What Are You Waiting For?
Creating products using the proven content of the Public Domain makes it SO easy to begin selling information products online (or offline for that matter). What amazes me, however, is how FEW people actually take the leap. They get excited about the prospect of creating their own products, find great Public Domain content, even begin working on “their” project…and that’s where it stops. And of course, you can’t make money from a “product” that sits on your hard drive. SO, I want to know why…what is it that holds YOU back? What is it that YOU are waiting for? Is it the delivery process? The product creation process? The sales letter? I want to hear what’s holding you back…because…as I always say in my e-mails, I am “committed to your ongoing success!”
So share your comments below and I will answer each one!
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It is really lack of experience and being unsure of HOW to just dive in and start. So much information has created confusion. Also, just a general uncertainty of which niche to go after. For example, which niche will have public domain info that is not old and outdated…still relevant today and IN DEMAND.
Wow, that’s a lot. I agree that public domain is a GREAT source and I know I should make use of it!
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support Reply:
February 12th, 2010 at 11:52 am
Hey Tina…you’ve certainly identified the best place place to begin…with choosing the right niche. There are so many excellent free tools available that can help you determine the best niches to begin in (I compiled a list of the best ones in a previous blog entry: http://publicdomainblog.com/business-strategies/40-free-trend-tracking-tools-and-websites/. In peeling down through the “onion” of picking the right niche, we start with the basic motivators behind ALL we do…Avoid Pain or Gain Pleasure…with avoiding pain usually being the more powerful of the two.
The next layer of the onion looks at interests that are ongoing (some refer to these as evergreen). Some examples of these markets are: self-help, health and beauty, crafts and hobbies, magic, the occult and paranormal, etc. Within those contexts, I, then like to take a look at what I’m interested in to see if others are interested in it too. Here’s an example…I just started learning Ballroom dancing and West Coast Swing. It’s been great fun. So, being the marketer I am, I decided to see what interest is really there from a niche perspective. What I discovered is that there are a LOT of people passionate about dancing!
And so, if I wanted to pursue the dance niche, I would begin researching the different types of dance, like West Coast Swing, using the Google Keyword tool to see how many other people are searching for info related to that…and keep drilling down into that niche and sub-niche. What are dance people spending their money on? Are there affiliate products I can offer them? Are there products I can create for them?
Then, if I decide this is a market worth pursuing, I begin looking into Public Domain content to see what’s available. Even though a lot of it seems to be “old” or dated, you would be surprised how much of it is still relevant with a little re-writing. As a matter of fact, I strongly recommend ALWAYS re-writing the content to add your voice and style to it. So that’s a beginning for you. Hope it you find it helpful.
Tony
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for me it is the technical stuff, creating a site and getting it online, autoresponders, and the big one for me traffic creation and I guess fear,of what I am not sure, failure or maybe success.
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support Reply:
February 12th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Hey Mike…FEAR is certainly your biggest enemy here. The other stuff can be learned. It would certainly be a benefit for you to take some quiet time, get honest with yourself, and truly examine what the source of the fear might be. Fear has the innate ability to zap us of our power and energy, when what we really want (and need) is to feel empowered! As questions of yourself, like “If I succeed, what is the WORST that could happen to me?” or, on the flip-side, “If I fail, what is the WORST that could happen to me?” Also take a look at your attitude toward money in general…do you trust yourself with money? How do you feel about others who have money (a lot of it)? And then…and here is the CRITICAL part…LISTEN! Listen to what comes to you. This is a bit of an exploration, but is SO valuable!
As for the traffic…I don’t know if you caught the webinar I taught a while back on using Public Domain content to drive traffic to your site, but here is the link to the video if you’d like to watch it. There is great content in this webinar! http://stepbystepinfoproducts.com/video_files/PD_Traffic/
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Tony,
I emailed you earlier in the week. My problem was that I’m working on a halloween website and I found some good content at Guentenberg dated 1895. So I decided to create an article and submit it to Ezine Articles and they rejected the article and suspended my account stating that I was in copyright violation! I explained to them that I got this stuff from Guentenberg and that it is in the public domain. Not sure if they understood yet?? I really did not re-write the content, so my question is do we have to re-write the content or can we use it “as is”?? Thanks Tony.
