Would really like some advice on selling license for my book

karel · #1 05-09-2007, 10:55 AM

I really could do with some help here as this is the second request I have recived, the first was 6 months ago and I turned it down.

Firstly here is the email I recived today...

Hello

I was wondering if you would be open to selling a private label license to your product
At Last A Life. I enjoyed the content very much and would l like to be able to sell a
similar product.

The license would essentially let me use your content in a product of my own in exchange
for a one-time payment. It would also allow you to continue selling the product however
you like.

We can obviously discuss the details, but first I wanted to see if this is something you
would be interested in and how much you would want for such a license.

Best wishes

Mike Spencer

Can anyone advise on this, I am not 100% sure what he is wanting, to have full re-sale rights or just wants certain elements from the book. If he is wanting to use the info and reword the title of the book, then it would not be fair on anyone who had read it before. Also the book would be in direct competion.

Obviously he could pay me a certain amount and not have the customer base that I have and I could get paid well for something he just can't sell. The book also sells on ebay and that would be a no, no for him.

I know I need more info from him on this and his intentions, but before I do is it just right to turn him down flat or should I pursue it, I also would have no idea what to charge....So I really am looking for someone who could help and advise on this.

Regards Paul

Collectors-info · #2 05-09-2007, 12:00 PM

Only as an idea to save getting invoved with a license. What about setting up an affiliate program & pay a percentage of each sale. All the downloads would come from your site?

karel · #3 05-09-2007, 02:34 PM

Chris this is a seperate question and one I would be interested in doing. I have built up a lot of contacts from similar sites, many becming friends. The trouble is I don't really know the easiest way to put the product on another site and affiliate it, I use clickbank with not bad results, but as I do a physical book I feel I have something else to offer.

So I would like people to maybe buy the book through their site or o.k a link to mine that tracks sales (Not clickbank)

Is there a simple way to do this without trawling through loads of affiliate websites offering their services?

This getting away from the e-book as like I say, I do have the book in clickbank.

The person who got in touch I need to know his intentions before I move forward on this, but I don't want to do anything I regret furthur down the line.

Karen Mac · #4 05-09-2007, 05:04 PM

Paul

I wouldnt do it without a nice chunk of money. Id figure out a rough estimate of what I stood to make for say 10 years, and then what you stand to lose if hes also claiming RIGHTS to this book as his own work. Then your integrity may come into question as he may decide to give it away free, and you cant stop him cuz you gave him the right. Then people will be.. why should i BUY when i can have it for free?

I might consider giving him a license to SELL it, but not to claim any ownership of the content.

Karen

Momus · #5 05-09-2007, 05:46 PM

Hi Karel,

He wants private label rights, not resale rights. This means he can rebrand the ebook and sell it as his own work (and include his own links, etc.).

As for a price, that all depends on the buyer and seller. ;)

If this is something you want to consider, first Google the guy who is asking and try to find out how big a player he is.

Good luck!

karel · #6 05-09-2007, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Paul

I wouldnt do it without a nice chunk of money. Id figure out a rough estimate of what I stood to make for say 10 years, and then what you stand to lose if hes also claiming RIGHTS to this book as his own work. Then your integrity may come into question as he may decide to give it away free, and you cant stop him cuz you gave him the right. Then people will be.. why should i BUY when i can have it for free?

I might consider giving him a license to SELL it, but not to claim any ownership of the content.

Karen

Thank you Karen, You have pretty much told me everything that I was thinking myself and compounded all my fears. I earn a decent amount from the book and don't want to put control into anyone elses hands. I totally agree with all your comments and believe if I want to expand then only go down the affiliate route. If I thought it was a book that had a certain lifespan then that would be totally different.

Quote:

Hi Karel,

He wants private label rights, not resale rights. This means he can rebrand the ebook and sell it as his own work (and include his own links, etc.).

As for a price, that all depends on the buyer and seller. ;)

If this is something you want to consider, first Google the guy who is asking and try to find out how big a player he is.

Good luck!

Thanks Momus for your reply, I think I will just leave it to be honest.

Any help on affiliate programs that would work and are pretty cheap to run would be good. I thought of changing the postage by a penny on each person that had it on their site, so I knew where the sale came from. This would be for the main sites that had become friends or I have shared links with. The trouble is it does not track sales and is all built on trust.

Paul

Vasili · #7 05-09-2007, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by karel

Chris this is a seperate question and one I would be interested in doing. I have built up a lot of contacts from similar sites, many becming friends. The trouble is I don't really know the easiest way to put the product on another site and affiliate it, I use clickbank with not bad results, but as I do a physical book I feel I have something else to offer.
So I would like people to maybe buy the book through their site or o.k a link to mine that tracks sales (Not clickbank)
Is there a simple way to do this without trawling through loads of affiliate websites offering their services?
This getting away from the e-book as like I say, I do have the book in clickbank.
The person who got in touch I need to know his intentions before I move forward on this, but I don't want to do anything I regret furthur down the line.

