How to protect an ebook?

I am curious the best way to write and protect an ebook I sell on ebay. Should I password protect it? How do you do the autorespond where I do not have to manually send it?

 

I suggest saving it as a PDF with security settings like no printing or copying. You will need to buy some kind of PayPal shopping cart that will send the PDF to the buyer after they pay. You can find one at HotScripts.com.

 

in reality, protecting a document or even the most comprehensive software in the net is hard to be protected, they are very much prone to cracking, but for the sake of the question, you can put a copyright protected by copyright law, a watermark or embedded watermark. Password protect is also good and password will be given only to the individual who paid.

 

Convert it to a PDF, then search Google for it every few weeks, as well as set a Google alert. This should keep you aware of what is being posted on the net.

 

how do people send it out automatically on an order from ebay

 

Payloadz is one way to do it. You upload your digital product and once a buyer pays through PayPal or CC, they could automatically download.

 

Adobe Acrobat new versions has the ability to protect it.
Try Adobe Acrobat ver 7.0 or greater
Thanks

 

I hate to sound like the bearer of bad news, but protecting a PDF is a waste of time.

A friend of mine told me that one of my password protected PDF's has been hacked and is being given away by the multitudes on a private site. That same site gives away every possible PDF you can think of, certain software products, etc.

Am I pissed? Yeah!

Did it prevent me from getting sales? Not to the point where I'm losing sleep.

I've grossed almost $100K from that one e-book over the past 17 months.

My point is that security won't stop the underground revolution. If your e-book is good, it's going to passed around. And you may never know. My only solace is that most people either don't know where these sites are, or they cannot access them. These sites aren't openly advertised.

It ain't pleasant. But it's the reality of selling PDF's online. And a password is as good as using a string to lock your front door.

 

100k? wow thats impressive. geez louise.

 

The original question is a burning one for me as well.

Right now we are struggling with ideas of ebook security. We have a very large ebook, and a large bonus section that will only be available to those who have bought the book.

Our solution? The best we can come up with right now is giving the buyer a username and password to a secure are that allows them to download the book and get to the bonus area. We also plan on tracking the number of logins and downloads per user.

I know nothing is 100% and the last thing you want to do is upset your buyers by making it too cumbersome.

We are just out of ideas right now, so any more thoughts on this would be appreciated.

 

An electronic version of the book would be a good idea. That way you will protect it from stealing ...... how? by implementing a code for the people that have already paid it. Then you send them this code and they download it. Make downloadable only with this unique code.

 

Copying, sure, but no printing? I would be pissed off to buy an ebook that didn't allow me to print if off.

 

writegurl - how long did it take from you originally publishing the ebook to be sold to when it had been hacked and given away for free?

Also, can you give more details of this private site?

 

I would say that e-bay would be that last place for me to sell an e-book!

 

she should write an ebook on what she did to sell that much with an ebook

 

The best place to have a download link (and it works with paypal and eBay) is http://www.e-junkie.com/

Also, it is hard to control every copy of your eBook. Someone is going to download it and might pass it on to friends, etc. You can put some statements in the beginning of the book, etc. but the best thing you can do is to provide links back to your site BECAUSE if they like the book (which they may have gotten for free) then they may go to your site and buy something there.

 

Don't waste your time with copycats! Spend your time thinking how you can sell more and more...

Protecting your ebook will lead to many refunds. However, on ebay, you may want to go for it.

 

No harm is using pdf, though it may be cracked, but fine it is always good to lock the doors so that people don't enter unintentionally. You can't avoid theft, but you can reduce the number by protection. So what Orion77 is saying is right, let them (good visitors) come your site and sell them more stuff.

 

She didn't answer the question.

Hmmm....

 

An alternative method of selling PDF's safer, is to insert the buyer's name and address in it. That should keep him/her from spreading it around

Just my 2c.

Regards, George