John
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support Reply:
February 12th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Hey John…could you e-mail me your article. I’d like to take a look at it…especially considering that the content is from the Public Domain. Then I will post further comments on it here for everyone’s benefit. You can use the same e-mail you contacted me with before. Thanks!
Tony
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Dear Tony,
Being following your Public Domain for (years! Love the stuff that’s available and I have downloaded lots of it. I would dearly love to make use of my spare time, (aged 70 and retired) and I would be very happy with an income target of say $30 a day. I have just set up a web site but like the Public Domain items I have no idea where to start selling??
With Kind Regards
JOe
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support Reply:
February 12th, 2010 at 12:29 pm
Hey Joe…I addressed some of this in my comments to Tina and Mike. $30 a day is definitely doable. Especially make sure you watch the Traffic video, because, without traffic, you’re not going to make sales. You may also want to spend some time on eBay to see what’s currently selling related to your own interests. One way to do that is by going to eBay Pulse (http://pulse.ebay.com) and see what the top keywords and most watched auctions are related to the niche or niches you’re interested in. It’s like that, if it’s selling on eBay, it will also sell on your own site. Both places is better! Hope this helps!
Tony
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For me, it is probably due to a lack of technical knowledge and having not broken through the learning curve of the initial process from start to finish. As well as this, one needs a list of interested people and I haven’t got that yet.
I can certainly create the product now, I think, after your fabulous webinar course, which I loved and found really helpful. But it is the next part that eludes me. How do I create an online identity for what I want to promote? It seems to me that I can’t just throw something up online without paying some attention to the bigger picture and where I actually want to take things. I have some great PD works which I have sourced and could do much with those, so I suppose it is a question of finding a way to attract interest.
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support Reply:
February 12th, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Hey Ursula, the Traffic webinar I mentioned in another response will help you as well. The BEST next steps you can do to help establish your brand and identity is to create and blog (if you haven’t already) and post to it regularly. Also consider writing articles related to your niche or interest (these can be based on PD content) and start submitting them to article sites like ezinearticles.com. An alternative to that (or in addition to that) would be to create related reports and upload them to document-sharing sites like DocStoc.com, Scribd.com, HubPages.com, etc. Make sure that your documents and articles point back to your blog! I share more details in the Traffic webinar.
I am working on something right now that will definitely help with building your list and utilizing Social Media in the most effective ways possible. Watch for an announcement next week!
Tony
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Creating products is not a problem. There are thousands of public domain products that can be created. My biggest problem is time. I run a very busy art reproduction business by myself. I also collect public domain images and books. From these I create products. The next step is where my problem comes in. Finding time to create the sales pages, creating the websites that are needed to place the products on…. ie my Zazzle store (www.zazzle.com/jarthurdavis) my book store (www.simplelivingbooks.com). Then making sure the SEO is properly set up on each page, the Paypal links, the articles are written that drive traffic to the sites, etc. It is the extra work that goes into getting the operation operating that is the problem. I currently have an employee in the Philippines that I can hand off a lot of the product creation work, but she does not understand SEO, article writing, website design etc. These are the areas that I can do but just don’t have the time.
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support Reply:
February 12th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
Hey Jim…glad you posted! Have you considered setting time aside to create a series of screen-capture videos where you walk through some of those processes yourself? Then, once they’re finished, you can have your Philippines employee (or anyone else who works with you) to watch them and follow your lead. That way, you don’t have to keep showing or explaining the same things over and over again. It would be time well spent for you to do ONCE, and then use as training for others in the future. I’ve started doing a LOT of this for the same reasons…not enough hours in a day! Just a thought…
Tony
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I’m using the public domain content to find products for my new website for ghost stories and murder mysteries. It’s called Dead On Mysteries. But I’m new to all of this. I’m taking Prosper Learning classes that are costly. I’m also using Lynda.com for online classes for website information, blogging information, and working with pdf files. I’ve written to you a few times and you always kindly respond. I was always having problems with getting Gutenberg information off of the .pdf files, but know that’s my lack of good software to use and now using Adobe Acrobat Pro 8 at work, I can see I should probably purchase that or Acrobat 6 for my personal use.
