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████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████
NEWSLETTER UPDATE
████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████
Do you have a press release, an idea, a disk, a shareware
catalog or a need for a program which relates to the shareware
software industry? Shareware authors and vendors would like your
information! Send press releases, product announcements and
shareware for possible inclusion within this package. Submit
text in ASCII on disk so we can import it directly into this
package.
Please note that older material from previous SMS newsletters,
containing HIGHLY valuable marketing information, has been moved
to the SMS archives disk which is available from SMS. Consult
the GOODIES section of SMS for information on ordering this
archived newsletter material (SMS catalog disk number 202.)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Newsletter: Summer 1992 Edition
--------------------------------------------------------------
Life is interesting. No sooner is the current edition of SMS
published then my desk begins to overflow with new submissions
for the next quarterly update of this package. A number of
fundamental changes are taking place as the shareware industry
matures. The bottom line remains: If a shareware author or
disk vendor wants to prosper in this industry it CAN be done
since the information flow, public interest in computers and
need for quality software continues to grow. However, as with most
businesses it takes time and work. Shareware is not a type of
software. It's not even a type of product distribution. It is
fundamentally a type of marketing.
Steve Hudgik of Homecraft (H.C.P. Services, Inc.) has kindly
shared recent shareware survey information with SMS which is
FUNDAMENTAL READING. I have added a substantial amount of
information following Steve's survey on matters of legislation
currently affecting shareware, new programs, new vendors and
emerging marketing methods, so let me first offer an indirect
apology - there is so much information in this issue of SMS it
may be a bit overwhelming! That's the bad news. The good news is
that this quantity and quality of information attests to
the fact that shareware is evolving. Let's begin....
=========== SHAREWARE BUSINESS INDEX (SBI) ==============
______________ APRIL 1992 rev. 1.03 ______________
copyright 1992 by H.C.P. Services, Inc.
May 30, 1992
The SBI is an index showing the relative health of the shareware
industry by showing the change in registration sales for
shareware programs. It is based on a starting point of 100
points for January 1989. Thus the SBI shows how much shareware
registrations have increased (or decreased) since January 1989.
The following index is based on the registration sales reported
as of May 30, 1992.
Twelve authors are now participating in the SBI. We would
welcome your participation.
Calculation Method
A month to month percentage change in sales is calculated for
each author. An average percentage change is then calculated
for each month and that percentage is applied to the previous
month's SBI index. This method does not show the overall size
of the shareware industry, but will accurately reflect its
growth and cycles. The index starts in January 1989 with an
arbitrary setting of 100.
Background
This index is being calculated for the first time in May 1992
and includes sales figures through April 1992. As additional
authors submit join the SBI and send us their sales information
(we need ** you ** to send us your sales monthly history) the
SBI will improve and be more accurate and useful in determining
sales trends based on the time of year and longer term trends
based on general economic conditions. In addition, as more
authors contribute their sales information the SBI may be able
to include sales trends by market and/or product type.
Contributing Sales Information
To make the SBI a better refection of the true shareware economy
we would appreciate it if ** you ** could submit your monthly
sales information. This information will be kept strictly
confidential. Information can be submitted in either of two
forms: monthly sales (non-US authors, your information can be in
any currency) or the percentage change in sales each month. The
percentage change is calculated using the following formula:
- April 1992 rev 1.03 Page - 2
((TMS-LMS)/LMS) X 100
TMS - This month's sales
LMS - Last Month's Sales
Please send your information to: Steve Hudgik, HomeCraft
Software, P.O. Box 974, Tualatin, OR 97062. It may also be
sent via Compuserve to ID 71450,254. We will add other methods
of submitting information as they are needed.
***** PLEASE HELP ***** The more authors who contribute their
sales information, the more accurate and useful the SBI will be.
Please help, as large a participation as possible is needed.
Your contribution of your sales information is important!
*******
________SBI Compiled As Of May 30, 1992________
Jan. 1989 100.00 May 1990 80.57 Aug 1991 279.48
March 78.76 June 84.75 Sept 252.88
April 81.69 July 100.05 Oct 189.37
May 74.62 Aug 106.38 Nov 251.62
June 1989 78.38 Sept 1990 93.01 Dec 1991 253.27
July 77.81 Oct 107.31 Jan 1992 270.83
Aug 83.80 Nov 134.93 Feb 305.36
Sept 79.77 Dec 166.32 March 247.05
Oct 1989 77.48 Jan 1991 170.99 April '92 168.73
Nov 110.38 Feb 144.87 May -----
Dec 112.18 March 153.63 June -----
Jan 1990 132.63 April '91 121.93 July 1992 -----
Feb 96.84 May 124.60 Aug -----
March 86.63 June 140.44 Sept -----
April 77.60 July 292.63 Oct -----
The SBI is copyrighted by H.C.P. Services, Inc. It may be
freely reprinted in magazines, newspapers or newsletters and
shared among individuals and on BBSs. The SBI may not sold or
distributed (on a profit or non-profit basis) by any individual,
company or organization without written permission of H.C.P.
services, Inc.
If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please feel
free to send them to me at the address given earlier. Your
feedback is very welcome.
STEVE HUDGIK Shareware Author HomeCraft Software
(End of survey and report, next begins the larger author survey,
also copyrighted to Steve Hudgik and H.C.P. Services.)
<<To: Jim Hood - $hareware Marketing $ystem >>
<< Article for SMS summarizing the results >>
<< of the 1992 Shareware Author Survey >>
The following summary is copyright 1992 by Steven C. Hudgik. The
results of the 1992 Shareware Author survey may not be reprinted
without written permission.
CAN YOU STILL MAKE MONEY AS A SHAREWARE AUTHOR?
SUMMARY OF STEVE HUDGIK'S 1992 SHAREWARE AUTHOR SURVEY
In 1991 and early 1992 we saw the continuation of a long term
recession in the U.S. However many people were saying the
shareware industry was recession proof because the number of
shareware programs keep increasing at a faster and faster rate.
The number of disk vendors also increased dramatically. The theory
was that users needed to find low cost alternatives to expensive
retail programs and would be flocking to shareware as the best way
to get quality software at a reasonable price. So how is the
shareware industry doing? Did the recession affect shareware
authors? Can you still make money as a shareware author?
During February and March of 1992 I conducted my second
comprehensive survey of shareware authors (the first was done at
the end of 1990). The results showed that, yes, you can make money
as a shareware author and, in fact, there are some spectacular
success stories. The shareware industry is alive, healthy and
growing!
In reading this summary of the 1992 survey please keep in mind that
to be successful you need to listen to your market - listen to what
your users and potential users are saying. The information
compiled here can serve as a general guideline or be used to give
you a starting point. Do not take the information summarized here
as representing hard and fast rules. Keep in mind that the #1 rule
for success in shareware is that you need to produce a quality
program that people find useful. If you're familiar with the Rush
Linbaugh school of business then you know that the entire course in
how to be successful in business is: "Make something that people
want to buy." He's right! If you are not doing that it does not
matter what registration incentives you offer; how you price your
product; or how many disk vendors and BBSs you send it to.
The 1992 survey not only looked at how well authors were doing
financially, it attempted to quantify the things successful authors
do that make them successful. What types of registration
incentives do most authors offer? What is the average registration
fee charged for different types of software? How are bug fixes
handled? How is technical support handled? And what books and
magazines do authors read to learn how to improve their business?
The 1992 survey was mailed to 1400 shareware authors and responses
were received from 153. This compares with 812 surveys mailed out
in 1990 with 227 authors responding. The different response rates
may be due to my having included postage paid return envelopes in
1990. Due to a limited budget I was not able to do that in 1992.
This survey is funded soley with my person funds and I get no
income from it. Thus the available funds do limit what can be
done. A third survey is planned for late in 1993 and I am planning
to include postage paid return envelopes.
Please note that the numbers given in the tables summarizing the
survey results may not always add up to what appears to be the
correct number. Some authors were not always consistent in how
they answered questions. Two of the 153 surveys are not include in
the results summarized here because the answers on those surveys
were so inconsistent that they made no sense.
We have divided how the results are shown based on author annual
sales. Assuming that the authors with the greater sales are "doing
the right things" we can look at the differences between how the
various groups of authors run their business. However, keep in
mind that shareware is not like any other business. There are many
shareware authors who are not trying to run a high dollar volume
business. They enjoy writing software and, if they can make a few
dollars from it, they are happy. This type of author is just as
successful as the author who builds a $1,000,000 company. They are
both doing what they enjoy and are happy with what they are doing.
That's what's so great about shareware! You can run your business
any way you want.
AUTHOR GROUPS
Here's how the responses are divided based on annual sales. I've
included the figures for both the 1990 survey and I've also shown
the percentage of authors who are currently ASP members:
1992 1990 ASP
Group 1 - Over $50,000 in annual sales 19 20 74%
Group 2 - $10,000 to $49,999 annual sales 30 32 50%
Group 3 - $2,000 to $9,999 annual sales 32 85 56%
Group 4 - $0 to $1,999 annual sales 54 63 26%
Group 5 - did not report annual sales 18 27 39%
As you can see the biggest drop in responses came from authors
receiving $2,000 to $9,999 in registrations. The survey results,
however, do not show any significant differences that would account
for this.
REGISTRATION PRICES
The following chart summarizes the average registration fee charged
for different categories of software. Comparing 1990 and 1992:
overall there has been a slight drop in the average registration
fee authors are charging. However, the change I found the most
interesting is that there has been a significant increase in the
number of programs targeted at the home user market. In 1990 there
were 17 programs reported as being designed for the home market.
In 1992 that had doubled to 34 programs. Here's a summary of the
registration fees authors were charging in 1992:
(Note: I am sorry but due to space limitations I can only provide
a summary of the 1992 survey results, not all of the details. I
will identify major differences between the 1990 and 1992 surveys,
but there is not enough room to provide the 1990 survey results.
I hope to release a shareware disk during the fall of 1992 that
will provide the complete details of the 1992 survey.
Areas where there was not a large enough response to provide
reliable numbers are indicated by the letters NA).
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5
# programs 50 65 65 88 39
Avg.
Registration $55.53 $54.28 $35.58 $28.19 $37.62
Avg. #
Registrations 6,678 777 195 47* NA
Per Program
#Years Since
First Program 4.5 3.9 3.4 2.2 NA
Was Released
__Type Software__
Business $69.76 $117.10 $42.37 $41.58 $35.00
Utility $51.65 $31.69 $34.29 $24.94 $36.90
Games $22.50 $16.25 $20.00 $10.62 $25.00
Communications $151.00 $45.00 $45.00 $45.00 $17.87
Programming NA $30.49 $37.00 $31.67 $37.80
Word Proc. $83.39 $20.00 $30.80 $20.00 $39.00
Spreadsheet $64.90 NA NA NA NA
Data Base $69.00 $31.00 $33.40 $24.82 $50.00
Graphics NA $38.75 NA $19.95 NA
Educational $27.80 $17.67 $17.25 $19.19 $37.97
Home $38.74 $32.50 $27.71 $27.27 $11.95
Fonts $39.53 NA NA NA NA
Clip Art NA $7.33 $29.95 NA NA
Desktop Pub. NA NA NA NA NA
Windows $59.95 $44.97 $18.67 $38.67 $20.00
It was interesting to me to note that in our 1990 survey of disk
vendors one of the areas that was identified as having great
potential was desktop publishing. The 1992 survey showed no
significant desktop publishing software. Windows has also been
identified as an area with a big potential and the 1992 survey
showed that 15 of the 307 programs are windows programs.
* On the "average # of registrations per program" line for group 4
I have not included the registrations reported by one of the
authors. That author reported a total of 15,000 registrations,
which would increase the average to 217. That author reported
$1000 in sales in 1992. Thus this is a program that was once very
successful, but its popularity has declined dramatically.
REGISTRATION INCENTIVES
What do most authors provide as registration incentives? There are
no major differences between the responses in 1990 and 1992. The
number of authors offering commissions to registered users who lead
other users to register has dropped from 10 in 1990 to 5 authors in
1992. Plus, in 1990 there were 3 authors in group one who offer
commissions. This year none of the authors in group one pay
commissions.
The other interesting change is that more authors are now including
quick reference cards with their registered versions. In 1990
seven authors offered quick reference cards. In 1992 there are 17
authors offering quick reference cards.
The most frequently offered incentive continues to be the current
version of the software and free technical support. In group one
74% of the authors also provide a printed manual. This is a much
higher percentage than in any other group. This same trend was
present in the 1990 survey.
Here's a summary of what was reported on the 1992 author survey.
The numbers show the number of authors who said they offered a
particular registration incentive.
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5
Printed Manual 14 11 9 12 7
Photocopied
Manual 2 8 11 21 3
Current Version 19 23 29 44 17
Source Code 1 3 6 1 1
Free Updates 4 7 11 19 1
Commissions 0 2 2 1 0
Phone Support 15 22 27 34 12
Support Via Mail 18 20 25 39 12
Quick Ref. Card 3 1 4 5 4
Free Newsletter 6 5 3 4 3
Other 6 8 8 11 4
Some of the responses included in the "other" category were"
- Discounts on upgrades.
- Compuserve kit and evaluation copies of other software.
- Technical support via Compuserve.
- Sequels to the shareware version.
- Free support via BBS
- Hints, maps and game solutions.
- 20% discount on other products
- Ball point pen with logo.
- On disk users manual
Most of the authors who reported providing free updates said that
only one update (the next update issued) was provided free. Two
authors reported providing free updates for a year.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
We asked authors about their technical support policy and how they
provided technical support. The 1992 survey showed that authors
are starting to use 900 numbers to provide support. In 1990 no
authors reporting using a 900 number. In 1992 they are five
authors using a 900 number. The number of authors using 800
numbers increased slightly from seven in 1990 to nine in 1992.
The following chart shows the number of authors who use a
particular method to provide technical support.
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5
800 Number 2 4 2 0 1
900 Number 3 1 0 0 1
Conventional
Phone 14 21 26 33 14
By Mail Only 5 6 7 9 1
Other 6 5 4 7 2
In most cases authors provide support for anyone who calls. Here
are the responses to a question asking whether is support given to
anyone or just to registered users.
Anyone 10 26 26 42 13
Only
Registered 3 2 7 9 4
Users
RESPONDING TO BUGS
We asked authors how they handled fixing bugs in their software.
We asked them whether bug fixes were automatically sent to every
user, to just those users who complained or whether the author
waited till the next update to fix a bug. Most authors said they
only send bug fixes to users who complained about the bug. Many
authors also said that minor bug fixes would be sent with the next
update, but that more significant bug fixes would be sent to anyone
who complains.
A few authors also said that if the bug was very serious, they
would send a new disk to all users. Here's a summary of how
authors get bug fixes to users:
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5
Send Free
Updates To 4 4 6 11 4
Everyone
Send Free
Updates To
Registered 2 7 5 5 2
Users Only
Send An
Update To
Users Who 15 19 20 25 9
Complain
Wait Until
The Next
Update Is 11 21 21 33 13
Sent Out
COST OF UPDATES & UPGRADES
Once a user has registered a program some authors continue to have
a significant level of sales resulting from upgrades. This is
important to both the user and the author of the software. The
sale of upgrades has become a significant part of many author's
income. This provides a high level of motivation for the author to
continue to work to improve the software and create upgrades that
users feel are worthwhile and which they want to buy. As a result
the user has continued access to software providing the latest
technology and features.
User's don't like being asked to purchase an upgrade every few
months. And if users feel they are paying too much for upgrades,
they will eventually switch to another program. So how often
should an author release an upgrade and what should the cost of the
upgrade be? Part of the 1992 survey was designed to answer these
questions.
The following table shows the average cost of an upgrade as a
percentage of the original registration cost. Please keep in mind
that the percentage you charge should take into consideration the
amount of the registration fee. If your program sells for $10.00,
it does not make sense to charge $3.40 for an upgrade - in fact you
might want to charge the full $10 registration fee for the upgraded
version. We also asked authors whether they treat major and minor
upgrades differently, and the answer was yes, they do. For
example, authors generally charge more for upgrades that include a
new manual vs. upgrades that come on a single disk.
Here are the results of our questions concerning software upgrades.
The number for the frequency of upgrades shows the number of months
between upgrade offers sent to users.
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5
Cost Of The
Upgrade As A
% Of The 34% 27% 40% 44% 29%
Registration
Cost
How frequently
are upgrades
offered to 15 7 7.8 8.9 6.1
users (months)
SHAREWARE DISK VENDORS
The 1990 survey showed that only the most successful authors, those
in group one, sent disks to more than a 100 vendors. In 1990 the
group one authors sent their disks to an average of 268 vendors.
During 1990 authors in groups 2,3 and 4 sent disks to a combined
average of 65 vendors. The 1992 survey shows that this situation
has changed dramatically. While the number for group one authors
has increased slightly to 286, authors in groups two and three are
coming close to averaging 200 vendors.
One factor that affects this is that many authors are using the ASP
disk mailing service and they report they are reaching 250-300
vendors via this service. This service is available to ASP members
and it provides a way for the costs of mailing disks to vendors and
BBSs to be shared among a large group of authors.
On the average authors send updated disks to vendors about twice a
year.
Here's a summary of the average number of disks authors are mailing
and how frequently they send updates to shareware disk vendors.
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5
# of Share-
ware vendors 286 177 200 83 228
# of times per
year disks are
sent to 2.2 1.8 1.8 1.2 1.4
vendors
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?
Once you send a new disk to a vendor, how long does it take to
start receiving registrations (assuming you've got a good program
that people find useful)? Some vendors will get your software into
their catalogs within a week or two. Others, mostly the big name
major vendors, may take 4 to 6 months to evaluate your software and
place it in their catalogs. If your software is easily distributed
via BBSs, it can reach users within days. So, on the average, how
many weeks does it take before you'll start receiving
registrations?
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5
Avg. Time
Between Issuing
A Program And
Starting To 16.5 20.9 28.3 28.4 15.6
Receive
Registrations
(weeks)
It makes sense that authors in groups one and two start receiving
registrations quicker. They have name recognition with both
vendors and users. This helps their software to get evaluated
sooner and users are more likely to try a program whose name they
recognize.
AUTHOR RESOURCES
What resources and software do authors use to help them with their
business? Here are the questions the 1992 survey asked and a
summary of the responses.
1) What shareware programs do you use in your business?
A total of 116 programs were mentioned. The following table lists
the programs most frequently mentioned and includes those programs
that were mentioned by three or more authors. The percentage shows
the percent of authors who said they used this program.
PKzip 28 18.3%
PC Write 19 12.4%
Tapcis 13 8.5%
List 12 7.8%
PC File 12 7.8%
QEdit 12 7.8%
4 DOS 11 7.2%
Procomm 11 7.2%
Telix 08 5.2%
CopyQM 07 4.6%
$harware Marketing $ystem 06 3.9%
As-Easy-AS 04 2.6%
LHA 04 2.6%
None 04 2.6%
QModem 04 2.6%
Zipkey 04 2.6%
File Express 03 2.0%
FormatQM 03 2.0%
1) What retail programs do you use in your business?
A total of 116 programs were mentioned. The following table lists
the programs most frequently mentioned and includes those programs
that were mentioned by three or more authors. The percentage shows
the percent of authors who said they used this program.
Word Perfect 21 13.7%
Turbo Pascal 12 7.8%
Quatro Pro 09 5.9%
DBase 08 5.2%
Microsoft Word 08 5.2%
Quick Basic 08 5.2%
Quicken 07 4.6%
Alpha 4 06 3.9%
Word For Windows 06 3.9%
Borland C++ 05 3.3%
Borland Turbo C 05 3.3%
Compuserve Information Svs. 05 3.3%
Lotus 123 05 3.3%
Wordstar 05 3.3%
Label Pro 04 2.6%
PC Tools 04 2.6%
Windows (All versions) 04 2.6%
Brief 03 2.0%
Norton Utilities 03 2.0%
ProComm 03 2.0%
RBase 03 2.0%
XTree 03 2.0%
3) What publications/books have you found to be useful in running
your business?
A total of 51 titles were mentioned. The following table lists the
programs most frequently mentioned and includes those publications
that were mentioned by two or more authors. The percentage shows
the percent of authors who said they found a publication to be
useful.
Writing & Marketing Shareware (book) 26 17.0%
Shareware Magazine 13 8.5%
ASPects (ASP Newsletter) 04 2.6%
PC Magazine 04 2.6%
Computer Shopper 03 2.0%
Advanced MS-DOS Programming (book) 02 1.3%
Byte Magazine 02 1.3%
Data Base Advisor 02 1.3%
GUIDE.EXE file 02 1.3%
Infoworld 02 1.3%
PC Sources 02 1.3%
Undocumented DOS (book) 02 1.3%
The final question of the 1992 author survey asked for advice for
new shareware authors. Here's a few of the comments I received:
- Start with a good idea and keep improving your product until you
get a good response.
- Think twice.
- Do it for fun rather than money. The odds of making money are
not good.
- Join the ASP and participate in the monthly ASP mailing.
- Get a good, unique idea. Develop it professionally. Join the
ASP and don't cripple your software.
- There's lots of hard work. Listen to your customers and be
patient.
- Concentrate on sales and marketing.
- Go the extra mile.
- Don't expect too much.
- Don't quit your day job!
- Have fun.
- Join the ASP first of all. But _most importantly_ treat
shareware as a business. You live or die by the seat of your pants
in this game. The days of Jim Button have gone away. Too many
authors compete now for a limited base of customers.
=================================================================
=================================================================
This concludes the summary of the 1992 shareware author survey. If
you are interested in participating in future surveys, please send
your name and address to me. My address is:
Steve Hudgik
P.O. Box 974
Tualatin, OR 97062
Before I conclude there is one additional piece of information I
can offer. I have started compiling and maintaining the Shareware
Business Index (SBI). This is an index that shows how well
shareware authors are doing in their business. The index is based
on monthly gross sales submitted to me by shareware authors and it
is based on a arbitrary starting point of 100 for January 1989.
