebook File Creation From HTML
Learn how to format your ebooks for ebook readers, PDAs and smart phones.

iPod eBook Maker
Easily converts .txt and .html files to ebook files for the iPod, iPod Mini and iPod Nano.

Process Payments Without Having a Merchant Account

PayPal
Hands down the most popular payment processor on the Internet. They charge 2.9% + .30 per transaction. And you have immediate access to your funds if you use your PayPal debit card. (Please check out The Paypal Lockdown post to read about my experiences with them.)

Google Checkout
Open to US and UK residents only. They charge 2% + .20 per transaction. If you spend on AdWords all sales up to 10 times your AdWords spend are free. I am very happy Google Checkout user.

2Checkout
There’s a $49 set-up fee, plus they charge 5.5% + .45 per transaction. Several readers of this blog have e-mailed me regarding the positive experiences they’ve had with 2CO.

Clickbank
There’s a $49.95 set-up fee, plus they charge 7.5% + $1 per transaction. They’ve been around a long time – very reliable.

Ebook Delivery Systems

E-Junkie
They will lead your buyers to a download page, send them a thank you e-mail, and allow you to have an affiliate program. Prices start at $5 a month. And the service works with PayPal, Google Checkout, 2Checkout, Authorize.Net and Clickbank. I LOVE this service!

PayDotCom
I’ve been using them for a couple of years now, and I’m happy with the service. However they only integrate with PayPal and they don’t have as many features as E-Junkie.

PayLoadz
The first month is free. Then they have a tiered payment system based on the amount of sales you make each month. For example, if you make $1K in sales every month, you’ll be charged $70. The service works with PayPal, Google Checkout and 2Checkout.

WAHMCart
$1 for a 14-day trial period, then it’s $29.95 a month. They have a complete shopping cart system allowing you to have an affiliate program, custom thank you pages, recurring billing, split-run ad tracking, unlimited autoresponders and more.

1ShoppingCart
Try it out for 30 days, only $3.95. They’ve been servicing ebook authors for at least a decade. I suggest the Professional Package for $99 a month. You’ll find that it has a ton of features.

Publicity/Marketing Services and Products

Book Video Trailers
For $150 they’ll create a video trailer for you ebook, and submit the trailer to a number of video sites.

Authors Tour the World With Virtual Book Tour
Print book author Cheryl Kaye Tardif gives tips on conducting a virtual book tour. The advice is also useful for ebook authors.

Virtual Book Tour System
A complete system created by popular Internet marketing expert Alex Mandossian.

What Can a Teleseminar Do For You?
An audio product by Alex Mandossian.

Press Release Pros
Get your press release written and distributed by former award winning TV reporter, Glenn Selig.

Booklocker
They carry ebooks on a variety of topics. And they’ve been around for many years.

Wordpress Tutorials
Sherman Hu is a friend and Alexis Dawes blog reader. If you’re going to build a blog to promote your ebook, and you don’t know where to begin, this is an excellent site to check out.

Other Ebook Publishing Experts

Jeff Smith’s Higher Trust Marketing Blog
Jeff Smith has been around a LONG time, and he knows what he’s talking about.

Joe Wikert’s Publishing 2020 Blog
Joe is the Vice President and Executive Publisher in the Professional/Trade division of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. He focuses on the future of book publishing.

Bill Myers
Bill is an old school direct marketing pro, turned infoproduct creator. Although he doesn’t technically focus on ebooks, a lot of his advice is valid for ebook authors.

Self Publishing eBooks Blog
Quick tips for publishing and marketing your ebooks.