With the PD content, and to John’s question, when you have an old book that you want to use on your site, do you:
1) add your own copyright year and name to it?
2) or keep it as is with only the existing copyright information.
3) Or do you do something similar to Barnes & Noble when the PD books they republish say: “Originally published in 1910. This 2007 edition published by Barnes & Noble, Inc.”
4) If you use pd content and add to it yourself, then what should the copyright information reflect? For example, I have taken one poem from a PD book of stories and poems, added photos to it to make my own version.
And lastly, how do you do have the time and knowledge to do the blogging, product creation, linking, website design and work, and deciding on clickbank or paypal, etc. It’s a lot to know!
Thanks, Tony!
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support Reply:
February 13th, 2010 at 10:40 am
Hey Liz…great niche! In answer to your questions…
1) You can…but only if you’ve edited or updated it. This is referred to as a derivative work. Once you’ve made changes to the Public Domain work, it qualifies for a new copyright. It’s YOUR version. I usually like to credit the original author in some way…like on the new copyright page. But you don’t have to.
2) Again…see #1. I’d probably NOT keep it as-is.
3) B&N is a great example of what I’m talking about in #1.
4) Your example is exactly what I love to see…and yes, you would own the copyright to your version because of your own creative efforts.
4a) Time…hmmm…well…it all comes down to good time management, having good systems and methods in place and an understanding of what I want and need to accomplish and why. Focus is key because confusion is a HUGE time waster. One method I use for streamlining my processes is one I learned from Dave Lakhani, called the 45/15 rule. You have everything you need to accomplish a certain task and then hit it hard and focused for 45 minutes…NO interruptions! If you get a call or e-mail or whatever, it can wait. After the 45 minutes is up, THEN use the 15 minutes to relax, get a snack, check e-mail, etc.
Tony
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OK, Tony, I know you only did it to see who was paying attention, BUT the link for the trend tracking tools (your reply to Tina) has a closing parenthesis at the end of the link and, as a result, gives a Page Not Found error (just remove the closing parenthesis [ )] to get to the post in question).
Other than that, so far it seems as if all my questions have already been asked – that link is probably the most useful answer for me. Thanks.
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support Reply:
February 13th, 2010 at 10:27 am
Hey Bill…thanks for catching the error! Am fixing now.
Tony
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Thanks Tony. The idea of screen capture videos is a great idea. They would probably be a great product for others that are going through the same issues I have.
BTW: I probably should not give away how I use Public Domain Images, but if it can help one of the responders so be it. For all of those that are looking for ideas on public domain products I created a store on Zazzle (www.zazzle.com/jarthurdavis) using public domain images. It has taken about three months to get things working the way I wanted it to work, but now I am averaging a sale every other day. I got my first commission check today from Zazzle. It will buy a nice dinner for my wife and I. I collect the images and send them to my employee and she creates the products. The store currently will not make me rich, but it generates income without having to do anything with it. This will go on forever. All it costs is my time to collect the images and the small amount my employee gets for maintaining the store.
For anyone who wants to use public domain images I highly recommend your PhotoShop webinar product. There are so many ideas in those 6 lessons that will help anyone create products that could sell for high returns in such a store.
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support Reply:
February 13th, 2010 at 10:26 am
Hey Jim…thank you for your generosity in sharing your strategy! It’s a solid one that definitely works in many variations!
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I tried to access this link which was posted earlier and got an error message. Is the link incorrect?
http://publicdomainblog.com/business-strategies/40-free-trend-tracking-tools-and-websites/
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support Reply:
February 13th, 2010 at 10:25 am
Hey Marcia…I just tested the link and it worked fine. You can also do a search on the blog here for “tools.”
Tony
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Hey Tony,
Thanks for all your help and teachings!
I have been working on a project, and as it evolves I have been thinking more about the pitch / sales copy.