The SBI provides a way to clearly see whether business is getting
better (or worse) for shareware authors. I am pleased to be able
to report that, in spite of the recession, shareware authors have
been receiving increasing numbers of registrations during 1991 and
1992. The following graph shows the trend over the past 24 months.
300 ├
│ ▓ ▓
275 ├ ▓ ▓
│ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓
250 ├ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓
│ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓
225 ├ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓
│ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓
200 ├ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓
│ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓
175 ├ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓
│ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓
150 ├ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓
│ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓
125 ├ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓
│ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓
100 ├ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓
│▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓
└┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼
M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A
91 92
I hope you've found this information and the results of the 1992
survey to be useful. We do need as many authors as possible
participating in the Shareware Business Index. The more authors
that participate, the more accurate the index will be. If you can
supply us with gross sales data for a 12 month or longer period, it
would be very much appreciated. Please send your sales information
to me at the address given above.
If you have any comments on this survey or questions you'd like to
see asked on the next shareware author survey, please feel free to
write to me. I can't always promise to respond, but I do read
everything and I will write back as time permits.
Thank you for your support of shareware.
---------------------------------------------------------------
(End of author survey - the main body of the SMS newsletter
continues from this point)
As this edition of SMS was heading towards the June 15
publication date I received a phone call from Bob Ostrander,
Public Brand Software Founder, former ASP president and
coordinator of the Summer Shareware Seminar. Bob is one of those
folks who never stops promoting shareware and is the penultimate
source of shareware information. Late breaking news from Bob's
corner of "Fantasy Island" is interesting. First, Bob has
stepped down as ASP president and will be moving to England in
August of this year. Newly elected president, Rich Harper, has
taken over the reins of the ASP.
In other news which is good for shareware Bob tells me that
details are for the most part finalized between Ziff-Davis and
the Prodigy telecommunications service to FINALLY ALLOW
SHAREWARE DOWNLOADS on Prodigy. This is very good news for
authors seeking further distribution of shareware since the
inability to download shareware on Prodigy has irritated a
number of their customers. The deal is structured so that Ziff-
Davis will allow access to the large PBS library of shareware to
Prodigy users at a surcharge of $14.50 for the first three hours
connect time per month. After the first three hours have been
used, a surcharge of ten (10) cents per minute is applied. This
also represents quite a coup for Ziff-Davis and Public Brand
Software because for the time being they are the EXCLUSIVE
shareware provider to Prodigy users. In addition to PBS
offerings, the traditional PC-Magazine utilities and Ziff
Magazine index and reviews will also be offered. Under the new
plan Prodigy members will be allowed up to 3 hours per day of
access time to the Ziff-Net service for downloads and other
information.
Industry observers suggest poor prospects for ANY shareware
registrations coming out of Argentina since it is essentially
illegal to transfer currency out of that country. There are
several rumors making the rounds about a new shareware disk
vendor setting up operations in that country. Best for now to
sit on the sidelines with regard to Argentina and see how things
evolve in a few years.
Next, a topic which authors and vendors should consider as we
rush into the future of computing with shareware: product and
service quality. You don't see much written about shareware
quality methods. Everyone seems to discuss program releases,
package features, sales figures and vendor profiles. I think
it's time we talked quality....
Ultimately, quality is the ONLY way to establish your shareware
package as a profitable player in the shareware market. As an
active shareware author, the most often repeated comments I see on
registration forms received from users of my software are
quality comments. Both good and bad. Users, disk vendors and
magazine writers who review shareware echo the same refrain: the
try before you buy nature of shareware is a sound marketing
principle - it's just the quality that is lacking in most
shareware packages as well as some disk vendor operations. If
one thing is hurting our industry it is LACK OF QUALITY.
The basics. Examine shareware packages which are by definition
world class quality. The January-February 1992 edition of
Shareware Magazine bestowed editor's choice awards on a select
group of shareware packages whose quality, elegance and utility
are legend. Editor's choice winners included: 4DOS, As-Easy-As,
Back and Forth, Boxer Editor, Commander Keen, Command Post,
Commo, Contact Plus, HDM IV, Hooper Finance, List, Moraff Games,
PC-File, Paint Shop, PC-Write Standard Level, PKZIP, Laserjet
soft fonts, Viruscan, Zipkey and School Mom. If you want to
offer quality, examine quality in existing packages.
How do you aim for quality in the packages you produce? Consider
customer-driven operating principles.
1) Overdocument your package and spell check all written files
and data. Study the format and design of good documentation seen
in the packages mentioned above. Inferior documentation is the
MOST FREQUENTLY cited reason for low registration potential in
many shareware packages. A customer's first impression is your
documentation. It may be the last. When it comes to letters I
receive from both vendors and authors, spelling and grammatical
inconsistencies stand out.
2) Authors should provide shareware vendors a printed sheet
along with a distribution disk which describes what the
program does, version number, three levels of description (one
line, two line, and full description), phone number, address,
Compuserve ID if available, list of features and minimum
equipment configuration necessary to run the program. Most of
this information needs to be repeated in a readme and/or
vendor.doc file so that descriptions can be easily appended to a
vendor catalog. If a vendor or user cannot determine this
minimum information your disk becomes wastebasket fodder. Some
authors consider disk vendors a necessary, almost parasitic
necessity of the industry. But on the flip side, I get lots of
mail from vendors (and disks from authors) who produce sloppy,
redundant products.
3) Provide clear and SIMPLE registration forms. The registration
form for my packages contains only four lines: who provided the
package to the user, what is the user's name and mailing
address, how many copies are ordered, what is the version number
of the package. Keep it EXTREMELY simple! Function over form. If
you cannot fill out your own registration form in under 20
seconds, it is too complicated!
4) Make the program self-documenting and abide by common
keystroke conventions. For example, use the F1 key for help
screens. Use pull down menus and dialog boxes if possible. Does
your utility program provide help simply by typing in the file
name or the command /h or /? such as with PKZIP? F2 is an edit
function in many programs. The slash bar or alt key activates a
menu in many programs. F10 continues the program action in some
older programs. Don't surprise users with a confusingly novel
interface. Put a reminder bar at the top or bottom of the screen
with keystroke reminders.
5) Flexibility. Allow the user to change screen colors and turn
on or off default values such as sound or printing. And make
configurability EASY.
6) Arrange your files on disk so that a prominent README file
contains key program description, unpacking and startup
information and distribution license. I see lots of disks with a
huge self-extracting file and tiny readme that says "unpack
self-extracting file for program and documentation." Users and
vendors want the documentation NOW, not after unpacking.
7) Carefully balance "registration inducements" which might be
seen as cripples or "registration disincentives" by the end
user. The most popular, and for most users most comfortable,
registration inducement system is a variation of the following.
Upon program startup a "beg screen" appears. After a short delay
the user is requested to press a randomly numbered key
(sometimes at a random spot on the screen.) The program runs
WITHOUT CRIPPLES. Upon exit, the user is reminded to register
the shareware and a registration form printing opportunity is
presented with a simple yes or no response and perhaps a final
randomly numbered key stroke to return back to the operating
system. I also give my users an opportunity to register after
the installation program has run as well as from within the main
program.
8) Quality also means seeking help if you are a serious
shareware author. Hire other shareware authors to program your
code or license program libraries if your program needs a boost
which you cannot yourself provide. I use tools like the LHA
compressor and small installation utility programs from Paul
Scanlon because I NEED quality in my products and am willing to
pay for software tools to help me get there.
9) Package your program so that files can be distributed in
MAXIMUM 360K size file units if possible! I notice more
authors shipping high density disks. Fine. But can the internal
files be broken out onto two or more separate 360K diskettes?
Nothing is more frustrating to a disk vendor than to receive a
high density floppy with a 600K file which cannot be broken down
for distribution onto standard 360K floppies. Utilities exist
which can split or compress large files. Do yourself and the
disk vendors a favor by keeping all files below the 360K
threshold on multiple disk sets. This point REALLY matters.
10) Strive to have your package run on humble monochrome
machines as well as sophisticated VGA graphics computers. Can
your software auto-detect various graphics resolutions and
adjust accordingly? Most users and potential registrants do NOT
have powerful processors.
11) Windows-specific programs are fine. But increase your cash
flow by offering a version for Windows and DOS. More computers
run DOS than Windows at the moment. Let the market drive you.
12) Don't program specifically for 386 chips or math co-
processors unless you want your program to leave the majority of
users behind. Auto-detect these chips but don't hardcode
instructions for these chips.
13) Make sure the program is REALLY bug free. If necessary
reduce your program features even if you suspect a bug might be
contained in a flashy graphics or machine code sequence. One
author I will leave unnamed sent out an "update/bug fix" disk to
me (an lots of other vendors) once every two weeks for 3 months
straight. This wasn't new feature additions. Just bug fixes.
14) Explain DOS commands clearly with painfully simple examples
in both your program and documentation. Every shareware disk
needs a short DOS course.
15) If your program prints files, documentation or reports, be
sure to have the program include an extra form feed at the end
of the printout to eject the paper from the printer - this is
especially true for laser printer users who will be most annoyed
that the final sheet of your report remains inside the printer.
16) A distribution disk should be defragged, date cleaned,
sorted and spell checked. Use a file defragmentation program to
make all files contiguous prior to preparing the distribution
disk. Run a small utility like TOUCH.COM on the disk so all
files have the same date/time stamp. Run a file sorter like
Norton's on the disk to sort the files first by extension then
by name (EN sort). Use your word processor's spelling checker to
clean up unprofessional documentation spelling errors (we're all
human!)
17) Never use subdirectories on your main distribution disk
which vendors and customers receive. This will drive most
vendors and BBS SYSOPS wild since it hampers disk distribution.
18) When you release a first or early version of a program, be
prepared to listen to suggestions for updates and changes. It is
tempting to dismiss requests for program changes since "you know
the program better than anyone else." Don't let independence and
ego get in the way. Quality means attention to detail.
Programmer's are a stubborn lot. An attitude which can put a
dent in your wallet.
19) Explain error messages. Cryptic errors such as: "67878
transfer abort" are curious and unfriendly. Think in terms of
functional error messages like: "disk drive door open."
20) Try to return the computer to the same defaults it began
with when your program exits: same screen colors, video mode and
screen column width. Close all files and reset clocks and dates.
LOTS shareware programs don't do my monitor screen the favor of
resetting defaults as they found them.
21) Check out your program with a LARGE file of dummy data. That
accounting package you so carefully crafted may be great with
about 100 entries doing simple searches and reporting. Try it
with about a year's worth of dummy data (say 10,000 entries).
22) Always check your shareware disk for incompatibilities with
other programs which are popular such as 4DOS. My PC-Learn
package got run through the ringer on this one. My fault, pure
and simple.
23) If your package contains Lotus style worksheets or templates
will your macros run under both 123 and popular shareware
packages such as ASEASYAS and PC-Calc?
24) Always include an invoice in standard layout format in
several areas of the program as well as an exclusive menu
option. Corporate users and Government offices require an
invoice to process billings.
25) Label your disks professionally. Program name, version,
address and telephone plus installation or startup commands are
necessary on a clear diskette label. It does not have to be
fancy, just clear.
26) Upgrade thyself: Consider joining professional groups such
as the ASP as well as glancing at my $hareware Marketing $ystem
disk package if you want to go further. Attend the Summer
Shareware Seminar in Indianapolis this Summer if you want to
hone your quality instincts. You CAN, to a certain extent,
operate in a programming vacuum of your own design. But you
CANNOT operate in a marketing vacuum! You need addresses, leads,
ideas, customer input, vendor connections and strategic
alliances. Get on Compuserve and print your ID in your packages.
At only $7.95 a month for basic services this will probably chop
your long distance telephone bill in half.
27) Registration cash flow is serious business in quality
control. PROMPTNESS is essential. Train yourself to provide same
day or next day response to all arriving registration checks.
Even if your package promises no support or update, send out a
registration number and thank you letter as a minimum. Visa and
Mastercard are good possibilities if you want to aggressively
enter the profitable phone order business and is a good thing to
mention in your documentation. Many users will call you prior to
sending in a registration check just to see "if you are still in
business." Telephone courtesy is essential.
I would like to hear more about quality in shareware. Drop me a
note!
Must read "book-on-disk"....
Robert Schenot is frequently seen and heard on Compuserve and
Genie and is an avid shareware author and researcher. His new
shareware "book on disk" is a MUST read item for all authors and
is available from Robert directly, most shareware sources and
SMS (see GOODIES.TXT elsewhere in this issue for ordering
information.) Marketing ideas and unvarnished information about
successful shareware marketing strategies. A brief press release
from Robert describes this new offering:
If you're considering launching a shareware product, you need
The ShareWare Book <ASP>
A Whole Earth Catalog for software developers
Tips, tools and techniques for successful shareware marketing
and development. Includes market research, publicity, getting
paid, distribution, resources, product protection, registration
encouragement, trademarks, copyrights, licensing, channel
management, business issues, support, taxes, manuals, packaging,
shipping, international trade.
"Everything an author needs to get started"
Look for ShareB.EXE in CIS SHARE lib 4 or ShareBk*.zip on BBSs.
By Robert Schenot
Compass / New England
PO Box 117
Portsmouth, NH 03802-0117
(603) 431 8030
(end of press release)
Attorney Charles B. Kramer of New York was most helpful with
this quarterly edition of SMS and my gratitude is in order.
For some time now I have been trying to obtain the text and
thought surrounding the new U.S. Copyright law concerning
shareware (Copyright Office Rule @201.26.) Diana Gruber of Ted
Gruber Software put me in touch with Charles who kindly provided
both commentary and text of the new law. This is a FUNDAMENTAL
law which all shareware authors and disk vendors should review
immediately. The full text of the material is reprinted in the
letters to the editor section, elsewhere in SMS. Gradually
legislation is catching up with the shareware concept. We've
needed it for some time.
Continuing with theme of legislation which impacts the shareware
community, note that the U.S. supreme court recently ruled on a
case which affects collection of interstate Use Tax by mail order
vendors. This could affect both authors and disk vendors since
we all use the mail and sell software across state lines. The
court decision empowers the U.S. Congress to enact laws which
MAY make vigorous collection of Use Taxes by individual states a
reality.
In practical terms, this could mean that authors and disk
vendors would be responsible to collect Use Taxes for up
to 51 separate states and remit proceeds to each state in a
timely manner. The ultimate paperwork nightmare - and possibly
the basis for a software program to organize the mess, I
suspect!
For now, the current political climate suggests that Congress
may be a long way off from the point of enacting legislation
for two reasons 1) this is an election year 2) consumers are
not anxious for legislation of this type.
However, the desire of states to obtain revenue from any source
will keep this issue on the burner for the future. Curiously,
the states have ALREADY been taxing out of state sales for some
time on one information commodity VERY SIMILAR to software:
newspapers. In 1785, the Massachusetts legislature passed a
stamp tax on all newspapers and magazines. Public opposition
lead to its repeal a year later. The first amendment to the U.S.
Constitution was passed four years later partially as result of
that tax debacle. Another point: Government censorship was
effectively promoted not through overt censorship but through
taxation on information - a interesting concept legal scholars
will ponder.
Individual states continue to agitate regarding the Use Tax
issue on newspapers - which are similar to software and
shareware in that they are INFORMATION COMMODITIES. Examples:
The state of Virginia taxes the daily deliveries of the out-of-
state Washington Post. The LA Times is taxed by many other
states in which is has distribution. Likewise for USA Today, the
NY Times and the Wall Street Journal. EVERY state which chooses
to exercise a Use Tax for out-of-state publishers has not been
opposed by the newspaper publisher's industry.
In reality the shareware industry is small potatoes when it comes
to anxiety about the Use Tax situation. The BIG mail order
vendors are lobbying heavily against further legislation on this
issue in Congress and the shareware industry will probably
benefit front the clout and deep cash reserves of the industry
to prevent passage of enabling legislation. For the time being,
that is. The shareware industry is obviously along for the ride
in a very BIG STAKES game with some serious players. I doubt
that our industry will be able to affect the outcome much,
but we are along for the ride - like it or not.
Shareware in Hong Kong and Asia....
Probably for the time being Hong Kong and large parts of Asia
represent a VERY poor market for shareware registration
potential. Why? Read the customer survey conducted in Hong Kong
and reprinted in the Letters to the Editor Section of this issue
of SMS. Opened my eyes!
Press release from the ASP....
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Press Contacts:
Gary Elfring Richard Harper
ASP Chairman ASP President
Elfring Soft Fonts RGH Software
PO Box 61 777 Roth St., Norfolk #4
Wasco, IL 60183 Reed City, MI 49677
(708) 377-3520 (616) 832-4694
Association of Shareware Professionals
Welcome 1,000th Member!
MUSKEGON, MI--June 8, 1992--ASP (The Association of
Shareware Professionals) welcomes its 1,000th member,
Mr. Wayland Bruns of JORF Company.
ASP (Association of Shareware Professionals) Chairman Gary
Elfring welcomed the ASP's 1,000th member, Mr. Wayland Bruns,
President of JORF Company, Colton, Oregon.
Board Member Paul Mayer interviewed Mr. Bruns, and asked how he
felt to be welcomed as the 1,000th member. "I'm thrilled!" said
Mr. Bruns. "I've always had a soft spot in my heart for
shareware...and I look up to successful [ASP] shareware authors
as role models of professionalism."
Mr. Bruns' product, JORF, has evolved over the last four years
to its current version. JORF 2.0 is an object-oriented
interpreted computer language for creating small business
applications for DOS and Windows environments, and is
particularly well suited to data processing and accounting
applications.
Wayland is 31 years old and has been programming for over 10
years. JORF is his only shareware program at this time. He is
employed full-time as a dBASE programmer, and he manages his
shareware business part-time.
In his spare time, Wayland enjoys outdoor sports, particularly
backpacking. He's climbed the 11,000-foot Mt. Hood in Oregon,
east of Portland, and is looking forward to his next challenge,
a 12,000-foot mountain.
For more information, contact:
Association of Shareware Professionals
545 Grover Road
Muskegon, MI 49442-9247
Mr. Wayland Bruns
JORF Company
25858 Elwood Road
Colton, OR 97017
(503) 824-5673
CompuServe ID 73607,3026
Changing gears...
Diana Gruber is busy with plans for the new STAR shareware
industry trade group which could provide unusual opportunities
for shareware authors, vendors and users. Some folks have
criticized the new group as a confrontational "anti-ASP"
startup. Hard to say, in my opinion. We DO need MORE avenues for
shareware discussion and marketing affiliations. Public
visibility of shareware is still woefully low. The ASP is one
trade group, Diana's group is simply an additional avenue. We
probably need BOTH. The new group claims it will feature LOW
COST SLIDING FEE DUES, ACCESS TO REAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES,
OPEN DISCUSSION FORUMS and A STELLAR LIST OF ESTABLISHED
SHAREWARE AUTHORS. Why is politics part of shareware? 1) money:
there is very little of that commodity among smaller authors and
struggling vendors and quite a bit of it on the high end among
well established authors and vendors. Money and politics are
simply an age old formula. 2) personalities are strong 3) good
ideas (and bad ones) flow at the speed of light via CompuServe
and email. Politics thrives on communication.
If you are involved in shareware get involved in the politics,
too!
Special thanks to Coultas Marketing (3090 Sumac Rd, Fallbrook,
CA 92028). Quite a few bad and undeliverable addresses have
popped up in the main SMS mailing list due to recession, business
closings and vendors moving to new addresses. Coultas was kind
in sharing a large stack of returned address information which
has been merged into the main SMS mailing list.
Three programs are on disk with this issue of SMS: SISLITE,
SMS EXTRACT and WRITER'S DREAM....
Paul Scanlon of Palmdale, California has just released his new
Shareware Installation System. Honey of a program for shareware
authors. Press release regarding the new system follows:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 6/15/92
New LOW COST, MACHINE CODE installation system uniquely designed
for shareware authors! Machine code speed, fully programmable,
Royalty Free and a BARGAIN PRICE! System is a shareware package.
Paul Scanlon
Scanlon Enterprises
38354 17th St. E.
Palmdale, CA 93550
TEL: (805) 272-4827 COMPUSERVE: 77561,2133
The Shareware Installation System, scheduled for release on
5/19/92 represents a dramatic opportunity for shareware
programmers needing the ultimate SMALL SIZE, LOW COST
PROFESSIONAL installation system for your shareware distribution
disks. Using a copyrighted machine code algorithm, the package
appends your custom installation commands to a TINY highly
configurable machine code COM file program with which your end
users interface. Having a RICH programming language of over 20
custom commands (including variables), the system ensures
ULTIMATE flexibility, TOTAL password protection from end user
tampering and high speed MACHINE CODE BULLET PROOF INSTALLATIONS
for your users. Installation screens are every bit as
professional and smooth as commercial installation products of
similar type but has a MUCH SMALLER COM FILE than similar
packages! Commands are available to fully control screen color,
cursor position, displayed information, get yes/no responses,
get a line of input such as a target path, get destination
drive, change drives, change directories, and MUCH more,
including execution of ANY external program such as self
extracting files, or an un-compression system to extract files,
etc. This tiny program is a fully functional programming system.
The package is shareware.
Special price effective till June 30th, 1992 : $29.95 Price
after June 30th, 1992 is $39.95 Please include $3 for shipping.
CA residents must include tax.
(end of press release)
Second program on disk with this issue of SMS:
In the same vein, Paul has also released a program which
facilitates conversion of the SMS mailing list - currently in
dBase format - to pure ASCII which readers and users request
from time to time. You'll find a copy of his SMS Extract program
elsewhere on the main SMS disks. A nice utility for those who
need a FAST conversion of the SMS mailing list.
Third program on disk with this issue of SMS:
I recently registered a fascinating little product called
Writer's Dream. This tiny jewel is an authoring system which
lets you design product catalogs, shareware disk tutorials and
more. Now, there are other authoring systems out there like
LOOKBOOK, IRIS and COURSEMASTER. This package features TINY size
and RAPID SETUP. The menu system which you generate from
Writer's Dream can also call COM, EXE and BAT files so you can
also branch to other programs, display pictures with a viewer or
whatever. At under 26K in size and 15 minute configuration this
thing is amazing. An automated optional order form printing
program makes blank order form preparation for registrations or
disk vendor ordering forms a snap. From Jeff Napier, Another
Company, POB 298, Applegate, OR 97530.
