Write an E-Book Together

A couple of months before Christmas 2006, I decided to write an e-book that I could give as a Christmas gift to all of my readers. But instead of writing it myself, I decided to invite my clients to contribute to it.

Here's an extract of the message I sent them:

I've got a product idea that won't take much effort, won't cost you a cent, and will give you great leverage.
In brief, we each write a one-page article, I'll compile them into an e-book, and we all get a great Christmas gift to share with our databases.
Interested? Keep reading. If not, you can just delete this now
OK, here's the idea ... I'm going to put together an e-book titled "Expect More From 2007". It will have contributions from a number of experts (including YOU!). Each contributor will write a one-page article with tips for readers to get more from 2007.
I'll put the e-book together by the end of November, and send you a copy to freely distribute to anybody you like. It will be an excellent gift for clients, prospects, your newsletter list, whatever. Heck, I guess you could even sell it if you like.
Contributions will appear in the order I receive them. So get in early if you'd like to be near the front.

The results exceeded my expectations!

The very first day, six people wrote back with articles. Within a couple of weeks, I had 30 contributions. And by the end of the four-week deadline I set, 57 people had sent through an article.

The final e-book (which you can download at the end of this newsletter) contains 58 of the best ideas, strategies, thoughts and guidelines for making 2007 your best year ever. If you implement even one-tenth of these ideas, you'll have a GREAT year!

I'm so pleased I decided to make this a joint effort, and even more pleased that so many people jumped at the chance to take part.

Look at the benefits ...

Just consider the benefits for everybody who takes part:

Everybody contributes just one page, but gets a full e-book in return.
They have a low-cost, high-value gift for their database.
They get their own product to use in any other way they choose.
They get their name in front of 57 other high-value databases.
Their readers hear from a variety of experts, not just themselves.

Can you do something similar with your own client base? All it takes is a simple e-mail message to get started ...

It was such a success that I repeated the idea in 2007 and 2008. You can get all three e-books here:

Key words: writing, e-books, Creating Products

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Gihan Perera is the author of "Get Active: Web Sites for Speakers, Trainers, Coaches and Consultants" and "Fast, Flat and Free: What You Need to Know to Stay Ahead in a Connected World". Visit http://GihanPerera.com and get your complimentary copies now.

I would also appreciate receiving a copy of the issue in which it appears, if that is convenient.