I could use a few tips in that area, I don’t mean just filler or features of the product but more about a structure.
Like an up to date road map to good sales copy.
Can you point me in the right direction and/or pass along your
lessons learned, best pratices or tips.
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support Reply:
February 14th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Hey Dan…there are a couple great formulas out there for writing sales copy, e-mails, etc. Two of my favorites are PAS (Problem, Agitate, Solution) and AIDA (Arousal, Interest, Desire, Action). Most of my sales copy (and even many of my e-mails) are based on one of these two formulas. I also pay attention to salesletters that REALLY make me want to buy. I print them out and then go through them…dissecting them, if you will…to understand the triggers they used to “push me BUY buttons.” Sometimes I will then craft my own sales copy after those. I would also recommend studying great copyrighters…there are the classic guys, like Robert Collier and Bruce Barton…and then contemporary ones as well, Like Michael Fortin, Ray Edwards, Joe Vitale, Clayton Makepeace and others. Hope this helps!
Tony
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Tony,
A while back I begin searching for employer jobsites and found about 800 email links. Is it better to sell them as an ebook or give them away in a blog to get a high volume of visitors to my site and then find affiliates I can tap?
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support Reply:
February 14th, 2010 at 5:02 pm
Hey Earl…are these e-mail links for like HR people at companies? If tit’s hard-to-find information that could really benefit job seekers, you may want to consider pulling it together in a directory format along with tips on how to prepare for job interviews, how to create a killer resume, etc. A lot of that info you may be able to find on government websites. Then offer the directory free when the visitors opt-in for your newsletter. That way, you’re building a list of people related to the topic who you can later offer other related products to as an affiliate or that you create yourself. I would especially consider this approach if you are just starting out. As they say…the money is in the list (and it’s true!).
Tony
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Earl Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
You suggested creating a directory format or directory tree. Would you direct me to a directory wizard or template? I am not familiar.
Thanks
Earl
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support Reply:
February 16th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
Hey Earl…I’m not familiar with software that would do that, but if I were creating something like that, I would probably search Microsoft for Directory Templates or look for online examples I like and then model those. Here is an example of some Word Templates I found: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT101446711033.aspx
Tony
Hey Tony, I am new to this public domain niche. For some reason I can only find websites that sell public domain products? But yet, all of these people must be searching the public domain? I thought it would be right up my alley when I heard about it.
Since I have worked diving on a treasure ships. Mined for gold in Nevada (found a little too) didn’t get rich but had a lot of fun.I dove for abalone, did pretty good but great whites scare the hell out of me! I made pretty good money searching for extremely old ginseng plants in the hills and mountains of Virginia.
For some reason, when I heard about the public domain, I thought I would be able to fly over old stacks and search for that: “I’ll know it when I see it” item that will trigger an idea for making money?
Someone’s flying over someplace in order to obtain websites full of content? My uninformed question is: Whats the deal here Tony? Is there a method one can use that is close to my description, or are we resigned to shopping forever at someone else’s website? Is there a way to venture forth on ones own and search for treasure? If this is a stupid question it will not be the only stupid question I have ever asked. I actually learn a lot from my stupid questions, and because I have asked so many, I have become immune from the embarrassment of asking them.(if you don’t ask, you’ll never know)
Thanks for the opportunity to ask. bob
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support Reply:
February 14th, 2010 at 4:57 pm
Hey Bob…thanks for asking. It sounds like you’ve had some great find searching for different kinds of treasure! The Public Domain is the biggest treasure trove of them all…and there are tons of websites (I’ve found well over 500) that offer content from the Public Domain for free. This website (http://publicdomainblueprint.com/research/) offers some of my favorite sites for finding great content…you may also want to consider my Public Domain Code Book (http://www.publicdomaincodebook.com/home.html) which shares over 200 websites offering all types of Public Domain content, from books and photos to movies, music and more. BTW…I’d love to hear about some of your adventures sometime!
Tony
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Hey John…. You violated one of ezinearticles.com terms of service.
“MUST NOT BE AN ARTICLE YOU RIPPED-OFF FROM THE PUBLIC DOMAIN OR BOUGHT (PLR).”