And just when I thought Writer's Dream was the ultimate
authoring system, Jeff advised me that he is also releasing the
big brother to Writer's Dream called THE MULTIMEDIA WORKSHOP.
This shareware package - available from Jeff or by ordering from
the SMS GOODIES section - is the cats pajamas...
Multimedia Workshop allows anyone to design a complete
presentation on disk including graphics, text, sound effects,
music and animation. Great idea for tutorial systems or training
packages. Main program has 10 scalable fonts, PCX file support,
melody composition, build option, 16 and 256 color palette,
zoom, undo, grid design, coordinate display, on-line help, mouse
and arrow key support, 12 fill patterns, printer support,
spraypaint, pixel editing, ASCII import, timing functions and
more. Incredible programming achievement if you think you want
to design a fresh new package for the shareware or training
market.
Another disk which just arrived is the Disk Mailer. You wonder
why somebody didn't think this one up before. You have a disk
you want to submit to vendors. Most authors grab some envelopes,
print an enclosure sheet, stuff in the disks and mail it out.
Disk Mailer takes the ULTRA LOW BUDGET route and uses your
printer and TWO PLAIN PIECES OF PAPER to produce the mailer,
feedback form, enclosure, the works! Budget oriented which
should make most authors take notice. Obtain from SMS (GOODIES.TXT
section.)
An exceptional shareware package arrived on my desk the other
day that will be making the rounds. SPORT provides "wide area
information transfer and remote resource management." In plain
English this shareware package is a communication program like
nothing you have ever seen. It is designed to facilitate email
and information exchange in a business or workgroup setting (hint:
a group of programmers working collectively on a software project,
a team of marketing and direct mail folks working with a disk
vendor) this package is LOADED. In UNATTENDED mode you can
exchange email, attach files to email, use keywords within
messages to retrieve files, route incoming messages to OTHER
SYSTEMS, compress and decompress files automatically prior to
sending, present daily news summaries related to the project for
all team members, schedule events, design conferences so that
messages are circulated to a planned route, write advanced
scripts, password protect all or any levels. And that is just
part of it. No, this thing is not exactly a BBS - it is a
workgroup software package that runs like a BBS but with more
specific features. Order from SMS (see GOODIES section) or Bob
Ernstthal, Augustine Assoc, 67 Wool St, San Francisco, CA 94110.
415/285-7064. MODEM: 415/648-8120. CIS: 70323,3003.
Quite a few other packages of interest to authors and vendors
have recently arrived. Be sure to check the SMS GOODIES section!
On to news from the government sector...
Amazing but true. How would you like to tap into TONS of free
source code? U.S. Government software programs, prepared at tax-
payer expense are in many cases public domain. If the government
prepares a report, piece of software or item of research it
cannot be copyrighted in most cases. Source Translation and
Optimization has just released their directory of over 10,000
software programs produced by the Government in over 75
different application areas such as CASE tools, expert systems,
accounting, databases, and many other areas. Consider obtaining
the U.S. Government Source Code Directory for $149 plus $7.50
shipping. Available in print or MS-DOS disks. Contact Source
Translation and Optimization, POB 404, Belmont, MA 02178.
617/489-3727.
What's hot? What's not? Shareware disks in the channel . . .
SOFTWARE U.S.A. of Tulsa, Oklahoma reports their top disk
sellers in February and March 1992 were Duke Nukem, Battle Ground
Line Drive Fantasy Baseball, McMurphys Mansion, Pharaos Tomb,
Home Managment II, QTax, Automate, Vacation Planner, HDM IV,
Ultimate Geography and JBT Tools. SOFTWARE U.S.A. is at
4845 S. SHERIDAN, #505, P.O. BOX 471883, TULSA, OK 74147-1883
PHONE 918-481-6533, FAX 918-622-7889. Send them a disk! Good
vendor.
Top 20 programs in Britain and the U.K., according to the May
1992 issue of PC Shareware Magazine were Information Please,
Family Tree Journal, Skyglobe, Beginners Needs, Wampum, Draft
Choice, Page Financial Controller, Power Menu, Regit, 4 DOS,
22NICE/22DISK, A86/D86, Palmistry for all, Windows Icon Tools,
Windows Icons 1, Odyssey, Sharespell, PC Draft CAD, Intermediate
Needs and ImagePrint.
Top ten programs noted in the Spring 1992 edition of Shareware
Express catalog (Ashland, Oregon) were Duke Nukem, Icon Library,
Print Partner, World29, Skyglobe, Zipkey, Recipe Processor, King
of Kroz, Family Fun and Graphic Workshop. Desktop Paint is seen
as a rising star in their catalog and is FAVORABLY making the
rounds in many other vendor's catalogs. Keep an eye on this
package.
Turnabout is fair play department....
I hear this complaint ALL the time - shareware authors gripe
about disk vendors who NEVER respond to their disk submission or
request for information Fair enough. But here is the flip side.
I received a postcard from Brian Nash, author of computer
SoftShop thanking me for a registration received via my
distribution of his program. You will find it listed in the SMS
GOODIES section. The point: how many times do authors gripe
about lack of vendor response but NEVER THANK A VENDOR for
distributing disks or garnering a registration which obviously
came from a particular vendor? As an author I am guilty and I
would guess quite a few other authors are also in the same boat.
Thanks to Brian for showing me that common sense and courtesy
cut both ways.
New technology is out there....
Electronic News, May 25, 1992 edition reports that evolving
silicon technology may lead to etched silicon chips on glass
substrates. Although in formative stages, the idea here is to
incorporate more circuitry for camcorders, laptops and video
games directly ONTO THE GLASS SUBSTRATE OF THE LCD VIEWING
PANEL. Used to be the motherboard of a computer was hooked to
the viewing panel. Soon the viewing panel WILL BE THE
MOTHERBOARD! The economies of scale actually improve the larger
the display becomes. The bigger the panel the cheaper the
overall device! Curiously this new development, was not leading
edge at all but what industry observers call "trailing edge"
technology using "polysilicon fabrication" which can be
implemented at circuit density widths of 1 to 2 microns - old
stuff by today's standards. Amorphous silicon technology is
truly leading edge on chip fab lines. The Japanese and Americans
have invested millions in the newer process while paradoxically
the older polysilicon method holds the key to the glass
substrate chip effort. This may lead to predictable delays in
product delivery. The point for shareware: laptop and palmtop
computers will keep getting smaller and cheaper VERY SOON. And
the need for good inexpensive software (meaning shareware) will
keep growing.
A few notes on changes within the SMS mailing list
(DATABASE.EXE). Load the SMS mailing list into your database
package and sort on the DATA REVISED. Late updates tend to float
to the bottom of the list and older near the top. If you scan
newer updates you will see quite a few new type "E" executive
shareware and corporate shareware users. A juicy one I might
point out is Mr. Herb Drucker, General Manager, Info Services,
American Red Cross in Washington DC (full address in SMS mailing
list.) Herb just registered 2,500 copies of my PC-Learn package
in one of the largest site licenses I have ever sold. Take a
close look at executive and corporate users - sometimes disk
vendors and BBS systems are only the START of your disk
submissions.
Shareware vendors on the move....
Reasonable Solutions of Medford Oregon has finished pouring
foundations for their new 9,000+ square foot office and
warehouse and should move into the facility in July of this
year. Order volume increases have made the move necessary.
Their catalog is printed on recycled paper - a decision I wish
more vendors would make. Their catalog, though small, has some
of the clearest descriptions and best use of color for guiding
readers to new programs and updates.
Jim Thompson of Jim Thompson Enterprises in Anaheim, California
has come up with an interesting marketing wrinkle which authors
SHOULD check out. Shareware customers who send Jim PROOF OF
REGISTRATION for your package and an introductory order of
5 disks, get any 10 disks from his catalog free. It does not
matter if they registered the disk obtained from Jim Thompson or
not! Your disk MUST appear in his catalog for the offer to be
honored. Read the full offer in the letters section and send Jim
Thompson your disk pronto and spread the information to your
registered customers. I think this is a good example of a vendor
honestly trying to help authors get registrations regardless if
the customer obtain the package from him or not. Fascinating
idea.
Southern Enterprises (Rt 6 Box 600, Marion, VA 24354 has just
published their new catalog using version 3.0 of Writer's Dream
which was discussed above. But what is really impressive is
their accompanying demo disk. Most shareware disk vendors just
dump a catalog in the mail to a prospective customer. Southern's
demo disk, also organized using Writer's Dream, is a TIGHT
LITTLE COLLECTION OF SHAREWARE: several games, a floppy disk
cleaner, solitaire, Kroz game and much more. If anything will
get a customer to buy, this thing should. You should check this
out to see how shareware demos SHOULD really be presented. I
have seen lots of klunky promotional demos for shareware from
vendors; this one is simple, clean and really shows a customer
the variety of shareware out there on one 360K disk. Writer's
Dream organizes it into a simple point and shoot system which is
FUN. Disk available from Southern Enterprises or also can be
ordered from the SMS GOODIES section.
Niche market disk vendor: Linda Bloom, 4986 PB Canal Rd, West
Palm Beach, FL 33415. Linda's BBS specializes in Home schooling
and education.
Bet you didn't know that Curt Bruce, owner of disk vendor
operation The Software Shoppe (POB 2440, Matthews, NC 28106) is
in real life a practicing judge! I received a nice note from
Judge Bruce in March sharing concerns and compliments on my PC-
Learn package and SMS. Judge Bruce sits on the bench for the
Mecklenburg County 26th judicial district general court of
justice. Smart cookie and all round nice guy, too. I would be
VERY careful enforcing poorly constructed licensing agreements
with The Software Shoppe! <grin>
American Value (POB 624, Marion, IA 52302) is a new disk vendor
with interesting marketing concepts. They limit their library to
an inventory of only the best shareware, supply retailers
directly rather than focus on mail order, dupe shareware onto name
brand diskettes for better quality control and solicit authors
directly whose programs they wish to carry. Company president is
David Schneider.
I like Automated Systems disk vending operation (POB 192, Little
Falls, NJ 07424 201/812-1427). They have recently released
their perfect party planning package as well as updated their
one-of-a-kind wedding planning package. I receive a nice stream
of registration checks from their operation, but more than that
you have to respect a vendor who is out there producing
shareware in an authorship capacity as well as vending it. You
feel a little kinship from a vendor who is down in the trenches
producing a product just like you. Jane Semeraro, Librarian and
Project Manager, maintains author contact points out that they
have two offices: 287 Lackawanna Ave, Galvin Bldg, West
Paterson, NJ 07424 and 386 Main St., Little Falls, NJ 07424.
Authors should primarily submit disks to the post office box
mentioned in the opening sentence. Keep Automated Systems
updated - I think your registration stream will reflect that
this is a quality vendor.
PD Connection (POB 8454, Westerville, OH 43081) has just shipped
their newly revised catalog on disk and PD Connection
Newsletter. For a one page newsletter, this publication is
short, sweet and simple. Also devoid of the usual typos and
fuzzy graphics I see in most vendor newsletters. The PC
Connection catalog disk is also interesting with a clean
interface than makes searching for a shareware title among ALL
categories FAST and EASY. The beauty of a disk based catalog is
that you can search and sort rapidly, but few vendors really
implement the concept very well. The PD Connection catalog disk
is massive and easy to work with. Order a copy from PD
Connection or obtain from the SMS GOODIES section.
New disk vendor for your consideration - send 'em a disk.
Dorothy Geiger, Geiger Communications, 69 Morse Rd, Columbus, OH
43214. 614/261-8711 FAX: 614/261-0632.
Another new disk vendor with a foreign address is Brian Rondel,
Rondel Direct, POB 47, Lawson, NSW Australia 2783. tel (047)
592145.
A smaller disk vendor going into operation in the Washington, DC
area for your consideration: Catherine Cooper, 1258 Talbert St
SE, Washington, DC 20020. The Washington DC area is home to a
LOAD of government offices and potential customers for your
shareware. My shareware disks went out in the mail to Catherine
ASAP.
A new disk vendor worth consideration is WTL Technology Inc (255
Duncan Mill Rd, Ste 305, Toronto, ONT, Canada M3B 3H9 416/445-
6544). Manger Joseph Wong notes that his company specializes in
procuring shareware and related programs for distribution in the
Far East. In Hong Kong they own Shareware Technology, Inc. which
distributes to Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and other regions
of Asia. Submissions preferred in 3.5 inch disk format if
possible.
Another disk vendor within the asian shareware market is PC
Software Publishing (372-K, Lorong 1, Hilir Garden, Ujong Pasir,
Melaka 75050 Malaysia.) A detailed letter from PC Software
Publishing highlighting that market is contained in the letters
to the editor section of this edition of SMS.
CWI disk vendors of Anaheim, CA has spruced up their catalog
with a new full color cover showing screen dumps of some of the
best and brightest shareware packages. Internally their catalog
remains as useful as ever - good index of titles in the back,
solid and logical customer order forms, clear markings on
packages which are new and updated. I receive a good stream of
registrations from CWI on my packages so can only echo the old
refrain.... Send them a disk. POB 4851, Anaheim, CA 92803.
800/777-5636.
Wagner Enterprises (5271 Newton Falls Rd, Ravenna, OH 44266
216/297-9330) is featuring a 20% discount on disks ordered by
shareware authors and vendors. No time limit. No quantity limit.
VISA and MC ok. Obtain a copy of their latest catalog - from the
SMS GOODIES section or direct from Wagner Enterprises. Tollfree:
800/888-WAGS.
Your-Way Shareware is another new operation headed by Larry
McGee (POB 1009, Plattsburgh, NY 12901). This operation features
an interesting wrinkle in offering end users savings by allowing
a choice of either uncompressed shareware or compressed versions
with price varying depending on file size. Sensible idea.
Instructions provided on disk and paper to assist customers
unpacking software items. All four media size diskettes will be
offered at no additional charge to customers - only file size
determines final price. A unique electronic catalog will
automatically total the customer order. Customers preferring a
paper catalog will have that option. Authors may request EXACT
descriptions in the catalog - not just edited versions produced
by staff. Collect phone calls accepted from authors (518/562-
8124). Larry McGee, Wendy McGee, Brian Rivers, Paul Edwards.
Tsunami Software (POB 8015-345, Redondo Beach, CA 90277) has
expanded their catalog to include a larger variety of titles. In
addition, their custom instant credit offer form continues: $100
instant credit account with their operation. Fill out the credit
application, pay only $25 per month on outstanding balance and
$25 on first customer order. Haven't seen many vendors going
this route.
Shareware outlet owner Thomas Bookhamer (713 - 110th Ave NE, Ste
207, Bellevue, WA) continues his relentless expansion march. Two
more new retail storefronts are planned in the Pacific Northwest
this quarter - one in a large local shopping mall. ALWAYS send
Shareware Outlet a disk - they are one of the quiet growth
companies with MASSIVE disk sales volume.
Micro Technology (21 Vintage Drive, East Windsor, NJ 08520) is
broadening its product line to include full computer systems at
attractive prices plus motherboards and subassemblies. A good
way to broaden cash flow in an otherwise crowded market.
Mr. Disk shareware vendors (5915 Casey Drive, Knoxville, TN
37909) has an unusual niche. They work with a small but solid
collection of shareware and place their collection in small
bookstores, off price malls and rack jobber operations. They
must be expanding their outlets all over the place because my
registrations for Mr. Disk have really taken off in the last 2
months. As the shareware disk vending business becomes ever more
competitive, niche marketing and sub-niche marketing is appearing
a necessary option. Mr. Disk does a GOOD job for me in securing
registrations for my PC-Learn - drop them a sample of your
program.
The Ziff-Davis marketing touch is in full bloom in the latest
Public Brand Software Catalog (POB 51315, Indianapolis, IN
46251). Ziff writer PRESTON GRALLA, frequent PC/Computing writer
and author to the PC/Computing Guide to Shareware, graces the
pages of the latest PBS catalog with a detailed two page
article on shareware solutions to supercharge DOS. In a clever
marketing wrinkle, PBS makes available a 32 disk set of every
program mentioned in Preston's article for $119. Neat trick -
write an article which "namedrops" a variety of shareware
targeted at improving DOS and then create a "bundled package"
containing those programs. The Environmental Protection Agency
is also pumping out a lot of shareware disks for the PBS
catalog. Esoteric stuff like surface water information, lead
contamination, pesticide storage and such. I'm not sure how
valuable this is to the average shareware user, but you have to
admit this is a distinction in that PBS was selected as the
primary distributor for this series of shareware disks which
were developed at Purdue University. In related news, page 14
of the April 1992 issue of PC Shareware Magazine reports that
PBS was rumored to have signed a special 14 page contract with
the developers of Xtree to secure distribution rights for the
famous Xtree product.
Software Express (3880 Kiesel Ave, Ogden, UT 84405) has an
interesting wrinkle. Arrangements have been made with Iomega
Corporation which manufactures the popular Bernoulli Disk Drive,
to distribute a new 90 megabyte shareware demonstration disk to
EACH of their customers. Copies could be sent out to over 20,000
customers in the next year. Check out the details in the letters
to the editor section of SMS elsewhere in this issue.
ASP membership revoked....
Page 10 of the April 1992 edition of PC Shareware Magazine notes
that R Fringe Software of Tallahasee, Florida has been expelled
from the ASP due to complaints about failure to supply software
after receipt of registrations fees.
Problem disk vendors....
Louis Puccio, a shareware author based in New York spotted a
couple of disk vendors with, shall we say, curious business
practices:
Home Office Technologies at 10985 Pinehigh Drive, Alpharetta, GA
30201 sent Louis a shipment of disks which he ordered. Problems
were numerous. Some disks contained outdated programs from as
far back as 1987. Files and some disks were unreadable - out of
alignment drives or poorly maintained disk duping equipment
could be the culprit here. Very small files and unfilled disks
contained tiny programs. Formatting shareware packages
advertised with features (360K and 800K format) which were
inoperable or not offered by the package. Catalog disk not
protected by appropriate diskette sleeves. Pretty poor
impression....
Another trouble spot was Matrix Software, 3308 W. 22nd St,
Lawrence, KS 66047 9134/841-0121 (Catalog regarding this
vendor ordered from RA Wolfert, POB 293772, Lewisville, TX
75029. Magazine advertisements state shareware disks available
at 89 cents each. After getting the catalog you notice that this
price is good for members only. Everyone else pays $2.00 per
disk which is not stated in the ad. Bait and switch? You decide.
Passings and job changes....
With some sadness I must share that Jim Goode of The Technical
Group (Springfield, IL - address in SMS mailing list) died
unexpectedly in March of this year. The Technical Group is a
solid disk vendor operation which also publishes the Micro
Moonlighter Newsletter and offers sensational job training
seminars featuring shareware to the likes of the Illinois Bell
Telephone Company and Ameritech Corporation. Jack Carson is Vice
President of the Technical Group and can also be reached at CIS
70274,3274. We will remember Jim Goode as a tremendously
creative guy with a great sense of humor. Jim promoted shareware
honestly and with a great deal of vigor.
Charles "Luke" Lukey, longtime marketing director for
Expressware, maker of File Express and other fine packages, has
left that post for other assignments. We wish him well.
A while ago several disk vendors asked me if I had recommendations
for sources of portable exhibit equipment for things like trade
shows, flea markets, seminars and conventions. You bet....
Featherlite Exhibits, 7300 - 32nd Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55427.
800/328-4827 ext 1490. Or 612/537-5533.
Magic Frame, 12700 SE Crain Hwy, Brandywine, MD 20613 800/638-
0980.
Professional Displays, 746 Arrowgrand, Covina, CA 91722
800/222-6838.
Skyline Displays Inc, 1301 Cliff Rd E., Burnsville, MN 55337.
800/328-2725.
The Godfrey Group, POB 10247, Raleigh, NC 27605. 919/544-6504.
Downing Displays, 115 W. McMicken Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45210.
800/543-7075.
What about PRODUCT display equipment? Equipment like packaging,
rotating disk racks for stores, pegboard setups, plastic stack
caddies. Contact Siegel Display Products at POB 95, Minneapolis,
MN 55440. 612/340-1493. Neat stuff galore for disk vendors
getting into rack display or jobber sales.
Next a source for paper products like nothing you've ever seen!
Over 147 different laser papers! Foils, envelopes, tinted
papers. You could make some great catalogs, disk mailers or even
press releases with this stuff. Paper Direct, POB 618, 205 Chubb
Ave, Lundhurst, NJ 07071-0618 800/A-PAPERS. If you want either
ordinary or REALLY EXOTIC PAPER STOCK these guys have it.
I stumbled onto another interesting resource the other day.
Tollfree order taking. Basically a 800 tollfree number manned 24
hours a day to provides services for shareware authors like inbound
telemarketing, order taking, referrals (tell caller nearest
source for product), ad response. AAB Communications, 2809
Wayzata Blvd, Minneapolis, MN 55405. 800/243-9712.
Disk Vendors: doing MONSTER catalog printing runs that your
local printer is overcharging for? If you have really LARGE
production runs and want bottom prices go to Dinner+Klein, 600
S. Spokane St, POB 3814, Seattle, WA 98124 206/682-2494. Custom
printing with some smaller catalogs runs as low as 7.5 cents
each. Tollfree 800/234-6637.
Want tape cassettes of the Summer Shareware Seminar?
All of the 1992 Summer Shareware Seminar sessions will be taped
and made available on cassette. You won't miss a word in either
track. Attend Friday's beginner's track and later on catch
every bit of advice offered during the experienced track.
Attend the author's track on saturday and later listen to every
detail of saturday's distributor's track. You'll hear every
suggestion, tip, discussion and get the information you need to
make your business more successful.
