5 Ways to Sell Your Digital Products

Do you create digital products?

For those who do, getting them into the hands of others is easier than ever. I have compiled a short list to show you just how easy it is to earn money from your products. Before I get to the list however, I will go over what digital products entail.
Firstly, digital products do not necessarily have to be eBooks. If it can be created on your computer or your smartphone, it can be sold as a digital product. Photography, eBooks, patterns, audio and video can all be created digitally. Plus, using your computer’s drawing program you can also create pictures and other works of art. The possibilities are endless, and the revenue potential is high.
Secondly, it is wrong to assume that you will make a sale the minute you put it online. As with any product or business, you have to let others know it is available. You must do some marketing, or you products will sit there gathering virtual dust. You can start within your circle of social media contacts, then branch outward.

Now for the fun part!

1. One of the best ways to sell your digital products is to upload the files to a platform such as Sellfy. They take a small fee (five percent) when a sale is made, and the rest is deposited into your PayPal account. The nice thing about this platform is you don’t have to wait for your funds.

Sellfy also lets you share your products via social networking links directly from your product page. Plus, you can easily embed a code they provide and paste it onto your website or blog.

2. Another way to sell your digital products is to open an Etsy Shop. The files are uploaded and automatically sent to buyers once payment has been cleared. I have sold several of my crochet patterns this way. There are thousands of shops selling everything from patterns to eBooks to printable pages for journals, calendars, planners and papercrafts. Quality images are also sold, which gives the buyer the rights to use them in their own projects or print them to display. When selling images, it is wise to include a policy which explains where the images can be used. Not all images have the same rights, so be sure you are clear.

3. Selling directly from your blog or website is also an option. Using a payment processor such as PayPal works, or you can integrate a shopping cart. I find linking to my Etsy Shop or directly to my products in other platforms works best, as shoppers have an opportunity to see what else is available. Plus, it cuts down on the time you will need to manage orders. Why spend time on the administrative tasks when you could be creating instead? Yes, there is always some bookwork to be done, but let another platform take care of the order processing. That is essential when you are unable to be at your computer full time because of other commitments.

4. If you have created eBooks, selling them on Amazon will put you in front of a global market, should you choose to be. Yes, there is a lot of competition out there, but by producing a quality product that will educate or entertain others, there is great potential. The nice thing about Amazon is they have a POD (print on demand) service through CreateSpace, which allows shoppers to purchase a print copy of your book. Here again, it is a global market.

5. Another option for eBooks is Kobo. They also reach a global market, so your books can be purchased almost anywhere in the world. Once again, a quality product is necessary if you want to earn royalties. I do believe they have also partnered with a POD company, but at this point I do not know which it is.

As you can see, getting your digital products into the hands of others is relatively simple because there are so many options. The main thing to remember is to produce a quality product, be clear about how the products can be used, do your marketing and provide customer service. If there is an issue, try to resolve it as quickly as possible.

The digital age is here, so why not cash in on it?

Camp NaNoWriMo is Here Again

I wasn't going to do it this summer, but then I figured "why not?".

I registered for Camp NaNoWriMo, and have committed to 10,000 words written in July. Instead of tackling a novel this time around, I am going to work on a collection of short stories. The tentative title of the collection is Wandering Minds. Earlier this week I jotted down over twenty ideas for stories, which will give me a good starting point.

I have always had more trouble with short stories, but after changing my way of thinking it is getting easier to write them. I like to include details in my stories, which makes a novel ideal. I have a lot of opportunity to paint a picture (with words) of what I am seeing in my head in a novel. With a short story, I have to limit the details while still getting the point across.

By registering for Camp NaNoWriMo I am hoping to explore some genres I don't usually write in. Plus, I enjoy "meeting" new people via the cabin assignments. It is always nice to have the encouragement from others as the days go by, and the word counts increase. Last summer our cabin exceeded its word count by tens of thousands, if I recall correctly.