I’ve submitted ton’s of articles to EA using public domain that I rewrote. Just like PLR – for Public Domain to be really useful – you need to rewrite it so it’s original content.
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support Reply:
February 14th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
Hey Debra…thanks for reinforcing my earlier comment to John. I know you have a lot of experience in using PD content for writing articles. The key, again as you stated, is to re-write! Thanks for providing the excerpt from EA’s TOS!
Tony
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I’m starting a website in the dog niche and am interested in creating content. I’m considering original content, via interviews with dog experts but also wondering about how I could incorporate PD content into the site about a particular dog breed, with a fun twist to it. Such content could include the breed’s history, diet peculiarities, behavior and such.
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support Reply:
February 14th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
Hey Oscar…I year or so ago, I started a blog around dog info as a test for using Public Domain Magazine content. You can see it here: http://doesyourdogdothis.com. All the content there is from just two issues of old “Dog World” magazines from the 40s. And while I haven’t posted to it lately, the blog is a perfect example for you and what’s possible from a content perspective. And, trust me, there are a LOT of magazines in the Public Domain featuring info about dogs…even specific breeds. Books as well!
Tony
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Hey Tony! Here is some Public domain product creation tips that I have learned and have actually made a couple of sales off of. Vintage how to that are in the public domain. Such as “How to Make a Spanish Guitar” ” How To make a Pipe” ect. There are a great many of these on the Internet Archive, Gutenberg and Google books. If one doesn’t have a PDF editor,I believe that its easy to copy and paste from gutenberg into open office, then convert to pdf. I think foxit has a free pdf editor as well. Zazzle and cafe press are good for selling products too…t shirts, mugs, calendars, mousepads ect…WHo wants to know how to put video on Ebay? Easy! Put your video on youtube. Click embed on the right hand corner. On ebay auction page go to html tab and put the code at the end of your html description. Whalla! video is there. I have seen many, many examples of public domain works on Ebay. SOme folks sell cd’s, others reprint maps, vintage airplane plans, others offer cd’s of multiple PD works. Reprinting old photos. It looka like the stuff is easy to reproduce and easy to ship. Hope this helps and thanks Tony for all your advice.
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support Reply:
February 14th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
Hey Josh…I really appreciate you sharing your tips on how you are using Public Domain content! How-to books are always a great place to begin with product creation. Another of my favorite search words is “making.” I always find it interesting to see what people want to learn how to make! Thanks!
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Hi Tony! What I’m having trouble with is the venue to offer products to customers. I have some great books that would make wonderful PD products. Is the best way to throw up a blog and offer it….or offer through Clickbank? What method works best for you?
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support Reply:
February 14th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
Focus…I prefer using blogs these days, just because they’re easier to manage from anywhere. And with plugins like WP Hide Post, it’s easy to create download pages that people can’t find. Couple that with other great e-commerce and membership plugins (like Wishlist Member or WP eStore) and you have a LOT of options! Hook it up to your Paypal account and you’re good to go. Clickbank is a great option as well for starting out. E-Junkie is another one (http://www.e-junkie.com). The great thing about using one of those services is that they manage your payments and affiliates…not to mention having access to thousands of affiliates! So I would probably recommend beginning there…perhaps with E-Junkie…and then advertise your product link on your blog. That way, you still have the benefit of having a blog, but with them managing all the payments and affiliate stuff.
Tony
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I use a great deal of PD books and articles on my Self Help Blog. Great advice and sound teachings are always relevant and the advice is almost always golden. I have a category on this blog called “Thursday Throwback” where I provide an article or selections from pd books. These posts are always very popular. Sometimes they have to be re-worded a little but more times than not, I leave them as they are because there’s a certain beauty to the writing. Also, it’s great for the brain to be challenged every so often!
I also use some great old dream dictionaries and dream guides on a dream analysis blog (http://www.dreamprophesy.com). If I had more time, I’d turn some of these dream dictionaries into products – e-books or, better yet, physical books that individuals could keep near their beds, with perhaps an accompanying dream dictionary.