Prices for tapes are as follows:
When Ordered When Ordered
Before Or During After June 21
The SSS
Single Tape $9.95 $12.95
n Track
(3 tapes) $19.95 $30.00
Complete
SSS
(11 tapes) $79.95 $125.00
Please add $5.00 for ground shipment, $15 for second day air and
$25.00 for next day air. For air mail outside North America
please add $10.00 for Europe and Africa or $20.00 for Asia and
Australia. Tapes will be shipped as soon as they are
duplicated.
Steve Hudgik, Homecraft
P.O. Box 974
Tualatin, OR 97062
FAX (503) 692-0382 CIS 71450,254
There's an order form in file TAPES.ZIP in LIB 0. Download this
file, print out the form and fill it out. Take advantage of the
price break for early orders.
The tapes will be professionally mass duplicated beginning on
Monday, June 22nd. To take advantage of the discount price we
must receive your order before 12 noon (pacific time) on Monday,
June 22nd.
Magazines and Publications you didn't know existed....
Shareware Magazines are proliferating in quantity and quality.
Newly released Alternative Personal Computing from Australia is
a nicely prepared publication from Sarwax Pty and Budgetware. The
premiere April 1992 issue provided detailed views of the Boxer
text editor, Formula 1 algebra program, JW Olsen's global view
of shareware, game reviews, archiving utilities and beginners
tutorials. Subscriptions and correspondence can be sent to
Alternative Computing Magazine, POB 1075, Maroubra, NSW 2035,
Australia. Readers of the first issue received a coupon good for
one free disk from Budgetware. Nice idea.
George Margelis, owner of Budgetware Australia and I had dinner
together when George was in town a few weeks ago. Several trends
are evolving in the "down under" continent. George has noticed
quite an increase in new disk vendor operations. The bad news is
that the turnover in Australia seems especially high with quite
a few smaller vendors starting up and then quietly fading away
within a few months. I have also seen several startups in
neighboring New Zealand. The bad news is that turnover tends to
sour customers about our industry. The good news is that
shareware is assuming higher visibility in that part of the
world and disk submissions are in order since, as an English
speaking country, shareware packages need no translation in most
cases.
Another new magazine on the scene is the delightful Shareware
Update published by Mike Comish and the Software Excitement!
crowd of Oregon. The premiere issue was a colorful and nicely
balanced presentation of new packages such as Easy Format, the
Integral Scientist, Readfast, The Age of Aquarium and others.
A detailed CompuServe tutorial, games review and programmer's
corner with the Hardin Brothers made for a nicely balanced
magazine. Though not yet as big as Shareware Magazine from PC-
SIG nor as comprehensive as PC Shareware Magazine from the U.K,
this is a well crafted publication. Subscriptions are $19.95.
Contact Shareware Update Magazine, Subscriptions Department, POB
2454, White City, OR 97503-9901.
A little off the beaten path from shareware are several unique
trade journals worth subscriptions:
MAST Magazine. Mailing and Shipping Technology for the Industry
Professional. Hardcore information on packaging, shipping,
postal equipment and services. Barcodes, labelling, packaging,
ZIP code plus 4 and postnet options. If you are a disk vendor
READ THIS THING! Authors should also take a look. Recent
articles includes environmental packaging considerations, high
volume sorting, key account reps in the industry, ways to save
postage, chosing a barcode printer, cost effective supplies for
shipping and MUCH MORE. Free trial subscription. Contact MAST,
RB Publishing, 6000 Gisholt Drive, Ste 201, Madison, WI 53713-
4816. 608/221-8730 FAX: 608/221-0263. HOT item!
In the same vein, get a free copy of the MAILERS SOFTWARE
CATALOG. Software for zip code mapping, mailing list databases,
postage optimization software, zip+4 sorting. Some disks include
demographic research, zip code boundary software, even gender
sorting (separate male and female customers from a common list.)
Weird and useful stuff for those in the mail order business.
There is even one that personalizes mailing lists and adds
latest postal rules and rate structures to your existing
software. Another hot item is the street atlas. Type in a zip
code and see a map of that city location - anywhere in USA! Get
this NOW. Contact Melissa Data Corporation, 32122 Paseo
Adelanto, San Juan Capistrono, CA 92675-3600 800/443-8834.
Borland is offering a free introductory copy of their excellent
BORLAND LANGUAGE EXPRESS Magazine to those who ask. Current
circulation has topped 1,000,000 readers worldwide, according to
Borland. Featuring articles on topics such as C++ frameworks,
Objectvision, DLL technology and constructing Windows aps, this
is a hot item. Obviously the ads run heavily in praise of
Borland software technology, but useful source code and
programming ideas are scattered throughout the magazine. Get a
free intro issue: Borland Language Express, 1800 Green Hills Rd,
POB 660005, Scotts Valley, CA 95067-0005. Publisher: Brian
Anderson. Editor: David Intersimone.
Electronic News is another great hardcore magazine. Request a
reader card and fill it out to get a subscription. High end news
about chip technology, emerging government contracts in the
electronic marketplace, battles and emerging alliances between
chip manufacturers, what new technology to expect and more. Most
programmers like to study source code. Electronic news is
focused on market trends and semiconductor news. Why
bother? Because if you can spot a trend early which relates to
an emerging chip, device or company you might get the jump on a
new shareware package. Electronic News, by Electronic News
Publishing, International Data Group, 488 Madison Ave, NY, NY
10022.
Moving further up the power curve to a magazine you
may NOT understand is Computer Design: Technology and Design
Directions. This thing is loaded with deep articles about ASIC
design, RISC technology, backplane standards - chip design
concepts that make software technology look like child's play in
comparison. This thing discusses what is going on BEYOND the
cutting edge in electronics. Why read it? 1) you might qualify
for a free copy 2) lots of software is discussed and there might
be shareware opportunities 3) most of your competitors will
simply lack the IQ to get through this magazine which may leave
you with some very fertile ideas for shareware. Contact:
Computer Design, Circulation Department, BOX 3466, Tulsa, OK
74101-3466. Ask for a reader qualification/questionnaire card.
Shareware authors having an interest in telecommunications and
networking on a grand scale should read another free magazine
(free if you qualify on the reader qualification card.)
Communications week covers LANS, WANS, marketing, internetworking
and suppliers for that industry. Hackers who code shareware with
LAN or WAN capabilities will find this a good piece.
Communicatons Week, by CMP Publications, 600 Community Drive,
Manhasset, NY 11030.
Windows Tech Journal is the definitive source if you use C, C++,
Pascal, Actor, Smalltalk or Visual Basic. Annual Subscription is
$29.95. Contact: Windows Tech Journal, POB 70087, Eugene, OR
97401.
Working with Borland C++ and trying to put Windows Aps together?
Get a copy of Windows Graphics programming with Borland C++.
$29.95. John Wiley and Sons Inc, POB 6793, Dept 063, Someset, NJ
08875. Very well done.
Another hot book for programmers is TSRific which helps you
write TSR programs which are small, swap to EMS or XMS, use
under 14K no matter how large your program is, restore screens,
are tolerant to interrupt conflicts, have user selectable hot
keys and more. South Mountain Software, 76 S. Orange Ave, South
Orange, NJ 07079. 201/762-6965.
Computer Language is an excellent overview magazine for all
professional programmers. On most newsstands or write to
Computer Language, POB 51258, Boulder, CO 80321
A bit more specific is the Windows/DOS Developers Journal which,
as the name suggests, appeals to the Window-holics among us.
Write to 1601 W. 23rd St, Suite 200, POB 3127, Lawrence, KS 66046.
A weird but useful resource for marketing types is the Lead
Sheet. This slick little publication covers new business
formations, DBA and AKA (doing business as and also known as)
fictitious names, contact names and phone numbers for new
businesses, listings by SIC code such as all new restaurants,
all greenhouses, etc. Write to County Data Corp., 136 West Canal
St, POB 428, Winooski, VT 05404. 800/232-2134 (west coast,
tollfree) 800/545-3237 (east coast tollfree.)
Moving away from the subject of the business of shareware to a
philosophy of business....
Succeeding in business, any business, is a hot topic these days.
The ultimate entrepreneur when it comes to success is T. Boone
Pickens, chairman of Mesa Petroleum. Shareware authors and disk
vendors would do well to ponder his advice for success: "Learn to
analyze well. There is no substitute for good research and
common sense. These skills let you assess risk and options.
Second: Don't be afraid to act. The biggest problem in
government and business is the fear of making a decision and
assuming risk. I call it the ready aim...aim....aim...aim....
aim...syndrome. You have to be willing to pull the trigger.
Third: be a team player. Know your organization and give it your
support. Fourth: practice moderation in all that you do in work
and play. Don't believe the myth that you have to slight your
wife and kids to succeed. Fifth: stay physically fit. One more
thing, once you do succeed don't let it go to your head. Success
is like the tide and can change quickly." Source - Marketplace
radio program, National Public Radio, June, 1992.
Small details count...
A few years back I noticed a small policy at PC-SIG then a
policy reversal then a reversal again. PC-SIG, in the good old
days, used to offer authors submitting shareware disks for
evaluation one free disk from their library as a matter of good
will. A short line on the bottom of their submission form
allowed the author to select a free disk. Nothing big. Just a
small detail. The practice was discontinued for a time and then
reinstated. Now it's off again. The latest message from Victoria
Irwin of the PC-SIG library says "We regret dropping the free
disk offer, but like many others we are making certain
recessionary cutbacks." The new submission form lacks the free
disk offer. What does it mean? Not much in terms of larger
shareware issues but one might draw the conclusion that there is
pressure of disk vendors both large and small to contain costs.
Just when you thought the Summer Shareware Seminar in Indianapolis
was the ONLY event worth attending...
Along comes the ultimate software marketing seminar:
Distribution Day '92 - Changing channels, a seminar on software
distribution. Slated for June 30, 1992 at the Hyatt Regency
Hotel in Bellevue Washington, this is the premiere COMMERCIAL
software marketing seminar. Hosted by the Washington Software
Association the event features presentations on software
marketing strategies to Superstores and Mass merchants, taking
advantage of specialty retailing, selecting partnerships in
software marketing, pursuing VAR channels, changes in the mail
order channel and more. Why bother? We are a shareware channel,
right? Not really anymore. Shareware products are evolving into
commercial products and need commercial marketing ideas.
Commercial software firms are testing the shareware channel. By
thinking that shareware is the ONLY affordable channel worth
marketing into, you might be missing the boat! Example: my PC-
Learn package will be released in France as a purely commercial
product. Buttonware has shifted PC-File from shareware to
commercial channels. VP-Info shifted from commercial to
shareware. Same for Xtree. For information on this seminar
contact the Washington Software Association, 18804 North Creek
Parkway, STE 112, Bothell, WA 98011 206/483-3323. $295 for non
members or $195 for WSA members. Why so expensive? Good info
doesn't come cheap and the guest speakers are world class
software marketers who don't work for pennies on the dollar....
If that seminar in addition to the SSS doesn't throw you into
information overload, there is yet another seminar to consider:
SOFTWARE LICENSING AGREEMENTS: A COMPREHENSIVE CONTRACT WORKSHOP
FOR SOFTWARE BUYERS, VENDORS AND DEVELOPERS. Slated for
presentation during multiple presentations during the month
of July, 1992 in U.S. cities including Seattle, Los Angeles,
Dallas, San Diego, Chicago and Southfield, Michigan this seminar
covers topics such as trade secrets, copyright, maintenance
agreements, source code escrow contracts, site licensing, patent
protection, viruses, support contracts and much more. Software
available at the seminar includes QUICKFORM which generates
complete contract agreements after you answer a few simple
questions about the type of agreement and clauses and conditions
which the contract should cover. For information contact Sequoia
Corporation, 2001 - 16th St NW, Suite 406, Washington DC 20009
202/955-9373 FAX: 202/955-9371.
Interested in a seminar revolving around programming tools and
technologies? Software Development '92. Hardcore exhibits and
presentations on tools for coding and software production for
programmers. Sept 14 through Sept 18, World Trade Center,
Boston. Contact: Software Development Conferences and Shows, POB
7797, San Francisco, CA 94120.
For database developers the name of the game is competition.
Consider attending the 1992 Developers Competition to be held
October 9th and 10th of this year in North Carolina. Watch or
participate as 43 teams of the best and brightest developers and
products solve complex programming assignments in real time
under tight deadlines. $10,000 in cash prizes, $150,000 in
software and hardware prizes, participation online via CIS if you
cannot make it in person. Competing products include Clipper,
Blinker, Cobol, Macintosh, 4th Dimension, FoxPro, Advance
Revelation, DataEase, dBase IV and many more. For more
information log onto CompuServe and download DCMP92.ZIP from the
DBA forum, library 1. The competition is held in conjunction
with the Software '92 Seminar which features workshops relating
to software marketing, personnel, exporting, legal concerns and
software design. Advertisements are now appearing for the effort
in Databased Advisor Magazine and Midnight Engineering Magazine.
By the way, North Carolina is home of over 1,000 software
development companies. Many cluster in what is known as the
Research Triangle Park. Attendance estimates are for 180
developers from around the world to be there as well as 500
regional developers, 2,000 corporate representatives and about
600 attendees for panel discussions such as Borland, Microsoft
and Nantucket. More info: Droege Computing, 1816 Front St, Ste
130, Durham, NC 27705. 919/383-9749.
Speaking of Droege Computing, note an interesting trend. That
company started in medical software development but has branched
rapidly into shareware and now offers a large variety of
packages and a unique medical shareware catalog with over 100
titles. If you are providing medical shareware, send Droege a
disk soon. Their catalog can be obtained for $4.95. Also note
that Droege now produces a 23 page monthly newsletter for their
customers which discusses uses for software and shareware in
their medical market niche. A nicely researched article in the
most current edition presents the use of W. Edwards Deming's 15
quality points as applied to software development. Hot issue.
Contact Droege for a copy. Author submissions should be directed
to Mike Hillerbrand.
Vendor tip....
A few weeks ago my good friend Fred Howard asked how he would go
about obtaining names and addresses of new computers owners. A
useful question which both authors and vendors seeking new
customers for catalog mailings have probably pondered. There are
a LOT of ways this could be done, but a simple route which
should work is covered in my response back to Fred:
Probably the BEST way to accomplish request is to dig through
large magazine like COMPUTER SHOPPER and pull out good list of
middle and small size computer sellers in states like Florida,
Arizona, California, Texas (high density states, lots of
retirees, high consciousness of technology). Next type in
addresses to a database and compose a short note for final
output on cheap postcards. Your note says you are SMALL software
programmer willing to buy mailing list of new computer owners
and willing to pay xx cents per name for list. Your purpose is
to mail samples of your software and if they have questions, you
will mail the computer store in question a sample of your software
so they can be sure this is not a poor quality offering. Mail out
about 250 cheap postcards and I'll bet you would get 5 or ten
responses from computer sellers and VARS.
Let's talk about shareware authors....
Former ASP president Paul Mayer is a sharp cookie. Paul uses a
little technology to make his home operated business seem large
and professional. An old XT is equipped with a Big Mouth voice-
mail board handles all incoming calls. Callers first receive a
welcome message and are then invited to press touchtone button 2
for order placement, 3 for pricing, 4 for tech support (this
option actually leads to a recorded message giving the 900
number/pay for support) or 5 for pre-sale enquiries (which Paul
answers personally.) If Paul is away from the office, the voice-
mail says all lines are busy and offers to take the customer's
telephone number noting that a call will be returned in about 20
minutes. The computer then dials Paul's pocket pager which
alerts Paul to call in for the message. Paul unloads the message
using a password code which accesses the voice-mail system. The
machine also has an audible speaker which Paul can use to answer
calls immediately or allow the machine to process. Pretty Neat.
Source: PC Shareware Magazine, April 1992.
Shareware author Fred Howard (POB 1, Ortonville, MI 48462
313/627-3111) produces some quality packages - his Typedos DOS
tutorial/training system is a solid product making the rounds.
He also produces Datapro which provides drills and training for
data entry training. A little background is interesting. Fred
was a professor of communication at the General Motors Institute
from 1960 to 1970 and in 1962 started a mail order pet supply
business. In 1970 he quit GMI to concentrate solely on his
private enterprise and eventually built an office building and
warehouse which had expanded to 4,000 square feet by 1979 and
served over 250,000 customers. The man obviously knows direct
mail marketing and had customers and profits to prove it! By
1983 he had sold the business and started teaching computer
applications programs at the Michigan Computer institute before
retiring in 1991. I mention all of this to prove a point. We
have quite a few highly knowledgeable folks out there more than
happy to share information and EXPERIENCED in direct mail
marketing, of which shareware is only one variation.
Shareware author David Berdan owns Expressware - providers of
File Express and other packages. His submissions packet to disk
vendors is the BEST in the business. Professional feedback
postcard you send back to stay on his mailing list. Professional
disks with SOLID professional labels. PRINTED BOOKLET with
short, medium and long descriptions, phone numbers, company
history, screen dumps of the programs, instructions for BBS and
clubs, licensing requirements. Even an enclosure card explaining
that disks are compressed and require unpacking commands. I wish
more authors went this extra mile. Expressware obviously adds the
final touches at the VENDOR end of the business as well as the
customer end. One word to describe this: ORGANIZED. By the way,
here's a little marketing tip that Expressware uses: if a user
group or computer club publishes a review of their product in
that club's newsletter, a free REGISTERED copy is sent so that a
raffle or door prize can be made at the next club meeting.
Pretty clever inducement, don't you think?
Next, for those joining SMS for the first time, the newsletter
information from the previous edition of SMS...
--------------------------------------------------------------
Newsletter: Spring 1992 Edition
--------------------------------------------------------------
Seattle is overcast at this time of year. The pace is slow and
the potted geraniums inside my house rely on an early Spring.
Seattle is an improbable place for the silicon collar workers
who populate the algorithm foundries at Microsoft, Aldus,
Buttonware, Quicksoft and the raft of local high tech ventures
who live and breathe for two reasons: produce code, market code.
I usually extract core information for SMS from industry
sources: shareware disk catalogs, press releases, telephone
conversations with key vendors, contacts with authors and
CompuServe messages. Hardcore idea surfing.
It's curious, then, that the theme for this issue came from the
February 19 edition of a local community newspaper, Eastside
Week. A cover note promised an article on the high tech industry
by Robert X. Cringley who writes for Infoworld Magazine and is,
according to computer industry insiders, the ultimate computer
industry insider. Cringley rarely writes about shareware. This
time something buried in the article struck me.
Cringley suggests you have to go back to the classic comic strip
Pogo, the wise and witty possum of the Sunday comic strip which
originated during a time in America when comic strips had
something to say. One passage from a Pogo strip has the frazzled
possum opine: "We have met the enemy and he is us."
Everybody has heard this classic line at one time or another.
But it is the next panel which reveals something about
shareware. Pogo simply observes, "We are surrounded by
insurmountable opportunity." Here's what I deduce from Chairman
Pogo:
The computer industry is the penultimate high frontier. It is
where we are heading and will continue to head into the near and
distant future. By obvious connection, shareware will continue
to play an explosively larger role as more people acquire VERY
inexpensive computers. 40 million computers are in consumer
hands with more soon to be purchased. The insurmountability in
this equation is that commercial software has the high ground
while shareware, with its higher value and broader selection,
languishes in relative marketing obscurity. That may be
changing, however. If we can fix the problems, that is.
For authors, an "insurmountability factor" arises from the vast
quantity of shareware packages in place with which they MUST
compete. A contrarian approach offers stunning market potential.
Careful niche market research for untapped buyers and poorly
programmed packages reveals financial return in tantalizing
proximity. The same goes for shareware disk vendors who can spot
a precise niche amidst the hundreds of other vendors. There are
only two choices in this business: grow or decline. There are no
plateaus. Shareware can be volatile. And lucrative.
An opportunity factor involves a key window of time: one or two
years. The time it takes any vendor or author to stay in the
saddle with a package or vending operation before financial
return kicks in. You can get into shareware for a few pennies.
But for large income potential you have to STAY in and market
cleverly. In some ways shareware is not yet a commodity item. In
other ways it has moved past commodity status to a higher
marketing frontier: anyone can play the game now that compilers,
computers and a little cash is all it takes to do shareware.
Insurmountable change. As soon as you have finished coding your
package, printing your vendor catalog and shipping your orders,
a newer compiler, mailing list, stack of author disk submissions
or whatever puts you back at square one. No sooner have you
finished the job when, insurmountably, you must start improving
again. Excrutiating change. Probably faster than the commercial
software market. Which can be an opportunity to leave your
competitors in the dust if you think about it.
Don't ignore the opportunity factor. The rates of return on
shareware disk vending and authoring can be VERY good. 500% to
1000% markup or return on investment is not uncommon to hot
vending and programming operations. There can never be ONE Bill
Gates of the shareware industry when in fact MANY of us can
become Bill Gates simultaneously.
Another insurmountable opportunity. The try before you buy
nature of shareware. How can authors REALLY encourage users to
register the shareware they use? There are ways. In a future
edition of SMS we'll discuss some options.
For shareware USERS insurmountable opportunity also arises from
too many shareware packages to compare, too much atrocious
documentation, too many bugs and too much opportunity for a
really great package to be lost for lack of adequate marketing.
And that sinking feeling that computers and shareware can
produce vast productivity increases but the average user cannot
understand common shareware fixtures like self-extracting
files, readme documentation and authors who have moved with no
forwarding address. This could be the lingering insurmountable
opportunity which continues to weaken this business - I don't see
many folks repairing the damage in this area. Not the BBS
systems, not the computer clubs, not the ASP and not the
vendors. Shareware is GREAT stuff. Unfortunately that isn't good
enough, given the state of the industry from the user's
perspective. Even this is an opportunity for the right vendor or
author.
Here I would have to change the wording from insurmountable
opportunity to inevitable opportunity. Pogo was half right and
half wrong.
For the record, Robert X. Cringley's book is aptly titled
Accidental Empires: How the boys of Silicon valley make their
millions, battle foreign competition and still can't get a date.
Published by Addison Wesley. Get a copy if you want to
understand the computer industry and where it will be in the
years ahead.
