I got a kick out of this one – I thought it deserved its own post. I came home today to find this comment was awaiting approval, it’s in the Amazonian Profit Plan review post – from Dave.

In case you don’t know Dave on a first-name basis, that makes two of us, but I do know when Yolanda (of http://paidinpassive.com and formerly of http://flippachick.com) – Yolanda who was kind enough to do my first interview here – also mentioned this very same “Dave”…well I knew precisely who she was talking about. Read what she said about the Amazonian Profit Plan review.

I want to go all Fox News on this and be “fair and balanced” since I HIGHLY respect this guy – seriously, his blog is what I hope this one will become one day. Having said that, he’s got the HUGEST post on Amazon, he and his “significant other” (who sounds like she kicks his butt online if you read his blog) – regularly make a mad killing on Amazon, etc.

( Well. I take them at their word – why wouldn’t I? )

If you haven’t noticed, when you go to his post on Amazon, he asks you to either donate or shop Amazon through his link – which is where I got the idea to put a “support this blog, shop Amazon through this link” in that hideous blue “click here and shop please” button (and coupon links) in the top right of the blog.

Yeah. This guy’s affected my thinking.

I gave a positive review of the Amazonian Profit Plan, and like everything online I have an affiliate link for it (I generally promote what I like, go figure) – at this point I have an affiliate link for my kids, my wife, everything except my dog.

But here’s where we differ: I don’t see an issue with e-books. Of course, I have only read TWO of them, so I have a high sales resistance.

BUT

Yolanda in her comment mentioned that this ebook, the Amazonian Profit Plan, was meant for newbies in her view – I said that I think that depends on the person. I’m not being modest when I say that Yolanda’s a sharp cookie, and has more experience than I do.

Dave has more experience at this IM thing than either of us.

Yolanda has my respect, even though I do differ with her on this point of whether or not the Amazonian Profit Plan is a waste of money. It’s your investment – and it is $97 – don’t spend it unless you have it.

Personally, I still think it’s a wise investment. Before you buy the book, though, I would hope that you do your due diligence and check out Dave’s crazy long 13k word post on Amazon, and read other blogs, such as Paula and Wanda’s blog (they wrote the book).

It’s definitive. Follow this link for Dave’s How To Make Money With Amazon: An Affiliate Marketing Guide post.

Just for the record – I LOVE that he bothered with commenting, even if it means I won’t sell as many of these books as I can – I’m OK with that.

I want this blog to be profitable – I’ve said that from my “disclaimer” up until now – but what I do not EVER want to do is be the sort of snake oil vendor marketer that makes my stomach turn.

Read Dave’s blog – he’s got a wealth of information there. I think he and I are closer on the issue of what makes our stomach turn (read my “Welcome” and “About” pages): neither of us like the dime-a-dozen IMers that are smarmy sorts nickel and diming here and there – for a crappy PLR spun e-book chock full of yesterday’s digested EzineArticle spun to be “unique.”

I am not “that guy” who wants to cajole you into a sale. I do not want you to buy something unless I actually think it’s worth it – and again, this is where I differ from Dave and Yolanda on this e-book.

Here’s what Dave said on the matter:

Just following the link love ;)

Well, I think I better stay out of this one James. I haven’t read the book so don’t know what it contains.

I don’t have a downer on ebooks in total, just the simple fact that most MMO [Make Money Online] ones are designed to take money from those new to the game who should probably save their money.

If any noob reads Grizz’s blog from start to end then they don’t need anything else, heck even mine has some nuggets buried deep. The whole reason I made my Amazon guide was because it was exactly what I would have liked to have read when I was starting out.

Sure it is great to have a definite plan and if that Amazonian guide you bought does that then I am sure it will have paid for itself quickly. Some people simply like a very focused plan to follow, I know. But give me $100 and I will tell you how to make that back in a couple of days.

All I am really about is telling the folks they don’t need to pay for information to succeed. Personally I would spend that $97 on a massive packet of links from Backlinks Philippines and send them to 5 Hubs for some kick ass keywords.

Oh, bugger, there I go again, I just said I wanted $100 for that information.

Anyway, don’t want to disrupt your sales my man, if people want a strict plan to follow then maybe it is the book for them. But that price is asking a lot and I would expect some kick ass advice in it.

Am I the biggest idiot online for posting this? Maybe – But it’s more important to me that you understand where I’m coming from:

I want to give you the best info out there – I don’t want to “take advantage” of you for a moment.

Maybe getting this ebook is right for you and maybe not. I don’t regret getting it myself, and I would rather pay for information to make a profit than pay for backlinks if I feel it necessary – I have the tools to get my own links (and funny he mentioned Backlinks Philippines – they did good work for me, I’ll follow up on those results soon).

What I do like is having this information in the Amazonian Profit Plan in front of me (which differs in content from Dave’s post, I’m glad I have both).

For you, the reader: you have to make your own mind up. I get excited about something, I write about it here. It isn’t meant as “fluff” (in reference to a recent post on Dave’s blog) – it’s just off the cuff.

Hear me out on this: I think Dave and his MMO advice, like Grizz and others, was spot on – but I don’t regret promoting the Amazonian Profit Plan e-book. I pay for information when I want to learn it quickly – rather than find it out over time, over years of experimenting, etc. – which is what this book (and Dave’s post) represent.

It’s information that is worth paying for, IMHO (so is Dave’s post – and you can, btw, there are links to donate to him or to buy through his Amazon link, which I thought was genius enough to copy).

Thanks to Yolanda and Dave for keepin’ it real. In answer to my own title – “Are EBooks A Waste Of Money?” I would say: it depends.

Sure, you can be in a glut of buying all the information on the planet and do nothing with it, or get your information for free from a guy like Dave or Grizz or Mike Iser, or Sara or Michelle (see my blogroll) – and still do nothing with it.

The information you paid for or the information you get for free means a hill of beans unless you take action. Why do I support these e-books (all two that I’ve ever mentioned)?

A) The information is good – and is what I’m doing firsthand. I’m not a peddler of e-books, I’m a happy customer.

B) I’m lazy. I want it all there, in one spot. I want it organized. Going to a blog in hopes to find information to make money with is hit or miss – just the size of Grizz’s blog is enough to make my head spin.

BUT

Sure it can be done. You can go to the Warrior Forum or Digital Point or wherever – or the blogs in my blog roll and others – and get the information you need to make money online, all for free.

Like I said, I’m lazy. It’s worth $97 to me.

Look, wherever you get your intel, do something with it. Do one thing and do it well. Then learn another and do that well. Or hit 5 different profit centers at once if you can.

It doesn’t matter to me if you pay for it or not – so long as you can afford to. The real question in my mind is, are you going to take action on it? I’ve bought two e-books for making money online, and only two.

The first was John XFactor’s book – it works. I learned how to install a website and do basic SEO from John. I learned article marketing from him…and I’ve been profiting from that one e-book, and will be posting soon about what I do differently to make more money using his system.

The second is this one, which (along with Dave’s post! No, not kiddin’) has changed my business direction:


Buy The Amazonian Profit Plan Here

Last, let me say that I do agree with Dave’s sentiment – that many of these e-books are geared for the newbie, and many of them are. And when I was new, and yes, new to Amazon – I was glad I found a great e-book that showed me the ropes.

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