If anyone is looking for a killer idea, I can tell you from experience that this one would really fly high. The interest is beyond amazing and it isn’t one that’s going anywhere anytime soon. People are always fascinated with their dreams, dream symbols, and the meanings of dreams.
After all, it’s something we all have!
If any of you ever put a dream-related product together, I’d be more than happy to promote it on Dream Prophesy.
Thanks, Tony, for all of the motivation and inspiration. It’s always wonderful to see people who are living their dream take the time and effort to show others how to do the same. I raise my coffee cup to you!
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support Reply:
February 14th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
Hey Joi…thanks for sharing your own experiences and strategies! I always appreciate learning how others are using PD content in their businesses…and I know that you and Mike have a lot of fun with it!
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Hi Tony,
I lost the website that you use to check out if a book is in the public domain. Wasn’t it from Stanford University? Thanks for the great information as usual. The other question is what do you us to get a book from self into your word document?
BTW, My greatest issue is time and technical issues. I am working on both. My first product will be an audio book. Can’t wait to show you.
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Hey John…I’ve listed all the copyright research sites here, along with some other goodies: http://www.publicdomainblueprint.com/research
Tony
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Hi, Tony!
I am a firm believer in public Domain Content and I have produced a couple of Magic books using PD content.
I have become disabled in the past year and can’t work a regular job so I am looking to do reviews and marketing of products to other disabled folks like myself who would be looking for ways to earn money even with disabilities.
I will be starting a blog outlining my process and the results that I have achieved.
My initial thoughts can be found on my publishing web site: http://www.tartanpress.com
I have been into retail sales and marketing for over 30 years and I also have another marketing strategy for Theatre Groups for PD plays, artists and non-profits using PD illustrations, which is why I have written this email to you.
I just don’t want to give away too much at this point as I am paranoid about folks stealing my ideas! We can get into more discussion if we can work things out between us.
I would like to offer my own reviews on the toolbar, could you send me a review copy, even if it is a limited use edition, just something for me to try it out.
Do you have an Affiliate program for the toolbar and your other products? It would be best if it were a 2 tier program so I could make a commission on any affiliates that I convince to become part of the program.
I have a customer already that I think I can get to buy a copy of the Toolbar. However, she is a personal friend and would decide based upon my personal recommendation.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Thank you for your consideration.
stuart Joseph
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support Reply:
February 16th, 2010 at 1:15 pm
Hey Stuart…great to hear from you again! If you want to check out a free version of the Toolbar, you can do so here: http://www.pdxtoolbar.com. The full version of the Public Domain Expert Toolbar is sold through Clickbank, so if you have an account there, you can sell it as an affiliate. As for my other products…I’ve had an affiliate program for them through 1SC and haven’t been happy with the results, so I’m in the process of moving everything into another program. Will let you know when those are ready.
Tony
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Stuart Joseph Reply:
February 17th, 2010 at 12:38 am
Tony,
Thanks for the quick reply and the answers to my questions, not to mention the link to the free Public Domain Toolbar.
Even though it is the middle of the night, I went ahead and took the actions I needed to download the toolbar and the additional downloads.
I will get a Clickbank account to sell the toolbar. How would I be able to give away the free toolbar and sell the full version?
Would you consider doing a Paypal Affiliate program?
I have been working on CD;s for Kunaki and I find the hardest thing for me is making up the labels and inserts.
I am getting better since I figured out that I would save time by making up my tartan backgrounds for each item and then layering the additional graphics and text onto the background. Live and learn time management and skills, eh?
I use Serif Photoplus 9 as my graphics program, they have a free version and a $9.95 version. I have the paid version and have been a very happy user of it for years for years.
They also have a lot of other great programs of both paid and free versions from DTP to Web Editors. Stay away from the web page editor, I used it and it added a bunch of unneeded code or messes up the pages.
I am very happy with the free Kompozer for web work.
If you haven’t guessed, my Scottish soul loves free and low cost programs.
I will keep you up-to-date on my progress.