Cringley, a former journalism professor at Stanford reveals that
in fact Robert X. Cringley is a pseudonymn and in fact the third
person to write under that byline for Infoworld.
Other tantalizing Cringley insights include the following:
"Marketing is the stimulation of long term demand by solving
customer problems . . . . Four major trends are about to shift
PC users into warp speed: standards-based computing, RISC
processors, advanced semiconductors, and the death of the
mainframe." Where does this fit into the shareware scheme of
things? A pattern emerges:
Cringley asserts the mainframe will fade from history at exactly
midnight, December 31, 1999 because original program source code
for millions of dollars of mainframe software has been lost in
shifting from one mainframe to another after years of use. Many of
these mission critical software programs have key algorithms
missing which can deal with date changes from the 20th to 21st
century. Original mainframe programmers did not suspect that their
programs would outlive them. This is serious stuff with a
mainframe payroll or accounting system. The mainframe date
algorithm bug and the lack of source code virtually dooms many
mainframes since businesses will have to trash their software,
start from scratch with new source code and move to a desktop,
mini or microcomputer environment. Either that or attempt
"digital archeology" by reverse engineering and updating antique
code. Cringley is on to something that sounds very beneficial for
the shareware industry. Mainframes will fade. Desktops will
blossom. And everyone will be scrounging for GOOD software.
As we approach the year 2000, chips will be faster and smaller
than our current workhorse CPU's. This will be VERY good for
shareware. The more people who have computers, the more
shareware opportunities there will be. Simple logic tells us that
shareware, for reasons of cost, availability and no-nonsense
"try before you buy" licensing will eventually grab greater
market share - if author's and vendors don't muddle things too
badly in the meantime.
The state of the art Intel 80486 contains 1.2 million
transistors. The 80586 will have three million transistors.
Extrapolating out, and there are no technical reasons why this
is not possible, we could have 96 million transistors on a CPU
chip by the year 2,000 - according to Cringley. The processing
power dropped in our laps will be off the scale. With this much
power one can hardly imagine the type of shareware we will be
able to create. And sell.
Turning the news about advanced silicon chips upside down, my
suspicion is that commercial software companies will suddenly
find small shareware companies as competitors in a global market
since chips, programming languages, exploding niche market
opportunities and new interfaces will create even more wealth
for astute shareware authors and vendors.
Cringley also chronicles the decline of new blood in the
software and hardware industry which indirectly spells more good
news for the shareware sector. The pioneers who develop
operating systems and hardware are in their middle age. New
university graduates and immigrant engineers only flesh out an
existing technical force. It's not that we have too much old
blood, it's that shareware will become the underlying software
plasma as talented programmers find that, with the right
marketing mix, there really is money to be made in shareware. If
they are willing to REALLY work at it.
Let's conclude by saying all signs point to a busy horizon for
shareware. Three things will count for success in the shareware
industry: 1) Product quality, 2) marketing savvy and 3) global
connections to agents, authors and vendors. Let's move away from
the future and into the present . . .
Several news items popped up on my desk which will have
SIGNIFICANT impact on the shareware industry.
The recent implementation by CompuServe of a new basic rate
package priced at a flat $7.95 per month will bring DRAMATIC
change to the shareware industry. If authors and vendors see the
potential, that is. The new flat rate package allows for
transmission of about 60 messages per month to Compuserve
members plus receiving an unlimited number of messages. Similar
messaging capabilities allow you to send a FAX anywhere in
North America - including Mexico and Canada - for about $1.00
per page using your modem to transmit an ASCII file; no need to
own a FAX machine or FAX board! This change alone could allow
authors and vendors to "dicker and deal" on a global scale for
SERIOUS financial return!
Until now the "pay as you go" plan at CompuServe has deterred
many shareware authors and vendors from frequent messaging.
Information sharing and timely market flow is the lifeblood of
any software marketing strategy. The picture of a global
shareware community of authors and vendors able to keep in touch
inexpensively is now a REAL possibility. For example, two days
after I converted my membership to the new plan, I began sending
FREQUENT messages to Steve Lee, British publisher of PC
Shareware Magazine as well as Nick Thompson, UK shareware agent
for many authors. We'll talk more about Nick and Steve later,
but the point is that I am contacting key shareware movers
and shakers in the United Kingdom for pennies in communication
costs compared to the equivalent FAX, postal, telephone or old
CompuServe pricing system. Bytes don't get much cheaper than
this.
Obviously CompuServe designed the package in response to similar
flat rate deals at America Online and Prodigy, but this new
package which also includes access to other basic services such
as Grollier's Online Encyclopedia, Peterson's college search
database, Consumer Reports, news, weather, games, shopping and
their incredibly useful CompuServe Magazine. By the way, my
personal CIS ID number is: 72020,2176 if you need to drop me a
note. CompuServe can be reached at 800/848-8199 or 800/848-8990.
5000 Arlington Centre Blvd, Columbus, OH 43220.
More good news department: The new shareware magazine, Shareware
Update, debuts early this Spring under the management auspices
of shareware vendor Software Excitement! currently based in
Central Point, Oregon. The publication will be edited by
respected industry columnist Bud Sadler, who was formerly senior
editor of three computer magazines in the IDG chain: PC GAMES,
PC LAPTOP, and COMPUTERS IN SCIENCE. Bud was also chief copy
editor for BYTE Magazine. Shareware Update Magazine, POB 2454,
White City, OR 97503-9901. Writers, shareware news and
submissions are actively sought.
Financed by Software Excitement's solid cash flow and extensive
customer mailing lists, Shareware Update Magazine is off to a
solid start with subscription cards offering a free trial issue
to be included in a Spring 1992 mailing to approximately 1.2
million recipients of newly revised Software Excitement!
catalogs. Actual catalog printing was 1.5 million. In addition,
100 thousand Shareware Update subscription promotion cards will be
placed in the May COMPUSERVE MAGAZINE. This is VERY serious
marketing.
The new magazine will be about 30 pages and will be eventually
offered to everyone on a 500,000 count mailing list which
Software Excitement! maintains. This in house mailing list and
existing catalog mailing allows Shareware Update to promote its
first printing affordably - at a cost of about $10,000 to print
and bind subscription promotion cards in the existing Software
Excitement! catalogs - compared to about $340,000 for a similar
effort which would include printing, postage and name list
rental for a comparable magazine promotion not having access to
Software Excitement's existing resources.
The seven new catalogs from Software Excitement! include:
IBM Prospect, IBM House, IBM Windows, IBM Games, Macintosh,
Apple, and Amiga. All display colorful screen dumps of
shareware packages. One catalog specializes in windows only
applications while others relate to games, utilities and
business applications. Software Excitement! specializes in a
limited offering of the best shareware and produces small,
colorful catalogs mailed out to approximately 8 million PC users
annually. Software Excitement! has 50 employees in two locations
and $6 million in annual sales. Current reports are that the
Windows-only catalog is outpulling all other catalogs as a
percentage of catalogs shipped. Screen dumps of shareware
programs outpull orders for disks 2 to 3 times compared to
programs listed without screen dumps! Since going to color,
order volume has risen 10%. For the volume of catalogs printed,
color did not cost more compared to one or two color catalog
printing, according to industry sources.
Note that Software Excitement! can also process registration
fees for shareware packages via an online CompuServe catalog of
REGISTERED shareware packages. Includes credit card processing,
800 toll free order service, CompuServe email, FAX or telephone
notification to the author of orders, payment checks each
Friday. Cost to author is 20% commission (minimum $4.00) per
package. Other options include author drop shipping or
processing through Software Excitement! warehouse - with SE!
paying the shipping costs in the latter case. Agreement can be
terminated by giving 30 days notice. Contact SE! for an
application form.
This issue of SMS adds a large number of key overseas and
foreign shareware contacts to main list of vendors
(DATABASE.EXE). Nick Thompson of the Thompson Partnership in the
United Kingdom and Francis Burns of The Langway Company in
France are to be thanked for providing this information.
The new second edition of WRITING AND MARKETING SHAREWARE by ASP
author Steve Hudgik is now out. A revised and expanded classic
which all shareware authors should read. Tips on registrations,
pricing, copyrights, testing, documentation and quality. 304
pages. 25 illustrations. ISBN 0-8306-2552-6. $18.95 plus $3.00
shipping from the Steve Hudgik, POB 974, Tualatin, OR 97062.
VOICE: 503/692-3732 FAX: 503/692-0382. Steve is also in the
final stages of summarizing the results of this year's shareware
author survey and may supply results to SMS readers in the
future. This survey plots the trends of what is REALLY happening
for shareware authors and makes for fascinating reading and
a reality check on the profits and pitfalls of shareware
authorship.
Dave Beiter of Ritner, Kentucky, again shares with us an update
to his DOLL vendor rating system in the letters to the editor
section in this edition of SMS. If you want to see how your
favorite vendor stacks up against the HARD COLD LIGHT OF TRUTH,
see Dave's vendor rating system. Dave has told me in the past
that the SMS vendor rating system (A, B, C) is not quite the
REAL truth. Dave's system of rating vendors is, shall we say
politely, the NAKED truth. The file CAVEDATA.EXE contains a
larger superset of the data sorted three ways: by vendor name,
vendor quality ranking and vendor responsiveness.
Deep regrets department: I must note with some sadness that the
beautifully crafted Alternative Software Bulletin Magazine
(Binary Press, Brooklyn, MI) will be ending publication soon or
merging with another shareware magazine. According to editor,
Steve Enzer, the costs of printing, marketing and advertising
have driven the magazine to less than profitable conditions. The
magazine's detailed reviews of shareware packages were and
remain some of the best in the business. According to Steve,
current readers will have the remainder of their subscriptions
transferred to PC-SIG-affiliated Shareware Magazine. Steve plans
to continue writing articles for the shareware industry and we
wish him every success.
What's new in technology? Three items briefly.
The Multibus Manufacturer's Group has been working on a new
telecommunications/computer technology called "hot swap".
Meaning? You can pull a card out of a system while running and
swap in another without affecting operations in progress. Ideal
for task sensitive critical data installations and routine
maintenance. Micro Industries (Westerville, OH) already has
products in the works. Intel and Siemens are working on the
concept also.
Sharp Electronics of Japan has signed a deal with Intel to build
an $800 million chip fabrication line for Intel flash memory
chips in Japan. Intel will market the chips in America with
Sharp distributing the resulting chips in Japan. Flash memory
will be very central to computers and software in the future.
Ironically, Toshiba invented the technology of flash memory but
Intel developed the concept and pushed it to global market in
the most cost effective manner.
Want to REALLY protect your system from virus damage? New idea
from Trend Micro Devices Inc, Torrance, CA (800/228-5651)
provides clever system protection by use of both memory resident
software and "immunizer" hardware plug which mates to your PC's
parallel port and contains a NONVOLATILE EEPROM chip which
stores copies of your system boot sectors and partition tables
on an ongoing basis. Real clever idea. Do these developments
affect shareware? Not immediately, but you do get a sense that
the future is racing towards us quickly and should be here in
the next ten or fifteen minutes . . .
Note that I have removed one category and created a new
category in the SMS mailing list. If you use the SMS mailing
list, you will be familiar with the fact that type "B" means
BBS while type "D" means shareware distributor. The old "A"
category is gone. It has been merged into the new category
type "K" for Key shareware contact. Perhaps a better
description is the folks who represent the "Who's Who" in the
shareware industry. Since some of these people are agents,
brokers, translators and other entities, we need a new type.
Also note that the type field can now have MORE than one digit.
For example, you might see type K,D meaning key contact who is a
distributor. Or possibly type K, a key person. Or type K,B,D key
bulletin board who is also a disk distributor. To locate all the
key movers and shakers, simply request that your database search
for all type "K" entries where the letter K appears ANYWHERE in
the field.
I guarantee you'll find some surprising contacts. And if you can
suggest any new entries for type "K", please do so! I might be
tempted to offer a registered SMS edition if you can provide
sufficient quantity and quality for the new type "K" data entry.
Reread the SMS file DATABASE.TXT for explanation of the mailing
list.
Note that Bob Ostrander, founder of Public Brand Software has
been elected as President of the Association of Shareware
Professionals. Inside sources reveal that a bit of rough sailing
was encountered since Bob initially announced his intention to
resign from the ASP Board of Directors in an open letter on the
ASP's CompuServe forum. The three part message noted the problems
Bob had experienced with the board and chairman Barry Simon who
has since departed the board. Bob is a fundamental NICE GUY
within the shareware industry and I think we can expect to see
some positive energy and overdue changes in the ASP in the year
ahead. Bob continues to run his new venture, Software Coop, as
well as plan for the Summer Shareware Seminar in Indianapolis
this Summer, plus act as a consultant to Public Brand Software,
now owned by Ziff Davis. Apparently Bob has more energy than an
80486 processor without surge protection. Page ten of the March
1992 of PC Shareware Magazine (UK edition) shows photo of Bob with
appropriate beer bottle and large grin - I think the ASP is
going to rediscover a long overdue need: FUN. Bob shared with
me the tentative agenda of the Summer Shareware Seminar which I
will reprint a bit later in this newsletter.
A letter crossed my desk from shareware author Terry Towle of
Antioch, TN a few weeks ago. It is reprinted in unabridged form
in the SMS letters section. A couple of paragraphs illustrate an
UNDERUSED marketing method: vertical marketing. The point: if
you are an author who religiously submits disks to vendors,
clubs and BBS systems, you may be missing the mark by miles.
Consider the POWERFUL MARKETING LESSON here.
Dear Jim,
You and your readers may be able to benefit from my experiences
and avoid my mistakes. The first shareware program I wrote is
titled SP-FOOTING. It designs reinforced concrete spread
footings. Footings are what support buildings for all you
people who don't care that much about construction/engineering.
Talk about a vertical market! How did I go about marketing it?
I uploaded it to 7 BBS's that had engineering sections in
various parts of the country on 2/22/91. I also sent it to 7
disk vendors on 2/22/91. Results as of today - two
registrations, one in September '91 and one in December '91.It
took 7 months to get my first check -but it was SO SWEET! It
took 10 months to get the second check. How did I do with the
shareware vendors? LOUSY.
What went wrong?
1. I wrote a program that would only interest structural
engineers and maybe a few architects. Thin vertical market! 2.
Only sent it to 7 vendors and 7 BBS's. Actually only made it
into one catalog that I know of. 3. Didn't bother to do any
vertical marketing. 4. Program wasn't flashy with pop-up
windows, pull-down menus, etc. It just gave the right answers.
5. Registration was only $20.00 which included the source code,
thick bound manual and handworked examples. The copying and
postage costs ate up most of the $20.00. Lucky I didn't sell
more. 6. Gave up on shareware vendors.
WHAT I DID RIGHT: 1. Program was tested by several registered
professional engineers before being released. 2. Documentation
was extensive and accurate. 3. Included handworked verification
problems so users could follow my methodology. 4. Gave them
something substantial for their registration fee.
My second effort was a Lotus 123 template that did earthwork
cut/fill calculations. You would have thought I learned my
vertical market lesson. Some people are just hard-headed, but
at least I had a use for the program. I uploaded it on the same
7 BBS's and sent a copy to PBS back in November '91. Never heard
from PBS, no registrations to date and although I only asked
$10.00, I don't expect any now. Think about it - who is going
to register a template?!
My third effort and PAY ATTENTION, this could open up a market
of free advertising for you. In my construction work I use a
scheduling program extensively. I wrote a small program that
makes life a little easier for people using the program. Not
much, just a little. It took me two weeks of spare time. They
have to be using the scheduling program for a specific task only
(Vertical market again!), but hey - I wrote the program to make
my life easier. Anyway, the company distributes a newsletter to
users of the software. I wrote the editor a short note saying I
had this utility available for $20.00 to anyone interested and
would the editor include it in the newsletter. I had 50 calls
the first day! In 3 months I sold 70 copies to just about every
major construction firm in the U.S.
(end of abridged letter)
To add a postscript to Terry's insights about the potential of
vertical marketing, your public library carries the ever-popular
Thomas Register and Contacts Influential which list industries
by SIC code or type. The Thomas Register is also available
online from CompuServe. Your librarian should also be able to
point you to references for magazines and periodicals for any
given field or industry sector. In addition, at the END of this
newsletter section of SMS I have listed some online resources
for specialized databases which might lead you to other industry
niche markets.
Speaking of authors of shareware programs, note that DB-DUPE, the
SUPERLATIVE duplicate checker for mailing lists and dBase format
files has recently been updated and now includes a VERY USEFUL
registration bonus of DB-ZIP which cross-checks mailing lists
for accuracy of zip codes! I have also included a letter from
DB-Dupe author Kevin Clark in the SMS letters to editor section.
You can obtain a shareware copy of DB-DUPE by checking the SMS
file GOODIES.TXT.
Christopher Noyes, member of our informal SMS Net author
uploading group (see RAPID.TXT), is an author with an
interesting program and some VALUABLE information to share about
registrations he has received for his ASTRO package which
provides astrology analysis. Richard has kindly shared his
statistics on program source and registration totals for ASTRO
which might give you some valuable marketing clues. I hope other
authors will be able to share similar data with SMS in the
future so that more may benefit! You can contact Richard about
ASTRO or these statistics as follows: Christopher Noyes Software,
718/625-2262 718/625-2262, 28-Douglass Street, Ground Floor,
Brooklyn, NY 11231. Next follows a compilation of registration
statistics:
VENDOR/COMPANY QUANTITY REGIST TOTAL INCOME
3rd Eye BBS 1 $49.95
ADV SW 1 $69.95
Altamante Sprin 1 $39.95
APS 2 $111.95
BBS 47 $2,540.95
BL Software 1 $54.95
Brother 2 $69.95
Budge Shareware 1 $60.00
Byte 1 $54.95
Calif Freeware 5 $334.30
California Shar 1 $49.95
Cape Software 4 $306.95
Catalog 3 $145.85
Channel 1 2 $139.90
Choice Marketin 1 $39.95
Cloud 9 BBS 1 $69.95
Comp Mart 1 $39.95
Compute Shopper 1 $39.95
Computer Fair 11 $579.45
Computer Shoppe 1 $39.95
CWI 9 $514.50
Data Outlet SW 1 $84.95
Data Trust 1 $49.95
Deaver/Cook PD 1 $39.95
Delphi BBS 1 $65.00
Distant Market 1 $74.95
DOS Shareware 1 $52.95
Exchange BBS 1 $69.95
Exec PC BBS 1 $72.95
Finans-Butikken 1 $69.00
Firesign 3 $132.90
Florida PC Lib 1 $54.95
Fotomanual SRL 1 $39.95
FPCL 1 $39.95
FRIEND 17 $1,054.30
Gemini 49 $2,690.95
Gemini BBS 1 $69.95
Gemini Software 2 $99.90
Gift 1 $0.00
Gift from 1 $0.00
Gift to Chip Uh 1 $39.95
GIFT 1 $0.00
Guelph BBS 1 $49.95
H.G.Shareware 1 $72.95
HG Shareware 2 $102.90
HPSL 10 $499.55
Local BBS 1 $69.95
London Drugs 1 $69.95
Magazine ad? 1 $54.95
Matrix Almanac 1 $69.95
Micro-Mart 1 $44.95
P.C. Arcade 1 $54.95
P.C. Software 1 $39.95
P.D.Warehouse 1 $39.95
PC Arcade 6 $304.75
PC Serve 2 $79.95
PC Shareware 1 $39.95
PC Swap Meet 1 $69.00
PC Works 1 $55.00
PC-ARCADE 2 $119.90
PC-EXEC 1 $69.95
PC-OHIO 1 $69.95
PC-SERVE 2 $94.95
PCNL Holland 1 $55.00
PD PACS 1 $39.95
PD Shareware 1 $54.95
PD Software 2 $79.90
PD Softwarehous 6 $254.70
PD-Service 1 $60.00
Pro Softw Monte 1 $69.95
PSL 8 $442.60
Public Brand SW 1 $29.95
Raintree 1 $39.95
Rainware 11 $429.50
Referral 1 $49.00
Sector Systems 1 $72.95
Selective Software 2 $139.91
Selective Ref 1 $69.95
Seltec 7 $392.75
Shareware Labs 2 $154.90
Shareware+selec 1 $49.95
Show 1 $39.95
Shows Unlimited 1 $49.95
SIM-COM Service 1 $29.95
Softcell 1 $80.00
softw. show 1 $39.95
Software Labs 66 $4,317.75
Softwarehouse 1 $39.95
STR Computers 1 $54.95
Sun 1 $49.95
Sun Software 4 $179.80
Sunmap BBS 1 $69.95
SWAP MEET 5 $263.85
Swapmeet 1 $54.95
TSL The Software Labs 6 $402.70
UIUC.EDU archiv 1 $69.95
Unitech 1 $69.00
User BBS 1 $69.95
Walden's 1 $49.95
ALL 368 $30,163.27
Please share your registration statistics with SMS so that more
authors can benefit! If necessary, identity of author can be
kept confidential! Same goes for vendors who wish to publish
program ordering volume.
(end of statistics report)
Next, a marketing opportunity for shareware vendors and authors
involved in financial and spreadsheet packages. Lotus publishes
a postcard pack or "deck" with advertising mailed to customers
who are 62% top or middle managers in companies having more than
1,000 employees. Lotus proclaims that the folks on their mailing
list - probably derived from industry sources and their own
popular Lotus magazine - will buy $8.4 billion in PC hardware
and $550 million in software in the next year. I've seen
shareware vendors KWN systems (Freehold, NJ) and Reasonable
Solutions (Medford, OR) advertise in this card deck, so there
must be serious shareware purchasing potential for those using
the Lotus Card Pack advertising program. Further information:
Cathleen Cavanaugh, Lotus Card Pack, POB 9160, Cambridge, MA
02139-9930 617/225-6803.
Perhaps the HOTTEST NEW TREND among disk vendors is rack sales.