If you are a writer or are considering exploring the writing world, why not give it a shot? By setting a 10,000 word goal, it will help motivate you yet not feel overwhelming. My first novel was written during NaNoWriMo, which had a minimum word count of 50,000. For a first-time fiction writer, that was a challenge for me. I could easily write non-fiction, and at that point had already self-published a few titles. Fiction was a whole new world for me, but as I wrote I found it easier. The best part was, I have since written a second book in the series, and am working on the third.

I do have to say, I am stuck on the third. Losing my dad suddenly almost two years ago has made that particular story a difficult one to write. I know the best thing to do is to just get back to it, but I know it will be an emotional one to do. My personal goal is to get it finished before November. It will mean going back and reading the first two novels in the series and the first 27,000 words of the third, but I have to keep going.

Have you ever participated in Camp NaNoWriMo or NaNoWriMo? If so, did you meet your goal? If not, are you willing to try? To register, visit.http://campnanowrimo.org/ You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadians!

Generating Story Ideas

Although my first few posts on this blog have been about alpacas, I’m going to switch direction just a little today. For those who know me or have read the first post, I am more than just an alpaca owner.

Writing is a big part of my life as well. I try to write every day – whether it be an article, a short story or in my personal journal. It is while writing in the latter that I come up with many ideas for articles, eBooks or novellas. My writing interests are as varied as the rest of me, but for the most part I like to share what I have learned with others.

I stepped out of my comfort zone in November 2012 when I registered for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). I honestly had no idea which direction my writing was going to take, especially since I had never attempted fiction before then. My articles and other published works had all been nonfiction.

In a sense, the alpacas were my inspiration for the story. Once I had the basic idea, I let the words flow without knowing where the story would take me. I was, as is known in the literary world, a pantser. No plot; no outline – just write. The Hidden Estate was born.

The second book was a little easier for me to write, and I took the time to do some outlining. I knew where I wanted the story to go. I cannot say so much for the third in the series. I was well on my way to getting the first draft written, and then my dad passed away suddenly on July 31, 2014. I was a mess inside and out, and anything to do with writing was simply not happening. It wasn’t until several months later that I attempted it again, and added about 20,000 words to the manuscript. I was stuck again, and set it aside.

My job as a library assistant has been good for me, and I recently had a patron come up to me and compliment me on my first two novels. She asked when the next one was going to be out, and I admitted to her I was very stuck and had set it aside. Talking to her has given me the push I needed to move forward with it. Perhaps by the end of the summer I will have the first draft finished.

Now, to get back on track. Story ideas can be all around us; sometimes we just have to know where to look. Last summer I entered a short story contest put on by Polar Expressions Publishing (no entry fee, and no more than 750 words). The two biggest challenges for me were 1) a story idea, and 2) keeping it within the word count parameters. I came up with the story idea while we were camping one weekend; and I wasn’t thinking about it at the time. Surroundings play a big part in where our minds take us, and as writers we have to be open to new ideas. Mystery on the Lake was written, entered and made it into the book Wherever We Roam, which meant I made the cut. I didn’t get any cash prize or honourable mention, but making it into the book was good enough for me.

In order to come up with story ideas, you just need to be open-minded. Keeping a notebook close by (or utilizing the notepad app on your phone) is ideal for jotting down ideas when they present themselves. You do not need to have an entire plot in your head; that can come later. Brainstorming is one way to get a list started. It doesn’t mean you have to write a story about everything you think of, but it gives you a good base.

Some things to consider are:

1.       Life events

2.       Interests

3.       Places you’ve been

4.       Places you want to go

5.       Observing others

6.       Reading

7.       Watching the news

8.       Taking a walk

9.       Going for a drive in the country

10.   Careers others have

11.   Careers you have pursued

12.   Volunteer work

13.   Where you live

14.   Museums

15.   National parks

What has the above listed prompted you to think about? Do you see a mystery in the future, or perhaps historical fiction? Use one sheet of paper for each number and write down as many possibilities as you can think of. You may find yourself even plotting out a story, and that’s alright.

Has the list above given you any ideas? Comment below, without revealing your secrets.