I am thinking of starting an ebook and don't know whether to use PLR content or hire some ghostwriters (perhaps a mixture of both). Do you think PLR content cheapens the quality of an ebook, regardless of the PLR quality? Will people write off the ebook as being useless due to it's creation from PLR content? Do you writers have any respect for PLR content materials or do you see them as a joke? Thanks in advance, -Digip
I don't see an e-book as deserving much respect unless it's actually written by the author (and not someone else with a different author's name plastered on it), and not unless that author has some credentials in the niche topic. Anything else is worthless imo from a buyer's perspective.
Let's say that the PLR is high quality, why would it have no credibility? Aren't PLR supposed to be rich with content since they are being sold to resellers for use in articles and ebooks? Why would the author's name on the content have anything to do with credibility? If I paid Stephen King to ghostwrite me a horror ebook , but use my name as the author, it doesn't change the fact that the content was written by a quality author. My 2 cents, -Digip
Credibility has much less to do with the content than it has to do with the author. If the PLR author is an expert in the niche, the articles may very well be credible. However, by their very nature, derivative works won't carry that expert author's name, and therefore won't have the credibility to buyers that the content would otherwise have. Whether someone can trust what's in an e-book or not is directly tied to who they believe is writing that e-book. If they have no reason to trust you in that niche, you have very little credibility, no matter who actually wrote it. That's just life and marketing... and precisely why you're better off writing your own e-books or finding another income stream if you can't. Why would you think people would care about buying your e-book written by Stephen King, if they had no idea he wrote it? They wouldn't. To them, it's just a random e-book written by some Joe Schmo with no experience in the niche. Credibility doesn't come after they read the content. If the credibility isn't there up front, they're not likely to look at it in the first place. I think that's what you're not understanding from your last post... you seem to think it comes after they read and like the e-book. The truth is that if there's no credibility behind it to begin with, they're unlikely to read it at all to even see how good the information actually is.
For the record, if I do use PLR/Ghostwriters, I would probably list them as the author. However, I still don't see how changing an author's name can impact the quality of the content. There are literally dozens of high quality websites, games, songs, movies, etc. that were never given full credit to it's original authors/creators, yet you can't deny their quality. If I have an ebook (with me list as the author) with the cures for global warming, hunger, and poverty yet I didn't write it, would you still deny the quality content of my book? So you suggest that I find another income stream if I can't write my own ebooks? Since the readers can't trust me because I have no credibility in the given niche? If anything they should thank me because rather than investing my time writing a self written low quality content ebook (obviously I would see it as a high quality ebook, after all aren't we all experts)... I would invest money on an expert niche writer and provide the consumers with high quality ebooks. I'm a businessman, not a dating, video game, or health expert, and i'm not trying to be one, but I still think that I can offer the consumers high quality dating, video game, or health products even if it was ghost written. As for my Stephen King example, I never said people should care about the ebook because it was written by Stephen King. I'm saying that whether the ebook listed Stephen King Or Bozo The Clown as the author, it doesn't change the fact that the ebook's content is high quality written by a high quality author. As far as the consumers not trusting a ghost writing ebook, I highly doubt it. Almost everything created in this world have ghost writing elements to it whether it's an ebook, software, songs, movies, we can go on forever. Alot of People don't care about the "messenger", they care about the "message" (especially for "how to" ebooks). I would like to remind you that we are talking about "informational" ebooks and not some fantasy ebook novels. People will BUY you're products if they think you're products can deliver what it advertise. Don't believe me? Go check out all the bad reviews on some of the digital ebooks. If the consumers are as diligent as you think they are, wouldn't they know better than to buy from a scamming ebook? Better yet, if you go and read the bad reviews, pay ATTENTION... I bet you most of them won't even address or complain about the "author" as much as they do about the poor "content" and "ebook" in general. Have a nice night, Digip
