It`s about time I made a post about this particular topic because I feel that it`s really starting to get out of hand and far too many people are getting roped into this new craze and not realizing how damaging it actually is.
Before we get started let me just say if you have been a reader on my blog for any length of time you will notice that I don`t have time for any fluff or hype.
Today`s post will be no different, and although what I`m now going to share with you may not go down very well, and in fact you may not like what I`m going to tell you but I can assure you if you take on board what I tell you seriously and think logically about it, you will thank me further down the road.
So what are we talking about?
I`m talking about Kindle.
Over the last 12 months Kindle has become more and more popular and now Amazon allow people to publish there own digital books on Amazon so that they can be downloaded.
Your basically making money by creating digital books for kindle devices for amazon.
Let me tell you why doing this is a complete waste of your time and effort.
When it comes to creating a business online you need to be spending your time wisely and by that I mean spending your time on things which are actually helping to (build your business).
Things like:
- Creating more leads into your business
- Improving conversion rates
- Improving opt in rates
- Writing new follow up emails for your leads and customers.
- Creating new products
- Creating new content for your blog
- Creating new content for your subscribers
- Finding new affiliates
Spending your time on these types of tasks will be helping you to grow your business which will result in (progress) and these are the things which you should be focusing on all the time.
Even if your not at that stage yet, you should be learning how to create products and start learning how to use things such as Auto-Responders, how to create sales pages, OTO pages, sales funnels, and how to write good emails etc
Those are the type of skills which will actually help YOU to progress
Now…. let`s take a look at what you are doing when using kindle
- You are spending time trying to create an income on a platform which you have absolutely no control over what so ever.
- It does not matter which way you spin it, look at it, or say it, when you upload books to kindle you are running a massive risk and using a very risky and un-stable business model.
- Just think for a moment if you had lots of books on kindle which were ranking high and bringing you in some money each day and then suddenly…Boom, Amazon decide to disable your account.
How would you feel?
You would feel sick right after putting in all that hard work?
And it does happen believe me.
It doesn`t matter if you only have 1 book on kindle or 50, the fact is, you are wasting your time trying to build an income stream with a platform which you have no control over and also you can NEVER look at kindle as a business because you own NOTHING.
You also may be thinking:
“well I`m just using kindle to make a bit of extra cash”
That maybe true but you are still wasting your time because you still don`t own anything.
You are relying on Amazons own site to generate traffic to your books and get you sales so without Amazons platform you are up shit creak without a paddle.
When it comes to Kindle I see so many people just jump on the hype wagon because they think it`s the right thing to do just because everyone else is doing it. All you are doing is following the herd and the herd is always wrong.
The reason why so many people fail online at creating any income and achieving any good results is because they follow the herd and not spend there time actually building real assets such as a list of customers and products.
If you want results and want to see progress You need to do this one thing
Stop worrying about what everyone else is doing and focus on building your own business with a solid foundation
When you are just starting out the main priority is to start generating some cash online to not only prove to yourself that all this stuff works but you also want to build a bit of income so that you can then perhaps invest those profits into other areas.
This is all well and good but there are tonnes more better ways to generate an income online than using Kindle.
If you were to start building some affiliate sites or niche sites and either sell products or put adsense on it you would be in a far better position than you would be if you spent lots of time uploading ebooks to the Kindle publishing network.
At least with building affiliate sites you have the ability to brand your site, build a list, build long term traffic and create loyal readers. Not to mention the fact that YOU actually own the website. It`s in YOUR name and no one can take it away from YOU , and even if it gets de indexed (worse case scenario) it doesn`t matter because if you build traffic in lots of areas and build a following and loyal readers it won`t even effect you.
And you don`t even need to rely on any SEO either, making your chances of success almost a certainty. If you focus all your efforts on creating link bait, doing guest posts, leaving blog comments, building a social following on twitter, google +1, and facebook and generate traffic from those social platforms back to your blog using www.Rapportive.com you will never had to worry about SEO ever again.
You can even flip your affiliate site for a nice healthy profit once it starts making some income.
If your trying to generate some extra cash just to get you going then creating an affiliate site like this is a far better use of your time than wasting it on uploading ebooks to kindle.
In Summary
If you read my last blog post I talked about getting out of your comfort zone and getting yourself out there and start creating a product and a sales funnel. I also mentioned to you that the main reason why most people don`t do this is because of Fear. Fear of failure and the unknown.
When people start to Fear the unknown they end up just going back to what they were doing before or doing something simple. Going back to doing what they were before “where things make sense”
It`s far easier to just do the same as lots of other people because if lots of other people are doing it then surely it means it works right and it`s the best way to do things?. Errr… No!
It`s the blind leading the blind.
Most people fail online so why on earth would you want to follow what most other people do?
That just does not make sense.
