The World of Computer Software/The World of Computer Software.iso/money401.zip/CHAPTER.2

Text File | 1993-01-02 | 17KB | 369 lines

     Judging by the correspondence  that  comes  to  Another
Company,  we  have  found out that most of our customers are
good writers.  Most of you also know something  very  useful
and  possibly  unique.   Perhaps  you  are  a  retired glass
blower, or know everything about training  seeing-eye  dogs,
or could teach people how to cook nutritious foods.  Perhaps
you  could  write  a course in industrial grinder safety, or
volleyball,  or playing the guitar, or advanced electronics,
or elementary geology. Maybe you would be  good  at  writing
science  fiction or children's stories.
     But why bother? Becoming a published writer  is  nearly
as   difficult   as   becoming   a   rock   'n'  roll  star.
Self-publishing costs money and requires marketing skill.
     GUESS WHAT?  There is another way to be published  that
works  for  absolutely  everybody!  Yet, almost no one knows
about it.  Using this technique costs  almost  nothing,  yet
literally  millions  of  people will read your writing!  You
can  make  unlimited  money!   What   am  I  talking  about?
Shareware.
    The shareware market is a fascinating corner of the free
enterprise  system.   The general concept is that you make a
disk, and allow people to sell or give away  copies  of  it.
Shareware  distributors  sell thousands of copies, BBS users
download thousands of copies, and so your product eventually
gets  into  the  hands  of  tens of thousands, possibly even
millions  of  users!   You  get  no  money  from  all   this
distribution.  All you get is exposure.
    Within your disk  is  a  commercial,  hopefully  causing
people  to  want  to  send  you money.  This is like network
television. The shows are free, but the commercials pay  for
the programming.
    There  are  several ways to write your commercials.  The
old standard is to ask a "registration fee." This means, you
have allowed end users to try your product, and if they like
it, they are honor bound to send you money for your efforts.
Today, with somewhere around 85,000 shareware programs, this
is not particularly effective.
    You can give perks  for  registering,  such  as  printed
owner's  manual  or  a fancier version of your material, but
this too, falls short of making a fortune in most cases.
    What does seem to  work  is  to  pitch  another  related
product.   For  instance,  Let's say you have written a disk
about care and feeding of parakeets.  We recommend that  you
give  the  disk  away and let people copy it.  In that disk,
you might want to write an ad  for  another  disk  you  have
created  about  taming  and training parakeets. The only way
people can get the taming and training disk is to  send  you
$29.95 plus postage.  I think you get the idea....
    First,  let  me  tell  you that shareware marketing does
work, but on a smaller scale  than  most  shareware  authors
hope for.  You probably won't make a million dollars, and it
won't happen overnight.  But, this is a good way to bring in
easy  rainy  day  money,  or  make sure you have extra money
coming to you in your retirement!
    Interestingly,  if  your  knowledge   is   in   a   very
specialized  field,  you  are not necessarily limited in the
amount of money you can make.  specialized knowledge is very
valuable.  If you can start someone on a new career, or  can
explain a technique that can save a small (or large) company
lots  of  money, you have a product that will bring hundreds
of dollars for each copy.  Hobbyists in any field have  been
known  to  spend  way  too much to get exactly the knowledge
they want!
    And many shareware distributors have learned  that  even
very obscure titles sell well, because specialists will seek
these  titles  out!  For instance, PET, a shareware disk for
veterinarians  is  a  good  seller.  HYDROFLO,   which   has
something  to do with designing pipes and valves for fluids,
has always been a good seller!


           AND HOW DO YOU GET THE DISKS TO PUBLIC?

    This is amazingly simple.  All you do is make copies  of
your  disks, and send them to shareware distributors.  There
are usually 50 or  so  advertising  in  the  classified  ads
section  of COMPUTER SHOPPER magazine.  The distributors are
hungry for new products and will be quite  happy  to  review
your  disks.  If they feel that your material is interesting
and reasonably well done (and  many  shareware  distributors
will  take almost anything that works), they will list it in
their catalogs and start sending out copies to buyers.
    The distributors don't send you any money, and you don't
send them any money.  Whatever money you  make,  comes  from
your  advertisements  within  your shareware disks. And your
costs? Only the cost of a few blank disks and the postage to
mail  them.   You  can  send  just  to  a  dozen   shareware
distributors,  or to hundreds.  Of course, the more you send
to, the sooner you'll start making  real  money.   Here  are
some good distributors:

         GEMINI MARKETING INC
         BOX 640
         DUVALL WA 98019-0640

         PC-SIG
         1030D E. Duane Ave.
         Sunnyvale, CA  94086

         PD SELECT
         BOX 1884
         GASTONIA NC 28053

         PUBLIC BRAND SOFTWARE
         BOX 51315
         INDIANAPOLIS IN 46251

         ATTN R. JOHNSON OR D GARNER
         REASONABLE SOLUTIONS
         2101 W MAIN ST
         MEDFORD OR 97501

         SOFTWARE EXCITEMENT!
         6475 CRATER LAKE HWY
         CENTRAL POINT OR 97502

         SOFTWARE LABS
         3767 OVERLAND AVE #112
         LOS ANGELES CA 90034

         BOSTON COMPUTER SOCIETY
         385 Elliot Street
         Newton, MA 02164

         FREE BOOTER SOFTWARE
         BOX 19624
         PORTLAND OR 97219

         SIZZLEWARE
         P O BOX 6420
         LAKE CHARLES, LA 70606

             Mailing List Of Shareware Vendors

    If  you  want  to jump in with both feet, we have a list
for you.  This is a list of  almost  300  current  shareware
vendors.  For your copy of our list, send $29.95 to: ANOTHER
COMPANY, P.O.  Box 298, Applegate, OR 97530, USA. Postage is
included to anywhere in the world.  Please  specify  if  you
need 3.5" disk size.

                       ORGANIZATIONS

    Although  there  are  some  organizations  for shareware
authors, you don't have to join any.  This is  not  a  union
shop.   Anyone  can  participate  without a license, without
paying dues or fees, and without waiting!
    On the other hand, if you want to fully immerse yourself
in the shareware world, if you want to  learn  all  you  can
about  the  business, you might like to join the Association
of Shareware Professionals.  The cost is $50 for  the  first
year.  There  are  several benefits.  They can duplicate and
mail your disks to distributors and  BBSs  for  you  (for  a
price).  They  have  an ongoing conference between shareware
authors and distributors on CompuServe.   They  have  rather
strict   rules   with  which  your  shareware  must  comply,
essentially  forcing  you  to  turn  out   a   professional,
financially  effective product.  Using the ASP name and logo
adds a professional flavor to your shareware. Write to  them
for details:

               Jan Abbott - Executive Director
           Association of Shareware Professionals
                        545 Grover Rd
                      Muskegon MI 49442

                   AND HOW MUCH HOW SOON?

    I  can't  give  you  figures set in concrete, but here's
some ideas.  The worst case I have heard of  is  a  guy  who
makes  $10 or $20 per month in registrations of his product.
Is that ok? Would you settle for the price of a nice meal or
a new pair of shoes every couple of months for something you
did in your spare time? (and of course the time required  to
copy and mail 1 or 2 disks a month)
    On  the  other hand, another author is making $5,000 per
month. There are a few shareware authors who have made  over
a  million  dollars,  but  they are by no means average.  My
guess is that the average author has  to  put  out  10  good
products  over  the  course  of  perhaps  three years before
reaching an income of $15,000 per year.   But  there  is  no
ceiling.  You can keep improving and writing more!
    Regarding  time,  you  can't  be in a hurry.  It takes a
while for a distributor to print up new  catalogs  including
your  new  disk.   It  takes  a  while  longer  to get these
catalogs to the public.  It  takes  another  while  for  the
people to order your shareware disk, and then even more time
before  they  decide to send you money. You really shouldn't
expect to start taking in much for about one year.  We  have
one  new  product, which did not bring a single registration
for 3 months. Eventually, checks started coming in regularly
from that product.
    Late breaking news: Some shareware authors  report  good
and  relatively  fast results by uploading their programs to
several major BBSs (electronic Bulletin Board Services).  Of
course,  the  big  national  ones  like  CompuServe,  Genie,
Delphi,  and America On-line are the best.  A company called
Megapost offers this service for you.  For approximately $90
per 100 kilobytes, they will upload your shareware  to  many
of the big BBSs. You can write to them for more information:

                          MEGAPOST
                  c/o Andrew M Saucci, Jr.
                       641 Koelbel Ct.
                   Baldwin, NY 11510-3915

    Of  the  big boards, CompuServe is probably the biggest.
An account now costs  only  $7.95  per  month  and  includes
unlimited  access time.  However, many services are at extra
cost.  One of these services is downloading files.  The cost
is $12.40 per hour if you have a  2400  bps  modem,  but  it
seems  well  worth  it.  Hundreds of people download Another
Company programs every month.
   CompuServe has a forum called SWREG,  where  members  can
register  products  via  modem.   The author is notified and
sends the registered  version  directly  to  the  CompuServe
customer.   Then,  a month later, CompuServe pays the author
85% of  the  registration  price.   This  is  excellent  for
overseas  customers,  who merely have the registration price
deducted from their credit card accounts,  yet  the  program
authors  are  paid  in  US  dollars.   We  sent a registered
program to a Russian CompuServe member yesterday.

                     WHAT CAN I CREATE?

HERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT NEED DOING:

Tutorials in playing all standard musical instruments.

How about a tutorial in reading sheet music?

Illustrated, disk-based cook books are sure to be a hit.

Car repair manuals.

All aspects of home sewing.

All crafts and hobbies.

Anything about animal care, training, breeding.

Of course, the first few people who  put  art,  drawing,  or
cartooning lessons on a disk will do quite well!

Anyone want to tackle the subject of television repair?

How about computer repair?

Or how about a general course in electronics?

Chemistry? Biology? Anatomy? Herbal medicine?