If you're going to list them as the author, then you're not working with "ghostwriters" at all. And you should check with PLR authors. They may not want their names associated with something you're selling - once they sell it in PLR format, it's generally assumed that they're anonymous and the buyer will be claiming authorship. You're confusing quality and credibility. I didn't say an author's name on something affected quality. I said it affected the credibility pre-purchase in the eyes of buyers... HUGE difference. Nobody gives a rat's behind about the quality until after they've read it. Without credibility, they won't likely read it in the first place. If those expert niche writers want to write and sell e-books, with their own name on it (which is what you just said you would probably do), then they'll write them and sell them themselves, and simply hire you as a marketing consultant if they need the services that you'll actually be providing. If you can't write your own e-books, an option that might suit you well is selling e-books already written with decent affiliate programs that let you earn by making the sales (again, that's based on you saying you'd hire someone or buy their existing content, and then sell it with their name on it instead of working with actual ghostwriters). I never assumed we were talking about fictional or "fantasy" e-books. I only mentioned Stephen King b/c of your example. I'm well-versed in selling "informational e-books." My advice is based on that... and being an e-book author myself, as well as a professional writer for clients and marketing / PR professional as my primary work. I never said all consumers are smart. But I know how to market to them effectively, and experience tells me that, with e-books, you can do MUCH better either with affiliate selling or having expert credentials as the author than you can do by simply compiling PLR articles (and I know plenty of "writers" who have tried that). I think you just need to re-think some things as far as the basics. Before you can work with ghostwriters, you need to understand what they actually are (if you're now saying you'd list them as the author, I have to assume you're not so sure). You also need to take some time to understand the difference between quality and credibility - while they both play a role, one plays a much bigger role pre-sale, and one plays a much bigger roles post-sale (reviews, return percentages, etc.). They're both vital parts of the overall marketing plan for an e-book, but they're far from the same thing. Also keep in mind that you didn't ask if any old Joe off the street would care if you used PLR content. You asked if the writers here respect that kind of product. So don't be surprised not to get all glowing responses. If you ask for feedback, you'll get it. But it sounds like you've already pretty much decided on doing things this way, and you're looking more for affirmation than constructive feedback. Now I'm not saying it's never alright to hire a ghostwriter on the credibility front... just that you won't have that in your case. You're talking about simply creating e-books in niches you're not experienced in b/c you think you'll make money. It would be entirely different imho if you were instead an expert who simply didn't have time to write the e-book yourself. For example, an SEO firm may hire a writer to do an e-book on SEO. In cases like that, the company or seller of the e-book lends the credibility, b/c it's their name associated with it. So it's different in different cases. My feedback is just targeted to your specific case. Am I saying you couldn't make any money doing it? No. I'm saying that you need to think things through first, and see if there's a better way to go about it that might lend extra credibility before hiring writers or buying PLR content, b/c that can have a significant impact on overall sales potential. Some people want to be taken seriously; others just want to make a few bucks and turn out the next product. Do whatever fits with the model you want to work with.
It's all about quality in my opinion. How many unknown writers become bestsellers after their first (or even tenth) became really popular. Again, writing is about quality. I've proven it with my years of experience working as a caged writer in an office. Peace. John Steiner
John, writing a fictional best seller is completely different than something designed to be non-fiction and informational. Fiction carries credibility often tied to the publisher of the book when it comes to new authors... that, and the marketing is entirely different (not to mention the audience). When people want factual information, there's no question about it... it's easier to trust (and buy from) a reputable person in that industry than some random person publishing about half a dozen completely unrelated topics, when they have no experience in any of them. And for the record, when I say the e-book should be "credible," that doesn't mean that the author has to be well-known in the niche... instead, they need to make their case through their sales page and other marketing material, where they're telling potential buyers why they should buy this information from them.
So Jenn are you saying an expert who uses a ghostwriter (of non fiction) does not have credibility? Because they didn't write the book? It sounds like you're lumping PLR and ghostwriting together. I don't think someone's sales page would be a good source of credibility, it's a sales page after all. I'm sure there are plenty of good quality books out there with excellent information sold by people who didn't write the books but know how to write a convincing sales letter, but the material could come from either PLR or ghostwriting. The value of the information isn't necessarily degraded by this process, IMHO. It can be, but not by definition. SueC
I said quite the opposite in my second-to-last post. Re-read it - the last paragraph. The point about sales pages and credibility is that it's where a relatively unknown expert would list their credentials - Someone with none doesn't have that to lend credibility to the information in the e-book pre-sale.