If you really want to see lasting results then start focusing on “real business building tasks”
Other popular methods include Pinterest and Facebook and these are similar to Kindle where you don`t actually end up owning anything. They do have there place for building some brand awareness and some extra traffic and in fact are actually a lot more useful that Kindle is but you should still not ever rely on them for the bulk of your traffic or income.
I hope you can take something away from this information that I have shared with you and that you now realize what you must be doing in order to see real progress in building your own online business.
I would love to hear your feedback and comments on this.
Please hit the “like” “tweet” and “google+1″ button if you liked the post or if you feel the urge to give me a digg, do that too 
Thanks
Paul
I get what you’re saying when you’re calling Kindle a waste of time. It’s a whole new aspect that you’ll have to research and learn about, which would take a huge chunk of time. It’s like starting up a brand new business because it most likely has nothing to do with your original one.
Thanks for the post.
Paul,
I have to disagree with you… I don’t think Kindle is going anywhere soon, thus you will have nothing to worry about!
Cindy recently posted..3 Ways Get Him To Propose to You NOW!
Hi Cindy
Appreciate your view
It`s not so much that kindle is not going anywhere I too agree it`s not going anywhere as
far as I can see
All I am talking about is that you can`t look at kindle as a solid way to build your business
because there are far too many things you don`t have any control over
Paul
Hi Paul,
I don’t have a Kindle book up although I’m considering it. But I’m not following the logic of your post.
You say “Just think for a moment if you had lots of books on kindle which were ranking high and bringing you in some money each day and then suddenly…Boom, Amazon decide to disable your account.”
Well, what if you spend your time building Adsense sites and Google cancels your Adsense account? Or you build affiliate sites and the merchant kicks you out or goes bust? How are these models more stable than putting a book on Amazon?
And why is putting a book on Amazon more risky than building a list on Aweber or Get Response or whoever? Sure the list is yours but it’s kept on another site. Equally the book is yours and there’s nothing to stop you putting on several other sites or even selling from your own.
I agree with the basic premise not to follow the herd unthinkingly – but I think you’ve really missed the point as far as Kindle is concerned.
Hi Isobel
If you have a website you at least own the domain and its in your name
You have the ability to brand your site so that you can build type in traffic. When you start getting
type in traffic (like I do on this blog) you are effectively google proof
You also have the ability to build traffic in other areas which don`t rely on anything to do
with search engines as well, like social media, guest posting etc
With using kindle, there are simply far too many things that you have no direct control
over which = Very high risk income stream
I have taken my business away from adsense and amazon for those exact reasons as you say, but I still always recommend to people that adsense, amazon and clickbank are still great ways to start making an income online when first starting out
But by no means should you be spending too much time on them
Thanks for your comments and views, always appreciated
Paul
This is a though provoking article Paul. I’d have to agree with you for the most part, but not 100%.
Kindle is a powerful tool for authors. And if your business is writing, then you can’t afford to miss out on it. But as affiliate marketers, it really should only be an add on to your business, not the core. It isn’t as easy as putting the book on Amazon and sitting back. Amazon won’t promote it for you unless it sells, and it won’t sell unless it’s promoted. Guess who has to do the work? At least initially.
I imagine it will become easier for an author as their portfolio grows. They’ll have authority. And Google may help promote an author with existing sales of another book.
As tools to convert Word, OpenOffice, PDF, etc. to Kindle format become easier to use, you’ll probably find lots of people creating kindle books from the ebooks they already promote. Then it is simply another way to find fans and repurpose your content.
I’ve tested creating a book and marketing through the Kindle program. The main thing that I don’t like about it is that I can’t build my list directly. I don’t see who my customers are. But hopefully there will be some who follow the links in the book and end up on my list.
Bill (LoneWolf) Nickerson recently posted..The 3 Little Pigs for the Modern Age
Hi Bill
It has certainly stirred up some major debates over the last couple of days thats for sure
As you say you can`t build your list directly, but your list should be the foundation of your business
If you use kindle then as you say, you should only use it as an extra income source not rely on it
Thanks for your comment, take it easy
Paul
You make some good points Paul and the part about building your own business is (of course) really important.
If folk are uploading trash onto Kindle then that is plain daft. However, if you are writing quality products – either fiction or non-fiction, that have been well written and well researched, then I see no harm or danger in adding books to Amazon via Kindle.
I am writing a children’s book that is about two thirds complete and my plan is to publish this on Kindle initially.
Amazon wants to make money too – and if quality products are added to their database, there should be no reason for them to remove any material that meets their selection criteria.
How you then market yourself and your products is absolutely key and this is where your article makes a whole bunch of sense.
Bill
Bill Smith recently posted..Google’s Mid-Life Crisis – Waving or Drowning ?
Hey bill
Yeah, making sure you produce quality books is of course the priority
I hope it goes well for you and you make some extra income from it
Thanks for stopping by
Paul
You are right on the money about us needing a product and a sales funnel. But I think you might be missing the point with kindle. Yes, maybe it’s shortsighted to ONLY be doing the kindle thing, but I think it can be a kickass way of building a list!