How about making a clip-arts and clip-sounds library for use
with  Media  Magic,  as a separate and independent shareware
release?

                       OTHER AVENUES

    And of course,  there  are  other  marketing  strategies
besides  shareware.  You  can  sell  your  disks directly to
retail stores, you can advertise through the mail,  you  can
teach  courses  or  workshops  and  sell  your disks to your
students. My own favorite way is shareware, however, because
in terms of numbers of people who can gain from  your  work,
nothing  else  comes close.  Sure, by direct sales you might
sell thousands of copies, but your shareware product will be
seen by millions of people!
    The point is this: Why keep what  you  know  bottled  up
inside  yourself,  or teach it to a handful of students? Why
work very hard to write a manuscript only in hopes that  you
can  interest  a publisher, and then hope the editor doesn't
trim it to pieces? Through shareware,  your  story  WILL  be
told, and it will be told YOUR way to a huge audience!

                    Tricks of the Trade

    There  are  some  things you can do to make sure you get
more readers and that they  are  more  likely  to  send  you
money.

* Consider your title carefully. It must attract attention.

*  Make  sure  your  first  100  words  are  very  powerful.
Shareware buyers often buy 20, 40 or even  100  disks  at  a
time.   As  you  would  expect,  each individual disk is not
regarded as particularly important to these folks. They will
put each one in the slot and give it five  minutes.   If  it
doesn't  grab  their attention, out it goes!  If it does get
their interest, they'll read it from one end to the other!

* Make sure your advertising is well written. If you  simply
ask  for  a  donation,  you won't get much.  One of the best
things you can do is use your disk to sell something else. A
same-subject, volume 2, or another disk-based book  covering
a different but related subject will be easy to sell.

*  If  you  are  already  in  a  business,  consider using a
disk-based book to sell your product. For instance,  if  you
sell  seeds, you could write a book about gardening and tell
your readers to call or write for a free catalog.

*  The  more  copies you send out, the more readers you will
get.   A  good  idea  is  to  send  to  as  many   shareware
distributors  as you can. Most distributors will gladly list
your program in their catalogs.
     Remember that shareware has a lot of inertia.   It  can
take  over a year between the time you introduce a shareware
product and the  time  you  start  getting  money.  This  is
because  it  takes that long for distributors to get it into
their catalogs, and for friends to make copies for  friends,
etc.  It  takes  most  users  quite  a  while to switch from
considering sending you some money  to  actually  doing  it.
Shareware  also  has  a long burnout period. If you put your
phone number in your disk, you may be answering requests for
orders or free catalogs for years into the future!

*  The  simplest  shareware  product  is simply a plain, old
standard ASCII text file on a disk.  If your information  is
important to your readers, they will use their favorite file
viewing  or  word  processing  program  to  read  your file.
However, if you add a professional-looking front end to your
product, it will be more up-to-date, and likely to be  taken
more  seriously by more readers.  Writer's Dream and several
other text presentation programs are now available for  this
very purpose. Many are themselves shareware.  But we suggest
you  go  a  step further.  Even if your whole subject can be
covered in text without illustrations,  you  might  consider
using  a multimedia product to display your text.  This way,
you can use colors, underlines, boxes,  ellipses,  differing
fonts  and  even  sprinkle  in some sound effects to enhance
your  points  and  add  more  life  to  your   presentation.
Generally,  the more life you give it, the more your readers
will  stick  with  you  through  the  stringy   parts,   and
eventually,  the  more people will likely send you money for
other products.   Also,  if  they  are  impressed  with  the
shareware  version,  they  are  more  likely to pay for your
other product(s).  And  then,  if  you  can  scan,  draw  or
collect  graphics,  you  are,  of course, miles ahead in the
game!  This very disk was created using Media  Magic,  which
is advertised at the end of this presentation.  Media  Magic
sells    for    $29.95,   so   your   cost   to   become   a
professional-quality shareware author is  only  $30  plus  a
handful of blank floppy disks!

                      GREATER SUCCESS

    Want to find out more  about  the  business  of  writing
shareware?  We've created a text-based electronic book about
the  shareware  authoring  business  called   SUCCESS   WITH
SHAREWARE.   It  covers all the inside tricks and successful
design, mailing,  advertising  and  registration  strategies
that  I  have  learned  through  personal  experience,  plus
considerable research of the results gained  by  many  other
shareware  authors.   It  uncovers  all  sorts  of important
information ranging from  toll-free  800  phone  numbers  to
registration  delay screens, to bulk mailing rates.  Also, a
thorough study of what works and what doesn't.  Plus a chart
of 10,000 shareware disks sold, broken down into  categories
to  illustrate what topics the American public is interested
in. It is called SUCCESS WITH SHAREWARE.   You  can  succeed
without  Success With Shareware, but why learn the hard way,
the costly way, the time-consuming way, when  you  can  have
your own copy of SUCCESS WITH SHAREWARE for $29.95?!

     Now is the  time  to  write  that  book  you've  always
dreamed about!
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    End of chapter - press [Esc] or right mouse button.