Stuart
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support Reply:
February 17th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
Hey Stuart…for free image editors, you may also want to look at GimpShop (http://www.gimpshop.com), Paint.net (http://www.paint.net) or SplashUp (http://www.splashup.com). As for giving away the free version of the Toolbar from an affiliate perspective, I don’t currently have anything in place like that. Let me think about it.
Tony
Hey Tony
I am totally overwhelmed by all this and have no idea where to start or find an area.
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support Reply:
February 16th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Hey Jay…what specifically do you feel overwhelmed by? Have you done anything online so far? A blog? Facebook profile? Twitter? Let me know.
Tony
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Hi Tony
what a wealth of knowledge here! Always good to hear success stories and the many paths to success.
I have found all your products very useful and you over deliver in everyone.
Your free reports are worth their weight in gold.
My favourite is your free report “Niche (and Public Domain) Research with a spin”
http://publicdomainblog.com/announcements/new-free-report-on-niche-research/
In terms of how to start- I have just finished watching the ebook webinar videos and for step by step instruction they are fantastic.
Not sure if Tony’s special offer is still available as it was very good value and answers a lot of the questions asked previously by other people
Regards
Bronwyn
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support Reply:
February 16th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Hey Bronwyn…Thanks for all your kind words! A LOT of people have loved the Ebook webinar series…unfortunately, it’s not available right now, although I will be re-launching it soon!
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Hi Tony, I am looking for great Public Domain Books with professionally audited audios of the book. I am currently in the Self Help niche but want to find a ready supply of classic books with their audios to match. Any help would be appreciated.
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support Reply:
February 18th, 2010 at 7:19 am
Hey Mike…have you checked out Librivox.org? They are recording Public Domain books and releasing the audios back into the Public Domain…and they’re covering a pretty wide variety of topics, both fiction and non-fiction. I believe they have around 2,500 books currently offered so far. They also offer links to the text version of each book as well.
Tony
[Reply]
Stuart Joseph Reply:
May 16th, 2011 at 7:33 pm
Hi, Tony,
I suspected that the Librivox Recordings are not in Public Domain.
Even if the underlying book is in Public Domain, the recording would be a new edition of the work and as such would be covered by a new copyright.
I went to the Public Domain page @ librivox.org and found this:
“LibriVox records only texts that are in the public domain (in the USA – see below for why), and all our recordings are public domain (definitely in the USA, and maybe in your country as well, see below). This means anyone can use all our recordings however they wish (even to sell them).
In addition, book summaries, CD cover art, and any other material that goes into our catalog with the audio recordings are in the public domain.”
There is a lot more information about PD on the site, so, it would be worth checking out.
It is also interesting that Librivox supplies cover art and the print materials for their recordings, so if one wanted, they could convert the MP3 recording into a CD format and download the necessary print materials and have a CD for sale. Really easy if you uploaded it all to Kunaki.com and have them produce the CD for you.
I would add my publishing information to the CD label, cover, insert, etc.
I would also give the artists credit for doing the reading.
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Hello Tony. Lots of information here. Still can’t figure out how someone would make money from Gutenberg. I downloaded a maritime story written by a British author in the late 1800s, it is about 175 pages. It appears to be his own life experience as a sailor. How could this or similar be used in any way? If you wanted to re-release it, would you list your name as the author?, Or list as presented by you, and name the original author? Could I then PDF it and publish it on Lulu?
Also, what would be the best source of PD illustrations that could be used on t-shirts, mousepads, and such for a CafePress store?
You have a great site with lots of information. Thanks.
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support Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Hey Francisco…I actually don’t use Gutenberg much…although I have found a few gems there. The majority of my online finds come from Google books or Internet Archive (although I check a lot of other sites as well). With the book you mentioned…you could put your name on it, or your name with the original author, like “by Francisco Gual and John Smith.” I would encourage you to consider ways you can personally add value to the book, whether updating the language or adding other elements, like the illustrations you mentioned. A great place to look for Public Domain illustrations is found at http://www.visipix.com. They have well over a million illustrations there. As for Lulu…sure, you could publish it there! CreateSpace.com is another great alternative, especially considering that it’s owned by Amazon!
Tony
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