I am getting MANY calls from existing and startup disk vendors
who prefer to bypass the mail order disk vending route - which
is somewhat saturated anyway - and setting up or negotiating
rack sales of shareware direct to consumers from small
convenience stores, printshops, college bookstores, discount
shopper clubs and more. This probably will be the next EXPLOSIVE
expansion phase for vendors in the 90's and it raises public
visibility of shareware another notch - always a good thing.
Industry disk vendor PC-SIG and Shareware Magazine have fired a
competitive salvo at low budget disk vendors by slashing disk
prices to $2.00 in the latest issue of Shareware Magazine and
including one of the largest shareware "mini-catalogs" I have
seen in any recent issue of the magazine.
Other recent changes at Shareware magazine have seen the recent
departure of long time editor Marilyn Young and VERY recent
departure of editor Claudia Graziano. Word from sources in close
proximity to Shareware Magazine is that the March-April 1992
issue of the magazine was a MAD DASH effort which reflects
internal changes and personnel "adjustments." On the upside, the
magazine IS GETTING BETTER under new Editor-in-Chief Michael
Callahan. In fact I was pleased to see a writeup on page 9 of
that issue noting the Johns Hopkins award for my own PC-Learn
package.
On the downside no mention was made in the same issue of
Shareware Magazine of the errors made in the Jan-Feb issue
regarding this package, The $hareware Marketing $ystem. Although
I sent a letter to the editor, reprinted in the last SMS letters
section, nothing was printed to correct Shareware Magazine
errors such as the erroneously reported $129 registration price
for SMS. Shareware Magazine may also be facing competition from
larger shareware magazines published in the UK such as Shareware
Shopper and PC Shareware Magazine. It should be interesting this
year to watch shareware publications evolve.
Let's spin the dial and talk about news from disk vendors.
Address and telephone information for the following vendors is
contained in the SMS file DATABASE.EXE. Search for the address
by scanning the main SMS list by company name combined with
location or name of the person to contact . . .
The recession in America does indeed affect our industry. SMS
reader Richard Bonin of Kernersville, NC reports that the large
disk vendor PD Select of Gastonia, NC has gone out of business.
Richard spoke to the PD Select owner in December 1991 when staff
had been reduced from 8 to 2. By late January or early February,
1992 the phone had been disconnected and mail directed to PD
Select was being returned. The main SMS mailing list has been
revised to reflect the change.
Small details make all the difference. Disk vendor Shareware
Plus of Carmichael, CA sent me their latest catalog and note
requesting input and corrections to my program listings. But the
nice marketing wrinkle they add is $1.00 gift certificates in
exchange for address of each PC compatible user referral you
send them. In addition, they motivate users to REGISTER
SHAREWARE by offering the choice of one additional free disk for
each program registered with any author. Shareware Plus is a
vendor with a small but well organized catalog. I urge authors
to send them a disk and put them on your quality vendor disk
update mailing list. Hope other vendors see the wisdom in these
small, but nice marketing touches.
New vendor with THREE LOCATIONS and good registration potential
is Discount Computers which maintains locations in Monroe,
Middletown and Miamisburg, Ohio. According to President Edwin
Morrow, this vendor retails computers as well as carrying about
350 shareware titles. A file is installed on all disks
explaining both HOW and WHY shareware should be registered.
Suggest you send them a disk! to their central Middletown, Ohio
office.
New shareware vendor on the scene: Southern Enterprises of
Marion, VA. Owners Roger and Barbara Boardwine promise
professional distribution in quantity, explanation of the need
to register for customers who use shareware and courtesy catalog
sent to each author so that program description can be checked.
Drop them a disk in the mail soon.
New vendor with hot market potential. Send a disk to GOOD TIMES
HOME VIDEO CORP of New York. Large chain of video rental stores
setting up rack display sales throughout their chain! Mr. Kris
Thomson is the contact person.
I recently received a large envelope with a coop mailing from
Bill Dickson, president of SHAREABLE SOFTWARE who arranges coop
mailings for groups of authors. Coop is the way to go for many
small authors and you might want to contact Shareable since
their enclosures and VENDOR QUESTIONANNAIRE are slick and very
professional. See detailed press release from Shareable later in
this newsletter. Their address also in the mailing list
database.
Another new disk vendor entry for your disk submission is
FACTORY DIRECT of Metairie, LA. Mr. Doug Ellingson is getting
their operation up to speed and URGES authors to submit a disk!
They promise to actively promote to their customers in the
Louisianna area. Good potential and they seem honest and
sensitive to author needs and responsiveness.
Vendor with ORIGINAL IDEAS: Professionware of St. Petersburg,
FL. Features most current version of shareware packages, full
ACCURATE descriptions of shareware programs direct from the
author, RETAIL RACK SALES PROGRAM, UNIQUE VOICE MAIL catalog so
that customers can call in and hear about the program IN THE
AUTHOR'S OWN VOICE and mailbox for authors at no charge with
message length up to five minutes. The voice mail message about
the program from each author is set so it can be UPDATED so
authors can run registration specials, comments about new
program updates, etc. Professionware can also record the message
for the author if preferred. Contact Dean Vander Woude,
President, Professionware. Clever idea!
And not to be outdone in the ORIGINAL IDEAS department you might
want to make note of another new vendor with some REALLY NEW
concepts. THE SHAREWARE CLUB of Duvall, Washington is on to
something. Authors can set up a special free BBS account with
this vendor which provides: Sales tracking - vendor tracks your
shareware sales and posts it to YOUR email box on their BBS,
includes info on whether customer purchased via mail order or
downloaded. Product returns - find out if your disk was returned
by dissatisfied customers. Customer support - consult your email
box if customers complain of problems running or installing the
program. Monthly newsletter - shareware reviews, new releases,
updates. AUTHORS CAN WRITE ARTICLES FOR THE NEWSLETTER - submit
articles on disk or post via email. Altogether a pretty hot
package. As a side note, observe that this startup is located in
Duvall, Washington - home of industry giant Gemini Marketing and
shareware author operation Expressware. Something unique is
cooking in this tiny town! Duvall is sprouting into a "mini-
shareware" marketing and development hub. Lawrence Backstrom is
Director of Marketing at The Shareware Club which also prefers
to use a pre-printed author submission form to aid processing of
submitted disks.
A new BBS and disk vendor has popped up who specializes in
investment related and financial shareware: RGJ Systems of
Provo, Utah. Send SYSOP Bob Jarvis a disk if your shareware fits
that particular niche! Addresses for BBS systems are pretty
rare, so this is a nice addition to the SMS mailing list! Bob is
editing and publishing an investment newsletter distributed on
the Wall Street West BBS which also includes integrated
communications and newsletter viewing software.
Advantage Plus Distributors have several new products for startup
disk vendors. Review the following press release. Advantage Plus
can be reached at 813/885-1478 and is also listed in the SMS
database. Their Shareware Solutions CDROM is a complete shareware
distribution business for storefront, mail order, network or
BBS use and includes both a CD as well as disk-based catalog.
Ownership of the CD includes license for BBS and business use.
Quality disk selections are reproduced exactly as received from
the authors. Includes easy to customize floppy Disk Catalog
containing entries describing nearly 3,000 disks of software
direct from authors. 80% are less than one year old. Disk
descriptions include performance rating and hardware
requirements. Expands to over 2 Gigabytes. Published quarterly.
$149/single issue or $400/year. Why spend hours and $$$ to
assemble a disk library when $149 gets you into the disk vending
business?
Advantage Plus has also released a three CD set of over 2,500
shareware programs, most direct from the author for those
wishing to retail CD-ROM disks to the public. Each CD is easy to
use, network friendly, contains directory program of contents
and individual program requirements. CD's include Education
Master CD-ROM with over 1,000 education program. Game Master CD-
ROM with over 500 games. Business Master with over 1,000
business related programs. Introductory reseller pricing begins
at $60 for two sets of 3 CD's (6 CD's total.)
Droege Computing of Durham, North Carolina is an unusual vendor
who is new to disk vending. Originally specializing in
consulting and training for the medical and technical industry,
Droege is releasing a dazzling catalog of over 125 shareware
programs, many with a medical focus plus a large variety of
general utilities and mainstream applications. The core focus of
the library of shareware will be medical software - an area in
which Droege has long excelled with custom vertical market
applications. Authors are urged to submit their packages whether
medical or not - all categories welcome! Contact Mike
Hillerbrand.
GAMES vendor for authors writing for the games/entertainment
market: GameKing of Huron, OH. Keith Vlasak, owner. Authors
working in this market should submit a disk to Keith.
New vendor in Ravenna, Ohio who offers retail shareware, mail
order, BBS and sells computers: Dave's Place.
Vendor for those interested in the Philippines market: Mr.
Eduardo Guzman of E & J Global Enterprises. Can handle
registrations and vending.
Staying with the international market, in New Zealand a good
disk vendor is HAMSOFT which began as a Ham Radio or Amateur
Radio club some years ago and got involved with shareware in a
big way. A focus of the group remains amateur radio - a good
marketing channel for authors focused on this market niche.
Their library grows at the rate of about 25 to 50 disks per
month according to club coordinator Anthony Briggs. A menu
driven catalog is available and virus checking is rigidly
enforced. Users are frequently informed to register programs
which are in use. A cover screen to this effect is added to all
disks. Send them a copy of your disk!
Another hot outlet for your disks submissions in the
international market is the large Computer Time Store in Delta,
British Columbia, Canada. This computer retail store also
features shareware and actively encourages author submissions.
Contact Marianne Farmer at Computer Time.
ASP disk vendor Shareware Outlet is expanding again with new
stores in Ogden, Utah (3880 Kiesele Ave, South Ogden, UT 84405
801/399-1100) and Corvallis, Oregon (101 - 21st St NW at Monroe,
Corvallis, OR 97330 503/758-5424). New and improved best of
Shareware Outlet catalogs are slimmer, feature more new
shareware and better organization. Top programs have expanded
descriptions and moved to front of catalog. Older programs have
slimmed or one line descriptions and positioned at back of
catalog. A new BBS system (The BBS or TBBS) has replaced the old
system which can still be reached at 206/646-0886. Authors
should keep disks updated with the corporate office in Bellevue,
Washington.
The new Public Brand Software catalog is out - Vol 8, No 1.
Clean graphic look which reflects the continuing upgrade by new
owner Ziff-Davis. The new Ziff-Davis "look and feel" is also
seen in the large back page advertisement for the PC Computing
Guide to shareware, another Ziff publication written by Preston
Gralla. Turning the pages of the catalog, some informational
tidbits jumped out worth sharing. On page 31 of the catalog PBS
notes some good ideas for shareware which needs creation:
Hotel/motel/resort reservation system, speed reading course,
graphics-based stamp cataloguer, daycare center records billing,
nursing home management, windows laser printer controller,
autocad libraries, postscript tools for pascal and C,
needlecraft/quilting layout, budgeting system for movie/video
production, backup/restore system which runs in background.
Also note the continuing popular PBS submission contest which
awards either $100 worth of disks or $50 worth of disks for
newly submitted programs. As mentioned in earlier editions of
SMS, Public Brand will be hosting the second annual Summer
Shareware Seminar June 19 through 21 in Indianapolis, IN.
Detailed information on the Seminar including agenda and awards
Banquet can be found at the end of this article and were
submitted by Bob Ostrander via CompuServe link as TENTATIVE
working schedules at the time this edition of SMS was published.
Computer Outlet, disk vendors in Orlando, Florida have also sent
along their updated catalog which has grown to over 65 pages. I
am using their new author advertising system which allows
shareware programmers to purchase advertising space immediately
below their program listing in the Computer Outlet catalog.
Full, half and quarter page advertising space is also available.
This is a good idea which gets authors greater visibility and
helps vendors subsidize catalog costs. Computer Outlet is also
moving into CD ROM titles at fairly attractive savings.
Everything from the CIA world book to a 21 volume encyclopedia.
Tsunami Software of Redondo Beach, CA has a BRILLIANT IDEA. $100
instant credit form for shareware customers. Works like this.
Fill out the credit application on the back of their catalog.
First time customers require $25 payment with order. Thereafter
pay just $25 per month on outstanding balance. No annual fee. No
interest payments. Must be 21. No available in Alaska, Hawaii or
outside continental US. Neat idea! Wish more vendors did this.
Niche market disk vendor of the month award to: Shareware Source
of Greenville, SC. Owner Pete Steveson offers shareware disks to
the market for HOME SCHOOLING PARENTS (teaching children at
home) and also school conventions across the country. Pretty
amazing niche! Send him a disk if your shareware fits his
profile!
Disk Vendor Kevin King of Disk-Count Data in Sacramento, CA has
a few worthy marketing wrinkles. His BBS system, MY FAVORITE
BBS, (clever name!) maintains a test description file on each
program in the author's own words. Many descriptions are over 30
lines long. No membership fee and first time users can call and
download on the first use. Kevin's program, FOR HOME AND PROFIT,
which includes interesting money making ideas is moving well
through vendors, but over 80% of the followup on that package
is through BBS echo mail. Kevin thinks that BBS systems probably
move and REGISTER a higher percentage of shareware than any
other channel. Whenever Kevin sees a new upload pop up on his
board, he WRITES the author asking for permission to distribute
the package and a late update if applicable. One author from
Georgia was so impressed they called long distance to Kevin's
board to upload their program which took a solid twenty minutes
of connect time at their expense. Kevin also sent along a few
additions to the BBS list for the Sacramento area which have been
added to the SMS mailing list for all authors to share.
Send a disk to the Atlanta PC Users Group Librarian Stanley
Plager in Stone Mountain, GA. The group is one of the largest
clubs in Georgia and also maintains a BBS with over a gigabyte
of online storage. ASP vendor.
The Organization of Shareware Writers and Distributors located
in Union City, California solicits memberships from interested
vendors and program submissions from authors. Fees solicited are
$250 for basic vendor membership. $350 for advanced vendor
membership and $450 for deluxe vendor membership. Member
services include discount pricing on labels, displays and
diskettes, a monthly mailing service, new program releases,
support, free access to a toll free BBS ($18.00 per hour for
program downloading), capability to advertise affiliation with
the organization including cutouts, logo and .com file with
membership information suitable for copying to saleable
diskettes. Contact Mr. Vance Venable or Mr. Benjamin Drake.
Finally, San Diego disk vendor Soft A'Ware is moving further
into the rack sales arena along with other vendors. Owner George
Van Valkenburg is establishing outlets on the east coast with
rack sales in a variety of retail outlets. Initial estimates are
that the local retail store will earn 20% on sales, the local
vendor who supplies the retail outlet will receive 20% and Soft
A'Ware will receive the balance less costs.
Next a quick tip for those interested in disk submissions to BBS
systems. LARGE BBS located near a university campus of over
45,000 students. The Voice in Stadium Village BBS, POB 14786,
Minneapolis, MN 55414-0786 BBS Tel: 612/378-0946.
Adding to news from the BBS community, note that THE BBS CALLERS
DIGEST can be obtained by calling 800/822-0437. A monthly
magazine of about 40 pages dedicated to the modem user/BBS
caller. Loads of shareware reviews by Uncle Hank, caller
profiles by Lana Fox, RelayNet articles by Mike Brunk, TBBS by
Phil Becker, PCBoard represented by Richard Kozik and Steve
Catmull. News releases, books, BBS info and more. Our thanks to
Uncle Hank's Shareware Review Newsletter for this tip.
Women in shareware. There are some SMART women in shareware
out there, for example Diana Gruber, senior programmer at Ted
Gruber Software and Darlene Wagner of disk vendor Wagner
Enterprises. With that focus in mind here is a quick tip for
women considering shareware and needing a resource: The federal
Small Business Administration partially funds 25 demonstration
centers nationally which advise women entrepreneurs who want to
start or grow a small business. Small fees are charged but are
well worth it. Most centers offer one-to-one counseling on all
aspects of business from raising money to accounting to
marketing. A free list of the 25 demonstration centers can be
obtained by contacting SBA, Office of Women's Business
Ownership, Demonstration Project Sites, 409 Third St SW,
Washington DC 20416.
Money saving tip. I have mentioned this disk supplier before,
but a repeat is necessary. Want to purchase USED recyclable
diskettes VERY affordably? Example: fourteen or fifteen cents
per 5-1/4 inch floppy? Contact Ann Deaver Enterprises, 2897
Gavilan Drive, San Jose, CA 95148 408/274-5795. Ann purchases
overruns and previously used disks which are BETTER quality than
cheapie disks from most media suppliers. Ann's disks have better
surface gloss, lubrication, and lower error rates than second
rate disks from China and Taiwan. All you do is slap a blockout
label (which Ann can also supply) over the original disk label
and you are in business.
Here's something simple related to shareware marketing for
authors and vendors. Dress up your 6 x 9 inch paper disk mailing
envelopes with a little printed message! My following batch
file uses a standard utility (printc from the Scanlon SEBFU
batch file utility set) to send printer control codes to output
double high, double wide advertising messages on the face of
disk mailing envelopes. You can use just about any printer
control code utility similar to printc. I actually have a huge
linked batch file print registration letters, registration number,
diskette sleeve messages and so forth. Notice how different
typefaces are used on my panasonic 1124 printer as I proceed
down the face of the 6 x 9 inch envelope. By the way, you can
order the SEBFU batch file utility set containing PRINTC from
the SMS GOODIES.TXT section of SMS. Here's the batch file:
rem Next line initializes prtr, sets for small typeface
rem and prints return address
printc 27 64 24 27 120 1 27 107 1
echo $hareware Marketing $ystem>prn
echo PO Box 1506>prn
echo Mercer Island, WA 98040>prn
rem Next line produces a few blank lines
printc 10 10 10 10
rem Next line prints postal message
echo DON'T BEND: SOFTWARE - DON'T BEND: SOFTWARE>prn
rem Next item skips a few lines
printc 10 10
rem Next, set printer to double high, double wide, underlined
printc 27 87 1 27 119 1 27 69 27 45 1 27 115 1 27 65 18
echo The $hareware Marketing $ystem is HERE!>prn
echo Over 4,000 key vendor addresses and>prn
echo MASSIVE Shareware Marketing Newsletter>prn
echo Public Brand Software says:>prn
echo "This software rates a trophy Award!">prn
rem Next line forces envelope to eject
printc 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
rem Next line resets printer
prntc 27 64 24
rem That's all folks
Shareware packages of note (many of which appear in the SMS
GOODIES section) have recently been upgraded. Contact Plus, the
venerable and feature-rich contact manager is now better than
ever with a tutorial and host of new features. Likewise, the
BOXER text editor has also been updated and is turning out to be
a marketing success story for author David Hamel. See the
GOODIES section for further shareware package update and release
information.
Fast takes in good reading. Consider grabbing the book MAKING IT
ON YOUR OWN by S. Norman Feingold and Leonard Perlman, published
by Acropolis Books. Over 400 cutting edge ideas for businesses
and marketing you've NEVER seen before. Business ideas like
computer tutoring, human spare parts matching service, divorce
mediation, truffle nurseries. $12.95. Sorry I don't have an ISBN
number, am assuming your book vendor can track it down for you.
Next shareware notes from around the globe. Address and
telephone information for following contacts in the SMS file
DATABASE.EXE.
George Margelis, owner of the Australian disk vending operation
Budgetware sent me a nice note on CompuServe a short while ago
regarding his visit to the U.S. He will be landing in San
Francisco near the end of March and then driving up to Seattle
April 3. Should be some interesting information exchange
regarding the Aussie shareware market and the potential for
authors to increase registrations since George can act as an
Australian agent to handle these matters from his office in
Newtown, Australia. News from my sources is that George will be
launching the premier issue of his new Australian shareware
magazine in March called Alternative Computing Magazine. Readers
will be served in both Australia and New Zealand. I will be
meeting with George and other authors during the Seattle leg of
his trip, and will update you on George's insights in the next
edition of SMS! George also maintains a U.S. postal address if
you want to ship him a disk update inexpensively! Address in the
SMS database under BUDGETWARE.
France is an interesting market for software. But there are
pitfalls as with any foreign software venture. A key contact in
France is Mr. Francis Burns, Langway S.A.R.L Company, 7 Avenue
du Granier, 38240 Meylan, France. Tel: 76411939 or 76411315.
Langway, which has 3 employees, specializes in translations for
industrial software development companies which make control
systems, measurement devices, toll collections systems, sound
and voice recording retrieval boards and so forth. However
Langway can also convert software packages and translate and
"localize" them for the French market. Localize is a hot word in
the software and shareware international community. It means not
only converting the words of your packages, but also providing
suggestions for the menus, look, feel and handling of the
package for a foreign user. Example: in Japan the familiar Lotus
spreadsheet package is usually set to display a grid over the
number display which is a "localized" preference of Japanese
users. In the U.S. we usually prefer a blank screen with cell
address bars above and to the left of the display. Localization
is the key.
Back to observations and discoveries about the French software
market. Mr. Burns notes that 1) shareware is probably not a
lucrative market in France. Not enough incentive to register and
general distaste for shareware with its nutty menu and file
conventions which vary widely from package to package. 2) French
users want the package to work CLEARLY AND SIMPLY, and do not
have ANY patience for fiddling around. The package MUST be in
French to even warrant a glance. 3) Therefore my PC-Learn
package will probably be translated and localized for France by
Langway but be released as a commercial package with Langway
handling advertising, sales and promotion. 4) Retail software
prices in foreign countries are MUCH higher than U.S. prices.
Mr. Burns speaks with some authority since he has also designed
and released other software packages - for example, Astromart a
commercial astrology program which has received HIGH marks in
the commercial French software press. Astrology software is a
BIG deal in France. Special thanks should be given to Mr. Burns
who kindly shared a a list of European disk vendor addresses
which have been appended to the main SMS database. I'll keep you
posted on proceedings from the French quarter.
I recently received a registration for my PC-Learn beginners
computer tutorial from the Sultanate of Oman in the Gulf. Other
authors might want to follow up on this one. Mr. Tim Hatch
(Scientific Institute for English and Computers, PO Box 26717,
Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman) is setting up a series of courses on
computers for beginners. Needs shareware for course offerings.