Kindle may work when it comes to building your list, if someone has done this then
thats cool
But as mike said below, it`s a very hit or miss method with probably around 5% clearing
up while the other 95% fighting over the scraps
Thanks for the comment
Paul
Kindle is a bit like developing apps. Hit or miss. 5% making heaps and the rest fighting over the scraps.
Mike recently posted..Big Toe Joint Pain and Gout
Hey Mike
Yeah I can imagine
But something which most often over look
Thanks for stopping by mike
Paul
ooooohhhh I detect a hornets nest being stirred up.
I actually agree with you on one level and disagree on another.
Firstly yes you are right by publishing on amazon you do have very little control over what happens in the future, and Amazon could change the rules tomorrow. On that point we agree…
However, by creating a kindle book you do actually have a physical product that is an asset. If amazon closed my account tomorrow (i don’t publish on kindle but bear with me) It’s a simple task to convert that book in a physical book and list it on The Physical side of Amazon.
I could also send it to apple , and lots of the other digital publishing houses, i could even hire a voice talent and add it to audible.
I believe that this month Amazon sole more digital book s that physical books “For every 100 print books sold through the site, Amazon said it sold 114 titles for its Kindle e-reader device.” Thats a quote from the BBC. That indicates only 1 thing, digital media is the medium that most books will be delivered in and it will only grow.
Now onto the final point that i want to cover, You mention that people should be building leads, digital books (and even physical books) are the perfect way to do this. Almost every book I read has a link to the authors site, kindle should be no different and on that site there is almost always a newsletter you can sign up to to. In fact I’ve had 2 emails today from authors both of which I opened as I am interested in them and their books. The level of engagement with an author is higher than with almost any other type of business just from the nature of the product.
Now I feel a Blog Post coming on!
Mark Thompson recently posted..Internet Marketing – The New Wild West
Hey mark
Yeah i have really stirred things up haven`t I
I just remember when facebook first came out and everyone went crazy saying “make money with facebook, make money with facebook” then it was Kindle and recently Pinterest has been on the radar a lot more too
As soon as the novelty wears off it will be back to the drawing board
Time will tell though
Thanks for stopping by
Paul
Hi Paul,
Uff I was reading and nodding yes yes yes true true…
It is so easy to fall for the shiny things,but you made a good summary of the things that need to be in place in order to spend your time wisely. Kindle reminds me of the squidoo and hubpages era… I have seen that done that lesson learned. Great post!
Rob recently posted..Pinterest Versus Google Plus For The Marketer
Hey rob
Yeah I remember the squidoo craze too. Everyone went nuts creating niche sites on there and then pinging them like there was no tomorrow lol
They are all short lived ey
Thanks for stopping by
Paul
Paul,
Kudos for bringing this up. It’s been on my mind for months now, but I feared the backlash of speaking up about it. It’s so strange to watch entire communities clang around from one opportunity to the next.
In the end, so much of this is fad-based. Having made money from prior fads myself – only to watch them crash and burn – I’m staying FAR away from this one. I just wish my mind would let me settle on ONE path for the long term. But I keep seeing roadblocks even in the more stable potential business channels.
That which has been seen, cannot be unseen. And at times, I think I’ve just seen too much.
-Mike
Mike Long recently posted..Have an “Internet Marketing Business”? Take Those Words to Heart
Hey mike
I know hat you mean but I like to say things how they are
It`s a complete waste of time
The reason why you have NOT jumped on it is because you are a lot more experienced and you know it`s just another “fad” as you put it which I agree with and within maybe 12 months they will all be back to the drawing board looking at other ways to dodge building a “real online business” and just start working on another pointless time wasting income stream
One thing I didnt say in the blog post is that there are some people that are using kindle that are very successful but these guys already have successful businesses online and already have a good stable income created so they can afford to spend some fun time creating some kindle books
99% of people using kindle trying to make money though don`t already have a good business in place
I know what you mean about trying to figure out which direction you should take. It`s like banging your head against a brick wall, I know myself, I was there a couple of years back
My best advice is to pick one strategy and just keep doing it until you get some good results and then create a cool little report around it and build a list, then create a product for that list with some videos or something
This is what I did with my adsense and amazon success. Thats how I started building my list and thats what really started me off on this wacky journey and gave me momentum
Take is easy mike
Paul
hey tim hows it going
Yeah I would stay clear of it. Some people are doing ok and earning some income from it but it is in no way a stable business and thats why I am strongly against it
Very few people that use kindle for extra income already have good businesses online so they have the luxury of doing it and not having to rely on the income
But most people that flock to amazon are not in that position so thats why its a big risk
Have a good week yourself tim
Paul
Hi Paul
I’ve not thought about Kindle to be honest.
I can see why some people would be attracted to it but you make some valid points against going down that route.
Thanks for pointing those out. I will be staying away from Kindle!
Have a great week.
Tim
Tim Bonner recently posted..iPhone Apps For Internet Marketing