PLR materials aren't a joke, especially if they are quality pieces. But when you use PLR in an ebook, it does cheapen the quality as far as I'm concerned. If I'm going to pay for an ebook, I want it to say something new and different - not the same thing I read on the fifteen other websites that used the same PLR articles. I think this ties into what Jenn is saying. Anyone can make an ebook using PLR and random articles. And you'll have plenty of people buy it I would imagine. But discriminating buyers would rather purchase a book from an author they trust to have developed something new or at least put a new spin on something old. Rebecca
If you have the means, my opinion is that your money would be much better spent hiring a quality ghostwriter for your eBook rather than using PLR. PLR is great for driving traffic and filler content but when you are attaching your name to something you want to know without a doubt that the something representing you is a quality product. It is not impossible to find that with PLR but you really don't know what you get when you buy a PLR package until you open it up and take a look inside.
The same is true with the work a client gets from a ghostwriter. The only way you know what you're getting up front is if you write it yourself.
Yes but you usually pay for the PLR package up front. Many people do not provide a final payment to ghostwriters until they've had an opportunity to see for themselves what's inside.
But if a person isn't a good writer, the problem isn't that they don't know what they're getting. The problem is that they know they won't like it. Maybe you feel that they shouldn't have books (e or otherwise) but ghostwriting has been around for a long time. As far as PLR vs ghostwriters, it's a matter of personal preference. If you do have PLR, I suggest that you make sure that it works before you rewrite it and package it as an ebook. If you do that, you will be an expert on that subject, and solves any issues of credibility.
Many writers charge up front, or at least a significant portion up front. My own clients almost always pay up front (unless it's a very large project expected to take a significantly long time - then they can request to break it up). If the person were actually an expert in their niche, and they were providing the background / research to the ghostwriter, you could make a case for that. That's not the situation being discussed in this thread though - the OP isn't an expert in the niches, has no credibility in them, and couldn't provide the material for a writer to simply clean up in e-book form. Two completely different ballgames.
Quite frankly, I've been writing for three years now and have never once provided something to my clients whether it was an eBook or an article that wasn't well researched. In fact, those topics that I have personal experience in (like real estate) are often less researched than those that I know less about (such as gardening). This doesn't mean that the eBook I wrote on gardening was any less valuable or informative than the eBooks I've written about flipping houses (a topic in which I have personal experience). In fact, my eBooks on flipping houses were colored by my personal experiences but not necessarily the proper way to flip houses in all cities, states, and countries (as laws regarding construction, permits, and inspections vary greatly from one location to the next). Perhaps I'm misunderstanding what you are saying but it sounds to me as though you are saying that the only way a ghostwriter could write a competent eBook is to either have the research hand fed or to be an expert on the topic already and that is simply not the case. Excellent research skills are the best resources any halfway decent ghostwriter has at his or her disposal. Granted it is up to the seller to establish credibility when selling an item but if he purchases an eBook from a ghostwriter that believes in delivering a quality product rather than a ghostwriter offering the lowest price then he should have an excellent product to deliver when all is said and done. I do believe that if you are going to work within a specific niche as a primary source of income then you need to learn as much as possible about that niche. This helps you identify what is good information and what is bad information. In fact, it would be foolish not to know your niche if you are going into niche marketing. To answer the first question, I do not feel that all PLR content is a joke. That being said if it is filled with grammatical errors or is factually inaccurate then I will not respect the person that delivered the content and definitely will not purchase from them in the future.
I already addressed this. Quality is not the same as credibility. The quality doesn't matter until after the e-book is purchased, and is being read. Credibility is what influences sales, and that's what I've been talking about here. As for quality after it's purchased, the vast majority of e-books are complete crap. Is that saying NO ghostwriter can write a quality e-book? Absolutely not. Many Web articles purchased by webmasters are arguably total rubbish, but there are still quality Web content writers and clients who appreciate quality and are willing to pay for it. The same is true of the e-book industry.