Curiously he also asked me for permission to reprint ALL of PC-
Learn onto paper for government approval of class materials. The
point I read between the lines is that in Muslim Middle East
countries, STRICT religion-mandated limitations are imposed on
printed and transmitted materials. You might want to contact Tim
if you have something pertinent to education which is shareware.
Potential for further registrations as his students scatter your
disk about the middle east.
Want to increase your registrations AND BENEFIT YOUR FELLOW MAN?
A recent letter from Peggy Ferguson, Executive Director of the
STEP Program of Canada (POB 497, Lower Sackville, Halifax Co,
Nova Scotia, Canada, B4C 3G4 902/865-6170 FAX: 865-6448)
outlines her unique use of shareware. Peggy coordinates a non-
profit Canadian government facility known as the Sackville
Training and Employment Program. It is a computer assisted
learning facility using the PLATO system and encourages
shareware donations to help train unemployed individuals and
high school dropouts. Typical courses include life and work
skills, basic math, high school skills, reading, writing,
science, social studies, bedford accounting, lotus, dBase,
manual accounting and data entry, wordperfect, basic computer
literacy. Shareware disk submissions ENCOURAGED!
Switching from Canada we hop next to Britain and the UK
shareware market. Nick Thompson of the Thompson Partnership is a
key player on the British shareware scene. He represents U.S.
and foreign authors in the U.K market and acts as a full service
agent to include package distribution, promotion, packaging and
registration. Current ASP president Bob Ostrander recommended I
contact Nick - a noteworthy recommendation indeed. Nick was also
kind enough to share an extensive list of UK shareware disk
vendor addresses which have been added to the SMS database. Nick
Thompson can be reached at: The Thompson Partnership,
Churchcroft, Bramshall, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. ST14 5DE
England Tel: +44(0)889 564601, FAX: +44 (0)889 563219 CIS:
70007,5560. I am also reprinting in the letters to the editor
section the text of a blank contract which Nick uses in
representing shareware authors. Very enlightening and could
provide outline for your own contract design when dealing with
foreign shareware agents and brokers. I am completing
negotiations with Nick (via Compuserve link) to represent both
PC-Learn and SMS in the UK market.
Next, news regarding the Summer Shareware Seminar. Quite a bit of
additional SMS news follows this information, so keep reading!
From Bob Ostrander:
An updated preliminary detailed schedule for the Summer Shareware
Seminar follows. Please note that these people are NOT confirmed
panel members except those marked >. Those marked ? are pending
reply
The others are just ideas based on who I expect will attend.
This area is very flexible right now.
The 1992 Summer Shareware Seminar in Indianapolis is a confirmed
go for June 19th through the 21st. Friday and Saturday will be
full days and it will conclude with more sessions on Sunday
morning.
Last year 210 people attended; this year we anticipate 400. This
necessitates a split of the forums into two tracks. This and
hosted receptions on Thurs and Fri evenings will keep everybody
busy.
There are planned sessions for new and experienced authors, disk
distributors, BBSs, and user groups. The emphasis will be on
learning how to make the business of shareware more profitable
for everybody. The panel discussion format with audience
participation will be retained.
Scheduled for Saturday evening is a gala dinner where the
Shareware Industry Awards will be presented (organized by a
committee of authors). This will honor the best and most
innovative shareware products over the last 10 years.
More complete details of who, what, etc. will be constantly
posted in ZNT:PBS section 7 and fliers will be mailed out in
March.
I'll be glad to give more information via email or feel free to
call me at 317-856-6052 (voice) 10a-8p eastern time. Bob Ostrander
Tentative schedule:
Thursday, June 18
1:00p-4:00p Open house at PBS (2 miles from hotel).
A shuttle bus will run from hotel lobby to PBS.
2:00p SIA Selection panel meets
7:00p-9:30p Registration open in Hotel Bar
7:00p-?? Unofficial Get-together in Hotel
(ASP Sponsorship)
Friday, June 19
9:30a-2:30p Registration open
(Newcommer's Track)
10:00a-11:00a Writing Better Software
(tips for ease of use)
Tom Guthery - Animated educational
series
> Eric Isaacson - A86, Zipkey
> Marcia Meier - PBS
> Paul Mayer - Z-Pay Payroll Systems -
Grab +
???
11:15a-12:15p Hints from the Pros I
(general marketing tips)
> Nels Anderson - Mah Jongg, etc.
> Gene Davis - Datamicro Inc - Lotto Prophet
> Ross Greenberg - Software Concepts Design -
Flu_Shot+
> Joe Kertschmer - Tea Time Software -
TypeTrek
? Rudy Ramsey - Rams' Island Software -
InContext
2:00p-3:00p Association of Shareware Professionals
(the shareware trade association introduces itself
> Gary Elfring - Chairman of the Board
> Paul Mayer - Board of Directors
> Ron Roberts - Author Membership Chairman
> Eric Robichaud - Vendor Membership
Chairman
3:15p-4:00p Preparing your Distribution Version
(making it usable by everybody)
> George Abbott - Pro*Dev Software -
Pro*Dev Quote
> Bob Burns - PBS
> Jim Green - Software Testing Laboratories
> Steven Hudgik - Homecraft
> George Pulido - PC-Sig
4:15p-5:00p Writing Better Documentation
(making it usable by everybody)
> Steve Enzer - Alternative Software Bulletin
> Jerry Olsen - free-lance writer
> Rob Rosenberger - Barn Owl Software -
PCF Dial
> Dennis Scarff - PBS
Sigrid Vaubel - PC Doctors
(Experienced Track)
10:00a-11:00a Coping with Growth
(becomming a full-time company)
> Dave Berdan - Expressware - File Express
> Gary Elfring - Elfring Soft Fonts
> Paris Kariaholios - Trius - As Easy As
- Randy MacLean - Formgen - Formgen
> Marshall Magee - Magee Enterprises -
Automenu
11:15a-12:15p Publicity from the Writers Viewpoint
(hints from experts)
> Michael Callahan - Shareware Magazine
> Preston Gralla - Ziff Publications
> Steve Townsley - PC Shareware Magazine (UK)
? Trudy Neuhaus - Ziff Publications
> Paul Mullen - free-lance writer
> Jerry Olsen - free-lance writer
2:00p-3:00p Public Relations
(advertising - free and paid)
> Rozalia Deborde - Hooper International - TCB
> Ross Greenberg - Software Concepts Design -
Flu_Shot+
? Lisa Landa - Ziff Communications
> Jim Perkins - Formgen - Formgen
3:15p-5:00p Hints from the Pros II
(more hints and tips (and a break in the middle)
? Sidney Bursten - Sub Rosa - VP Info
> Rozalia Deborde - Hooper International - TCB
> Paris Karahalios - Trius - As Easy As
> Dave Berdan - Expressware - File Express
> Marshall Magee - Magee Enterprises - Automenu
> Scott Miller - Apogee Software Productions -
Keen
> Jim Perkins - Formgen - Formgen
> Tom Rawson - J.P. Software - 4DOS
> Sandy Schupper - Brown Bag Software
? Bob Wallace - Quicksoft - PC-Write
5:30p-10:00p Display Booths open
7:00p-10:00p Hosted Reception (Sponsored by PBS and Display
Vendors)
Saturday, June 20
9:30a-2:00p Registration open
(Distributor's Track)
10:00a-11:00a The Disk Vendor Business
(how to be profitable in a changing world)
James Carvin - CWI
> Mike Comish - Software Excitement
> Jim Green - Shareware Testing Laboratories
> Erv Salski - PC-Sig
> Terry Ramstetter - PBS
11:15a-12:15p Interacting with Authors
(for Vendors, BBSs and User Groups)
> Dave Burton - PBS
> Adrian Mardlin - Nildram Software -
Flexiback Plus (UK)
> Eric Robichaud - Rhode Island Soft Systems -
Blank-It
> Charles Schell - Unicorn Software - SoundZ
> Dan Veaner - Emmasoft - Super-Maint
2:00p-3:00p The BBS Business
(how to be profitable)
> Nels Anderson - Xevious BBS
Ron Brandt - Satalink Info Systems
> Jay Caplan - The Consultant BBS
> Jim Edwards = PBS-BBS
Neil Fleming - Canada Remote Systems
> Jack Rickard - Boardwatch
3:15p-4:00p CD-ROM Considerations
(should you be in this market?)
Dennis Burke - Quanta Press
John Dilday - Advantage Plus Distributing
Laura Falk - Falsoft
Duane Franke - Digital Publishing (Shareware
Gold)
> Steve Landau - PC-Sig
George Mankin - HDIS Inc.
4:15p-5:00p Rack Vending
(shareware to the masses)
> Bill Dickson - Shareable Software
International
> Jim Green - Shareware Testing Laboratories
> Paul Jacobsen - Digital by Design
(Author's Track)
10:00a-11:00a Going Retail
(getting your product in stores)
> Paris Karahalios - Trius - As Easy As
> Randy MacLean - Formgen Corp - Formgen
> Marshall Magee - Magee Enterprises - Automenu
? Bernie Melman - Sub Rosa - VP Info
> Ron Roberts - Brightbill-Roberts - HyperPad
11:15a-12:15p Interacting with Distributors
(for Authors)
> Bill Dickson - Shareable Software Intl
> Jay Caplan - The Consultant BBS
> Bethy Couzzo - Software Excitement
> Craig Kerwien - ZiffNet
> Joyce Mosier - PBS
Bob Sanborn - APCUG
2:00p-3:00p The International Marketplace
(getting overseas representation)
> Steve Lee - Shareware Publishing (UK)
? Ian Mackay - Manaccom (Australia)
> George Margelis - Budgetware (Australia)
> Nick Thompson - The Thompson Partnership
(UK)
Serge Tremont - Software International
(Spain)
3:15p-4:00p Registration Incentives
(what works and what doesn't)
Ken Flee - Jamestown Software - QFiler
> Rich Harper - RGH Software - TTime
> Dave Snyder - MVP Software - Robomaze
Gordon Wanner - Starlite Software - Galaxy
Lite
> Sandy Schupper - Brown Bag Software
4:15p-5:00p Problem Applications
(tough shareware markets)
Mark Haney - Klassm Software - Skyglobe
> Everett Kaser - Solitile, Snarf, Sherlock
> Gary McNutt - Retailware - The Retailer
? Jeannine Wolf - Browse/2
6:30p-? Eric Isaacson's First Annual Shareware Waterslide
Party
7:00p-11:00p Shareware Industry Awards Dinner
Sunday, June 21
10:00a-11:00a Legal Aspects of Shareware
(your questions answered by an expert)
> Lance Rose - Copyright and Trademark Attorney
11:15a-12:00n Technical Support
(satisfying your customer)
> George Abbott - Pro*Dev Software - Pro*Dev
Member
> Jeff Frownfelter - PBS
Jim Hass - Microfox - HDM IV
? Ken Mocabee - Advanced Support Group
> Steve Twonsley - Shareware Marketing (UK)
? Bob Wallace - Quicksoft - PC-Write
1:00p-3:30p ASP Membership Meeting and Luncheon
End of schedule listing. Next, awards banquet details:
Shareware Industry Awards
``10th Anniversary of Shareware''
Objectives
P/R for the industry
Recognition of achievement
Encouragement of excellence/new authors
Awards
Custom Design
High-tech look
One winner only - no runners up
Presented on stage
Venue
Adams Mark Hotel
2544 Executive Drive
Indianapolis IN 46241
(317) 248-2481
Date & Time
During Summer Shareware Seminar
Saturday, June 20, 1992
7:00 - 8:30 dinner
8:30 - 9:30 awards
9:30 - ???? entertainment / bar
Awards Night
Catered banquet
Dress: semi-formal
Price: $20.00/person
Organization
SIA and SIA logo to be owned by SIA Foundation to be
incorporated in Indianapolis. First Board of Directors to
be composed of Steering Committee members:
- Mike Callahan
- Paris Karahalios
- Randy MacLean
- Bob Ostrander
- Jim Perkins
SIAF will be responsible for organizing and operating the
awards as an industry-wide event on an annual basis into the
future. It will also control the use of the logo, sponsorship
funds and other property associated with the awards.
Bob is initiating the incorporation process in Indianna.
SIA Logo
SIA logo has been developed by Mike Coman of Shareware
Magazine. Lance Rose has undertaken to do the legal work
associated with obtaining a trademark on the logo.
Sponsorship
Sponsors will:
- have the right to associate with the awards on the
Olympic model
- be listed on display card at podium
- be listed in the program
Sponsors to date:
Budgetware ....................................$1,000
FormGen Corp...................................$1,000
Hooper International...........................$1,000
Michael E. Callahan (Dr. File Finder)..........$1,000
TRIUS, Inc.....................................$1,000
Public Brand Software ....................$dinner bar
Sponsorship monies to be spent on:
- Award trophies
- SIAF incorporation
- SIA logo trademark
- Decorations
- Program printing
- Panel meeting
- Publicity (pre and post)
- Professional M/C
- Entertainment
- Reducing the cost of the dinner
- surpluses (if any) to be held for '93 awards
Award Categories
"Best of" awards:
1. Utilities
Additional functionality for DOS, Windows, and other
(including retail) programs. (ie. List, 4DOS, PKZIP,
disk copiers and catalogers, menu syetems, Icon Master,
Zipkey, @Last, AutoRender, PopDBF, dProg, TextOut/5,
WOPR, and other Ventura, Lotus, SimCity, Mean 18, Print
Shop, dBase support, etc.)
2. Major Applications
DataBase
Mail List
Communications
Spreadsheet
Word Processing
Form Generation
3. Graphics
CAD
Business Graphics
Clip Art
Graphics Utilities
Paint Programs
4. Business and Finance Applications
Accounting, bank account management, home records, stock
tracking, financial calculators, specific business
oriented (vertical market), etc.
Vertical Marketing
Investment
5. Programming Languages/Tools
Both compilers and toolboxes
6. Education
General and specific applications including foreign
languages and computer education. Note: Teacher's
gradebooks, etc. are vertical market applications
7. Entertainment
8. Home/Hobby
Ham Radio, astronomy, collections databases, religion,
health, cookbooks, occult, lottery, sports, genealogy,
music, etc.
9. Math and Engineering
Stats, Mandelbrot, linear programming, SPC, etc.
This year, winners will be from the first ten years of
shareware. In the future, no repeat winners unless there has
been a significant re-write of the winning software.
10. Best new product
Judged by panel
Package must have been introduced in calendar year prior
to SSS.
11. Best Overall
Judged by panel
selected for technology / utility
12. Peoples' Choice Award
Award is for "best" or "technical excellence", and not
for popularity and is to be determined by returned user
ballots (information via vendor-, BBS-, and magazine-
polls). Voting is open to anyone except panel and
steering committee.
A random draw from ballots recieved will be held to
reward the voters. Three winners will recieve a prize
consisting of one registered version of each of the SIA
winning products. Ballots will be sent to each ASP disk
vendor and BBS as the primary voting for "best of" awards
(ASP might let us put the ballot/letter into the group
mailing).
13. Achievement Award
This is an award to a person, rather than a package
Judged by panel
Recognizes outstanding achievement
Need not be awarded each year
Panel
Appointed by steering committee
Must be knowledgeable about broad range of offerings
Will nominate products for awards by June 1, 1992
Will research nominated products
Will vote on finalists in Indianapolis on Thursday, June 20,
1992
Bill Dickson.............Shareable Software International
Bob Burns................PBS
Bob Ostrander............PBS
Craig Kerwien............ZiffNet
George Margelis..........Budgetware (Australia)
George Pulido............PC-SIG
Jack Rickard.............Boardwatch Magazine
Jerry Olsen..............freelance writer
Jim Green................Software Testing Labs
Mike Callahan............Shareware Magazine
Preston Gralla...........PC Computing
Steve Enzer..............Alternative Software Bulletin
Steve Townsley...........Shareware Marketing (UK)
Tom Knackstedt...........Software Excitement!
Program:
A program for the awards will be developed and printed. Bob
will handle the DTP work and manage the printing. Should
include:
- schedule
- sponsors
- history of SIA
- advertising???
Hotel/Motel accomodations:
The arrangements are finally complete with the Adam's Mark. Got
into a bit of flack last week because of an incompetent salesman
who didn't reserve enough space but...
Rooms:
Single or Double, 1 or 2 beds - $74 / night (plus 10% tax)
MUST REFERENCE the Summer Shareware Seminar for this rate (about
$13 off normal)
Reserve via mail to
Adam's Mark
2544 Executive Dr
Indianapolis, IN 46241
or phone to
317-248-2481
(a reservation card will be in the flyer next month).
Suites are available for an _extra_ $95 to $300 (ranging from a
parlor to an attached room with a conference table that seats
35). Not cheap, sorry.
On a separate note, if you remember the somewhat crowded
conditions last year (we expected 125 people and got 210 <G> ) -
this is FIXED.
The two meeting rooms will total just over 10,000 sq ft of space!
We're set to hold more than 500 people.
(plus 2,000 sq ft for the Thursday get-together, 4,000 for the
Friday reception, and 3,800 for the Saturday SIA awards dinner).
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ! WIN ! * * * 1992 Shareware Industry Awards * * * ! WIN ! │
│ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ │
│ As part of the Tenth Anniversary of Shareware Celebrations in Indianapolis │
│ this June, the first Shareware Industry Awards will be presented to the │
│ authors of the best software in the industry. You can participate by │
│ voting for your favorite shareware program, and have a chance to win your │
│ own copies of all the top programs. Ten lucky winners will receive fully │
│ registered versions of all 12 award winners. │
│ │
│ To be eligible to win, fill out the ballot below and mail it to the │
│ address at the bottom of the form. Winners will be selected by random │
│ draw on June 21, 1992. Entries must be postmarked by May 15, 1992. │
│ ──────────────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────── │
│ Best Shareware Program: │ Name: │
│ │──────────────────────────────────────── │
│ ──────────────────────────────────│ Address: │
│ Why it's the best: │──────────────────────────────────────── │
│ │ City, State: │
│ │──────────────────────────────────────── │
│ │ Country: │
│ │──────────────────────────────────────── │
│ │ Zip: │
│ ──────────────────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────────────── │
│ Shareware Industry Awards Box 279 North Andover, MA 01845-0279 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Contact: Jim Perkins (416) 857-4141
SHAREWARE INDUSTRY AWARDS ANNOUNCED
BEST OF THE BEST HONORED!
Indianapolis - As part of its 10th Anniversary of Shareware
celebrations, the shareware industry will honor its best
shareware authors and publishers at the Shareware Industry
Awards.
The Awards ceremony promises to be the highlight of the Summer
Shareware Seminar, to be held this year between June 19 and 21 in
Indianapolis, Indiana. It will be a formal occasion on the
Saturday evening during the seminar. The winners will be
presented with their award at the Awards ceremony to recognize
their outstanding achievement.
Awards will be presented in fourteen categories, including Best
New Utility, Best New Major Application, Education,
Entertainment, the People's Choice Award, and the Lifetime
Achievement Award.
The Summer Shareware Seminar is a full three day event where
authors and publishers meet to exchange technology and marketing
experiences, benefit from the expertise of industry leaders, and
introduce new products to the press and major vendors. All
shareware authors, publishers and vendors are invited. Contact:
FormGen Corp., 13 Holland Drive, Bolton, Ont. L7E 1G4
(800) 263-2390 (416) 857-4141 FAX: (416) 857-4531
End of Summer Shareware Seminar news. Time to switch gears . . .
Let's talk about credit. In the last issue of SMS I mentioned
the ins and outs of obtaining merchant status so your customers
can pay for shareware orders and registrations with a credit
card. The other side of the coin is locating the lowest rate
card or bank for your own personal credit card. Consider
obtaining a monthly update to CardTrack published by Ram
Research which surveys 300 largest credit card issuing banks and
organizations. The list provides names and phone numbers for
cards with lowest customer rates nationally. For latest issue of
CardTrack send $5 to Card Track, POB 1700, Frederick, MD 21702.
Or call Ram Research at 301/695-4660.
Want to be a better shareware author? Broaden your educational
horizon with radio. My favorite program is Marketplace - a light
and VERY lively review of business news. Marketplace follows
another one of my radio favorites: All things considered.
You may have to make a few calls to local radio stations in your
community to locate the Public Radio or Educational channel.
Here in Seattle All Things is carried on KUOW (94.9 FM) both
mornings and evenings with Marketplace in the evenings
immediately following All Things. Once you have listened to
Marketplace for business news, you'll be hooked! Marketplace can
also be contacted at the following address: Marketplace Radio,
Los Angeles, CA 90089. Telephone: 800/733-2229. Tapes of
previous broadcasts and lists of national affiliate stations are
available.
And while on the subject of radio, note that industry columnist
John Dvorak began broadcasting a nationally syndicated radio
program in early January of this year. Lots of computer industry
gossip and celebrity visits. For a station in your area, contact
Cybernet Radio Network, 213 Upper Terrace, San Francisco, CA
94117. Final tip: set a timer to tape record programs you might
miss then listen to a cassette in the car when opportunity
presents itself!
Sign of the times department: clearly commercial software
companies are profoundly aware of the shareware channel. In an
interesting marketing move which further validates shareware
marketing channel vigor, Central Point Software of Oregon released a
special shareware version of their Anti-Virus program configured
to detect the Michelangelo virus. The special edition of the
program was released on February 21 and required a mere 5 days
to reach most major BBS systems and vendors throughout America -
a validation of the maturity and size of the shareware
distribution channel. The virus detection package also helps
expose a functional, though limited, working copy of the popular
Central Point Software program which should boost sales for
their full featured version in the future. Central Point
Software BBS (2400 bps) (503) 690-6650 CompuServe: GO CENTRAL.
What's hot and what's not department: an edition of SMS would
not be complete without a scan of shareware programs which have
made the top seller's list among vendors. Let's pause and
discover what's hot!
Shareware Express, Ashland, Oregon disk vendor, placed the
following hot programs on their top ten list. In order of
popularity: Print Partner, World29, Windows Icons, Skyglobe,
Zipkey, Music Trans, LQ, Family Fun, King of Kroz, BOOT.SYS.
The January edition of PC Sources Magazine recommended: Checkmate
Plus, dtSearch, 4DOS, Instacalc, List, Telix, VSUM, Wampum, and
Winbatch. Actual top ten were Commander Keen, Viruscan,
Skyglobe, Duke Nukem, Icondraw, Desktop Paint, By Design, Print
Partner, Animated Math and As-Easy-As. Finally, recommended DOS
5.0 utilities in that same issue were DOS 5.0 Memory management
kit, TSR utilities ver 3.1, and DV Tree.
The March-April edition of Shareware Magazine, published in
affiliation with PC-SIG awarded top ten ranking to Duke Nukem,
Viruscan, SkyGlobe, School Mom, Crystal Caves, Graphics
Workshop, Print Partner, PKZIP, and Zipkey.
The previous January-Febrary edition of Shareware Magazine
bestowed editor choice awards on 4DOS, 4Print, Animated Series,
As-Easy-As, Back and Forth, Boxer Editor, Commander Keen, Duke
Nukem, Command Post, Commo, Contact Plus, EZ-Format, Form Gen,
Frac, Gogol Math, Grab Plus, Hard Disk Director, HDM IV, Hooper
Finance, LCD, List, Logik Menu, Metz Utilities, Moraff Games,
PC-File, Paint Shop, PC-Write Standard Level, PK Menu, PKZIP,
TSR Download, Laserjet soft fonts, Unicom, Viruscan, VPIC,
Zipkey, 4Edit, 4zip, Boot.sys, PMK and School Mom.
Houtston, TX based PSL awarded best of 1991 awards to: Wincheck,
Painless Payroll, Verbal Vanquish, Pre & Grade School, Commander
Keen, Due Nukem, Jumpman Lives, Crystal caves, Dark Ages,
Robomaze, Fairy Godmom, Hugo II, Whodunit, Intra-Galactic
battles, Quatris Pro, Friday Night Poker, Las Vegas Craps,
Desktop Paint, Interstate Traveler, Starware, Fastmenu Gold,
Back Desk, Fish and Iconmaster.
Finally, PC Shareware Magazine, a publication from England
published by Steve Lee of Shareware Limited, noted in their
recent, March 1992 edition that top twenty shareware programs in
the UK were in order of priority: Driving Simulators, Commander
Keen, Page Financial Controller, Draft Choice, Educational Word
Games, Optiks, Imageprint, Primary Education 2, Desktop Paint,
As-Easy-As, Amy's First Primer, Flodraw, EasyCASE, Advanced
Utils 3, Wampum, PCX Borders, Graphics Workshop, Hornback PCX,
French and Sharespell. This listing is interesting because,
unlike other vendors, symbols next to each program shown in the
Magazine indicate a "rising and fallling" in position of the
program compared to the last listing. Sort of like a music album
listing which shows who has risen and fallen since the last top
twenty listing. Clever?
Let's continue the last paragraph for a moment. PC Shareware
Magazine from Shareware Limited is an ASTONISHING resource.
Shareware is a VERY popular and highly visible software style in
the UK. The density of information of the magazine and its
companion order catalog is a meaty 80 pages for the March 92
edition, substantially beyond the size and publication frequency
of similar U.S. publications.
PC Shareware Magazine articles scan a spectrum of topics: new
international vendors and agents, specific games and titles
localized to European shareware markets, author news, program
reviews, program ratings and exceptional illustrations and screen
dumps. The advertising from shareware disk vendors is dense,
full-page and richly illustrated. Author interviews with the
likes of Tom Rawson (4DOS, J P Software) and Dave Shulz/Paris
Karacalios (As-Easy-As, Trius, Inc) delve into how shareware
programs are developed and marketed effectively.
I recently made arrangements with Steve Lee of Shareware Limited
to exchange subscriptions to our mutual publications as well
as mutually draw news items from each other's publications which
should prove valuable for SMS readers. Incidentally, the
companion shareware disk catalog from Shareware Limited, simply
called the Shareware Book is a modified version of the familiar
Public Brand Software catalog with UK and European shareware
offerings added. PC Shareware Magazine. Publisher: Steve Lee.
Editor: Ken Hughes, Belgrave House, POB 43, Rossendale,
Lancashire BB4 5PJ. Tel: 0706-222370. Fax: 0706-212027. PC
Shareware Magazine readers and editors also hang out on
Compuserve at GO UKSHARE. US subscriptions are available.
If you work with mailing lists as a vendor or shareware author,
sooner or later you bump into the need to convert database
formats. Customers, vendors and authors swap mailing lists like
crazy and the variety of data formats is insane. Hot new
product: DBMS/COPY converts INCREDIBLE NUMBER of formats and
also does SOPHISTICATED DATA MANIPULATION AND ANALYSIS. Formats
which can be interchanged and translated include: Macintosh
ASCII, IBM ASCII, free format, SPSS, entrypoint, Alpha Four,
Clarion, Fox, GURU, Smartware, Reflex, dBase, Knowledgeman,
Axum, Sigma, Excel, 123, DIF, Quattro, Symphony, ACT accounting,
BASS, STAT pack and DOZENS MORE! Once you have the data you can
run MIND BOGGLING ANALYSIS and string manipulations to include
log, gamma, date, time, binomial, inverse, matrix math, trig
functions, upper lower case conversions, string conversions,
right/left justify and TONS MORE manipulations. Get the brochure
and check out this product which will blow you away if you work
with varied database formats: DBMS/COPY PLUS for DOS. SPSS Inc.,
444 North Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611 800/543-9258.
Neat stuff department: We've all seen imprinted products. Things
like pens and t-shirts with company logos imprinted. But if you
stop and think for a moment, disk vendors could do some
interesting promotions with the concept as well as authors
promoting package registrations. One of the COOLEST catalogs of
promotional imprinted merchandise comes from Sales Guides and
contains a gorgeous assortment of goodies onto which you could
imprint your company logo or name: pens, glasses, toolkits,
calendars, address books, post-it note pads, watches,
calculators and on and on. Much the merchandise is VERY high
quality and would make a good impression on ANY potential
customer. Get the catalog and decide for yourself. Sales Guides,
10510 N. Port Washington Rd, Mequon, WI 53092-9986 800/352-9899
or FAX: 800/352-9501.
Fred Parker has shipped his first mailing list disk of shareware
customers and clients to authors participating in the shareware
SWAPS program. For some authors, this may be an affordable low
key, low cost alternative to ASP membership. Fred's initial disk
for SWAPS members contains THOUSANDS of mailing addresses of
shareware users/customers and the shareware package types they
have registered! The source of this list is dozens of author-
pooled customer lists which are compiled, cleaned and checked
for dupes. Fabulous resource! Fred also maintains a central
mailing list of all shareware author addresses for the benefit
of the industry. I'll reprint some of the SWAPS program goals
shortly, but first Fred's address: Fred Parker, POB 4684, West
Palm Beach, FL 33402 407/687-7738
SWAPS (Shareware Authors' Promotional Services)
Central to the plan is to create a shareware focal point to
reduce distribution costs and increase author registrations.
SWAPS is a for-profit, member supported program, conceived and
managed by USE-FULL(TM) SOFTWARE ANTHOLOGIES, Fred's company, to
promote shareware authors' financial interests.
Premises:
1) One thousand, or more, shareware authors, with common
interests, working in concert, can achieve and earn more at
lower costs than an equal number of authors working alone.
2) Income earned from individual effort is limited by one's
time, energy and available capital. Income earned from the
efforts of others can be unlimited.
Based on these premises, SWAPS goals are to:
1) Enroll all shareware authors in the SWAPS program. 2) Enroll
vendor, BBS, computer clubs and user members. 3) Establish a
central BBS distribution point through which all member software
and updates shall pass. Authors upload to one BBS, authors have
no postage or material costs. 4) Vendors, BBSs and other members
download from one up-to-date source. Huge mailing costs to
authors becomes a small cost to vendors who will profit most.
Authors save time and avoid telephone charges uploading to
multiple BBS systems. No modem? No problem. SWAPS can upload it.
5) Encourage a 25% courtesy discount on registrations among
members. Members will have an incentive to promote and place
registration orders for other members products. Creates more
income for members in a recession prone economy. 6)
Maintain the current address for members who move. 7) Promote
sharing of information about contract programming, joint
ventures and other employment opportunities.
In the last few weeks, SWAPS has already referred one registrant
seeking a software program to an author who could fill the need
- matching of customers to programs and authors. Other
successful matches include address referral to a vendor seeking
to register an author's program, author referral to a local
business seeking a QB2 programmer.
Future services may grow to include:
1) Coop mailings among members 2) Credit card registration
service and processing 3) Introduce Peer awards for author
member programs 4) Coordinate reciprocal beta testing among
authors 5) International distribution of shareware 6) Quantity
discount buying for systems and supplies 7) Assistance to new
authors 8) Regional service centers operated by authors 9) Track
downloads of each author's program and post information in
private message center 10) Encourage vendor members to provide
program sales figures for compilation and posting. Vendors only
need upload sales by program to one board. Overcomes excessive
workload objection. 11) Maintain member directory 12) Maintain
registered users mail list.
SWAPS charter members would receive a 15 month, first year
subscription since some services would not be available for 3
to 6 months from start-up.
Comments about the feasibility of this program appreciated.
Replies to Fred Parker at addresses listed above.
"Free advice" tips from Fred Parker for SWAPS authors: Stop using
cardboard disk mailers (increases postage by .23 and cost .24
each). Instead use paper 6 x 9 envelopes (.04 each). Savings:
.47 per mail piece saved x 300 pieces = $141 savings! Avoid pre-
printed envelopes: 6 x 9 envelopes pre-printed cost .10 each.
Instead use gummed shipping labels which you print with your
printer at about .012 each. Savings: .088 x 300 per average
mailing = $26.40. Use rubber stamp reading "Computer disks -
Do not bend" at one time cost of $3.50. Do not use pre-printed
disk labels which cost .07 each. Use Terry Lustofin's "Piclabel"
or F. Verser's "Labelmaker" software programs. Savings: .07 x
300 = $21.00.
Included with the SWAPS mailing was a BEAUTIFUL full color
brochure on the BOXER text editor by author Dave Hamel who
PREPARED THE BROCHURE HIMSELF. Dave might just have discovered a
skill more authors can use! Also included with the SWAPS mailing
is the Shareware Sales Tracker software program which has been
added to the SMS GOODIES section.
Need to dabble in converting parts of your program to Windows?
George Cole (14608 - 25th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98166 206/246-
3647) programs in Visual Basic which is a FAST development
system - you might find some synergy contacting George if you
have been considering producing a Windows product. George is
working on a Windows conversion of my PC-Learn package.
Want to learn about advanced and automated methods of testing
software? Neat factoids like how your software upgrades can
degrade another part of your software system once installed, top
down versus bottom up testing, using CASE tools and event
positioning for software testing, code doping, reverse software
engineering and more. Consider attending the "Improving the
software testing process" seminars to be given by Data Tech of
Clifton, New Jersey. Seminars are held as follows: May 4-5,
Atlanta. May 7-8, Dallas. May 11-12, Phoenix. June 8-9, Seattle.
June 22-23, Chicago. June 25-26, San Jose. For information
contact DATA TECH, POB 2429, Clifton, NJ 07015. VOICE: 201/478-
5400. FAX: 201/478-4418.
Automated software testing system which generates custom reports
for the suite of tests you design. Non-intrusive, hardware
assisted. Can also test mainframes and minis. Elverex Evaluator,
Eastern Time Inc., POB 310, 117 S. St., Hopkinton, MA 01748.
508/435-2151.
A few words about SDN, also known as the Shareware Distribution
Network. This not-for-profit group is represented by BBS sysops
who believe strongly in the principle of shareware and are
dedicated to rapid and highly organized distribution among BBS
systems. Both ASP and non-ASP shareware is distributed by this
efficient national network of BBS systems. As a key organization
for shareware marketing, authors should consider contacting Ray
Kaliss who is the SDN project manager at his address or BBS
listed in the main SMS database mailing list.
You may be able to legally limit your tax liability by forming
an S Corporation which avoids double taxation on corporate tax
status. Book available: How an S Corporation can Save you Tax,
by Joseph Oliver, CPA. $14.95 plus $2.50 shipping. Enterprise
Publishing, 725 N. Market St, Dept VL-1XL, Wilmington, DE 19801.
Speaking of taxes, you can locate some tasty CompuServe files
having to do with taxes and advice for those working from home.
GO Work, Library 9 for the following. SETAX.THD explains
strategies on self-employment tax and retaining a larger share
of earnings. WTHKID.THD discusses proper tax procedures on
witholding for employment of your own children in your business.
STRTUP.THD presents a clear explanation of start-up expenses,
equipment purchases and tax liabilities. BUYCAP.THD presents
notes on buying capital equipment such as furniture, computers
and other capital expenditures. BOOKS.THD discusses proper
bookkeeping methods and ways to save time and energy on
your accounting records.
Several shareware authors contacted me last month regarding
organizations involved with the disabled and computing
applications - such as software, hardware and shareware - for
that unique market. A brief list of contact organizations which
should assist authors and vendors interested in that market:
AbleData, Adaptive Equipment Dept, Newington Children's
Hospital, 181 E Cedar St, Newington, CT 06111 800/344-5405
Accent on Information, POB 700, Bloomington, IL 61702
309/378-2961.
Apple Computer, Office of Special Educ. and Rehab., 20525
Mariani Ave. MS 43F, Cupertino, CA 95014 408/996-1010
Closing the Gap, POB 68, Henderson, MN 56044 612/248-3294
Direct Link of the Disabled, POB 1036, Solvang, CA 93463
805/688-1603
Easter Seals Systems Office, 5120 S. Hyde Park Blvd, Chicago, IL
60615 312/667-8626
IBM National Support Center for People with disabilities,
POB 2150, Atlanta, GA 30055 800/426-2133
Proceedings of Johns Hopkins National Search for Computing
Applications to Assist Persons with Disabilities. IEEE Computer
Society Press, 10662 Los Vaqueros Circle, POB 3014, Los
Alamitos, CA 90720-1264
American Foundation for the Blind, 15 W. 16th St, NY, NY 10011
212/620-2000
Trace Research and Development, Univ of Wisconsin, Madison Room
S-151, Waisman Ctr, 1500 Highland Ave., Madison WI 53705
608/262-6966
National ALS Association, 21021 Ventura Blvd, Ste 321, Woodland
Hills, CA 91364 818/340-7500
Next, let's discuss online databases which you might find
surprising marketing resources. Advanced modem users are going
to shrug and say they can access this through a CompuServe
gateway. WRONG! You can usually access a SUBSET of the data, not
the entire database! For MUSCULAR MARKET RESEARCH you need to go
online direct to the database.
A 1990 Small Business Association survey revealed that of 2,000
businesses owning a PC, few were using it for marketing research
with business and marketing databases available via modem. These
databases reveal new customers, potential geographic marketing
concepts, foreign trade possibilities, suppliers, competitors and
key executive contacts. Online census data can be accessed to
determine a precise geographic area which is ideal for a new
product introduction.
Next, a listing of specialized online database services. Calling
a specialized database directly may yield more detailed
information since gateway services such as Compuserve obtain
only a PORTION of the entire database. Realize that there are
over 4,250 online databases of specialized research and business
data!
Two master indexes are available which describe ALL online
services. The directory of Online Databases is available for $75
from Cuadra Associates and can be found on the Orbit service at
800/456-7248 or DataStar at 800/221-7754. You might also
consider the more detailed Computer Readable Databases index for
$165 from Gale Research which is available through Dialog at
800/334-2564.
Databases of interest in alphabetical order:
BRS Gateway. 800/345-4277, 800/289-4277. Accesses many business
and special research databases described within this tutorial.
Business Dateline. 800/626-2823 or 502/589-5575. Complete text
articles of over 200 US and Canadian business magazines. Also
available on CD ROM. Also available through Dow Jones News,
Nexis and other services.
Businessline. 800/866-2255. Statistical reporting service on over
8 million businesses, including number of employees, sales line,
number of businesses in a geographical area in a specific
product line.
BusinessWire. 800/227-0845 or 415/986-4422. Carries announcements
and press releases about new products, services, research
findings, financial reports. Also available through Delphi, Dow
Jones, and other services.
Cendata. 301/763-4100. Economic data on domestic and foreign
business trade including retails sales, building permits,
employee staffing levels, etc.
Conference Board Abstract Data base. 317/872-2045 or 800/421-
8884. Specialized research areas on business management,
decision making, case studies in management of individual
companies, speeches by corporate executives, management
consultants and government researchers. Topics also cover
labor relations, merit pay, executive compensation.
Consumer Spending Forecast. 215/660-6300. Forecasts and past
historical trends on consumer spending, credit use patterns,
retail sales.
Consumer Trends. 212/725-4550 or 212/725-5954. Contains
references, citations and cross referenced bibliography
regarding consumer trends articles and research.
Corptech. 617/932-3939 or 800/333-8036. Profiles of small and
emerging growth companies or those with innovative technology.
Useful for identifying customers for your product or candidates
for stock purchase, merger, technology transfers or mutual
research arrangements.
Daily Developments. 317/872-2045 or 800 421-8884. Contains over
180,000 articles concerning governmental actions, pending
legislation, environmental developments, international trade,
tax rulings and similar topics. Track the evolution of a
regulation which may affect your business from introduction
through final enactment. Useful for personnel professionals
needing latest insights on legislation concerning employee
rights, unions, urban planning, drug and alcohol abuse. Superb
up to date information on tax legislation.
Dialog Information Services. 800/334-2564. Accesses many
business and financial database services.
Disclosure Database. 212/581-1414. Updated financial reporting
data on over 14,000 publicly owned companies whose stocks are
traded on the NYSE and other public exchanges. Also available
through Compuserve, BRS, Dow Jones and other services.
Donnelly Demographics. 203/353-7474. Contains US census data
which is highly valuable to marketing and sales analysts. Useful
for planning expansions of retail stores or analyzing a region's
labor pool by age, education and race. Includes Arbitron Press
Areas of Dominant Influence, AC Nielsen Designated Market areas.
Also includes current and five year projected estimates and
demographic analysis of US census data.
Dow Jones News. 609/520-4000. Timely business, financial and
government news bulletins which include articles from Wall
Street Journal and Barrons National Business. Business and
market professionals can learn about emerging legislation,
business mergers, economic forecasts, financial disclosures and
banking regulations hours before general media report the story.
DRI/NPDC County Business Patterns Service. 800/541-9914 or
617/860-6385. US county employment data including SIC code and
business patterns census data. Includes payroll, staffing,
number of firms referenced by number of employees.
Dun's Million Dollar Directory. 800/526-9018. Contains
financial, marketing and address data for over 190,000 companies
whose net worth exceeds $500,000. Also available on Dialog.
EconBase. 215/667-6000. Unique analytical database with state by
state or industry tabulations of foreign currency changes over
time, electricity use, agricultural output or use of aluminum.
Useful for forecasting, business relocation planning, raw
materials planning, economic trends, manufacturing output. Data
recorded back to 1948.
Encyclopedia of Associations. 313/961-2242 or 800/521-0707. As
its name suggests this online service lists national and
international associations, trade groups, unions, societies,
non-profits, clubs and patriotic groups. Over 77,000 groups in
all. Knowing the right organization can point you in the right
direction to authorities on a given topic or field. VERY useful
for shareware authors trying to nail down a market niche and
needing to find a starting point!
Harvard Business Review Online. 212/850-6000. Contains full
transcript of all articles of the esteemed Harvard Business
Review from 1976 to the present. Business topics include
statistics, marketing, ethics, automation, robotics, foreign
trade, forecasting, negotiating and employee training.
Insiderline. 301/738-1400 or 800/231-DATA. Provides up to the
minute specialized information on corporate executive stock
trades as required by SEC forms 3 and 4. Trader name, company
position, share volume traded, value, total shares owned.
Market Analysis and Information Database. 212/245-3513. Over
36,000 reports on marketing methods and trends for specific
industries and countries. Electronics, agriculture, silk screen
printing, food and beverage, consumer habits, demographics and
more. Covers over 730 business and trade publications in 22
languages - all translated into English. Newsline service offers
fast breaking trends and is updated daily.
Mead Data Central. Nexis Research Service. 800/277-9597.
800/277-8379.
Moody's 5000 Plus. News and financial reporting data on 14,000
companies which are publicly traded. Also available on CD ROM.
NewsNet. 800/345-1301. News and business database service.
Newsearch 800/227-8431 or 415/378-5329. Index of over 4,200 news
stories, books, reports and libraries on businesses, products,
finance, marketing trends.
Standard and Poor's News Service. 212/208-8622. High level
financial reporting data on over 18,000 companies to include
mergers, aquisitions, management and staffing, earnings.
Telescan Financials. 713/952-1060. Allows investors to scan over
10,000 stock offerings for particular investment profile such as
SIC code, profits to earnings, price, etc. Historical data
reveal a target company profile and growth. Complete transcripts
and analysis of trade shows, investment seminars, wire service
news.
Thomas Register. 212/290-7291. Who makes what and where in the
U.S. Over 160,000 businesses, 50,000 classes of products and
over 100,000 trade names of products. Also available on
Compuserve. HOT shareware source since you can search for
addresses of key contact business in a specific niche, from
plumbing to video rentals.
Trade and Industry Index. 800/227-8431 or 415/378-5329. Index to
over three million articles on industry, trade, commerce. Also
available on CD ROM.
TriNet. 201/267-3600 or 800/874-6381. Information on over
200,000 private and public companies. Arranged by conventional
SIC code categories. Private company information is especially
difficult to obtain and TriNet seems to the best at locating it.
Western Union. 800/527-5184 Gateway for most major business
databases.
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Please note that older material from previous SMS newsletters,
containing HIGHLY valuable marketing information, has been moved
to the SMS archives disk which is available from SMS. Consult
the GOODIES section of SMS for information on ordering this
archived material if you do not have previous editions of SMS.
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