Firstly, you should seriously develop the habit of blowing off all offers of this sort. Ulterior motives, hidden agandas, and "rights" issues will always follow you and be unfavorable to you: keep what you have as yours, and merely "reward" the growing interest of others appropriately.

Install PAP (Post Affiliate Pro) on your website so that you can run your own "affiliate program" in selling your books and stuff. You can even create a separate page/area for this guy for a 're-labeled' book that is still yours but with his preferred packaging, so to speak, and offer a different price and even a different level of commission since he is driving all the traffic to this one product.
This avoids the "licensing" pratfalls Karen suggested (since novices should not venture in this area without full legal representation), as you are merely re-packaging your product, and setting particular commissions accordingly: if he is so interested in it, your "customizing" it for him and setting up a means to control the traffic for it with higher commissions should prove to be a similarly attractive arrangement for him (especially financially): if not, then you have the "proof" you need to better formulate a plan as how to best deal with the next proposal, yes? This area can also be made up as a "storefront" style (with his look and feel, to further appease his "identity").

Installing PAP will preserve your rights, allow you the liberty to modify your product accordingly (re-market), and award greater financial "partnerships" without encumberances, easily managed in your corner.

PS: ClickBank sucks! Their history of not paying properly and "losing" transactions is the worst in the industry....you'd be better off looking up Beez thread in the Showcase and listing like she did on Amazon (she gave me the links there, but I forgot them too -- search her last created threads?)

karel · #8 05-09-2007, 08:02 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by karel
Chris this is a seperate question and one I would be interested in doing. I have built up a lot of contacts from similar sites, many becming friends. The trouble is I don't really know the easiest way to put the product on another site and affiliate it, I use clickbank with not bad results, but as I do a physical book I feel I have something else to offer.
So I would like people to maybe buy the book through their site or o.k a link to mine that tracks sales (Not clickbank)
Is there a simple way to do this without trawling through loads of affiliate websites offering their services?
This getting away from the e-book as like I say, I do have the book in clickbank.
The person who got in touch I need to know his intentions before I move forward on this, but I don't want to do anything I regret furthur down the line.

Quote:

Firstly, you should seriously develop the habit of blowing off all offers of this sort. Ulterior motives, hidden agandas, and "rights" issues will always follow you and be unfavorable to you: keep what you have as yours, and merely "reward" the growing interest of others appropriately.

Install PAP (Post Affiliate Pro) on your website so that you can run your own "affiliate program" in selling your books and stuff. You can even create a separate page/area for this guy for a 're-labeled' book that is still yours but with his preferred packaging, so to speak, and offer a different price and even a different level of commission since he is driving all the traffic to this one product.
This avoids the "licensing" pratfalls Karen suggested (since novices should not venture in this area without full legal representation), as you are merely re-packaging your product, and setting particular commissions accordingly: if he is so interested in it, your "customizing" it for him and setting up a means to control the traffic for it with higher commissions should prove to be a similarly attractive arrangement for him (especially financially): if not, then you have the "proof" you need to better formulate a plan as how to best deal with the next proposal, yes?

Installing PAP will preserve your rights, allow you the liberty to modify your product accordingly (re-market), and award greater financial "partnerships" without encumberances, easily managed in your corner.

Fair enough Vasili, as stated it is now a non starter. I pretty much came to that conclusion but wanted other people's advice on this. I would never blindly give any rights up without fully looking into, if ever!!

The answers above are what I wanted to here and have pushed me to find other sellers for the book and go down the affiliate route only.

I will have a look at PAP. I have thought for a while about doing something like this but found most affiliate programs expensive, o.k if you are selling something of great value or in big volumes. I have not looked around as such, so this is something I need to look into properly.

I also know how bad clickbank are, but its extra income whatever the amount.

Paul

karel · #9 05-09-2007, 08:06 PM

Just had a look at PAP website it looks like just the thing I need. They install for free and its pretty cheap and easy to use.

Thanks Paul

Vasili · #10 05-09-2007, 08:08 PM

Basic suggestions, Paul.....keep control of what you have, re-package if it looks fortuitous, and have it run on auto-pilot whenever possible (less work, less worry).

PAP is available FREE with your VH account: Submit a Support Ticket with your request.

Beat me to the post! LOL....Good....."Told you so" !!!

and on we go....

karel · #11 05-09-2007, 08:12 PM

Quote:

PAP is available FREE with your VH account: Submit a Support Ticket with your request.

Your kidding, well you learn something new every day....As usual thank you for your advice, thought you would be along soon

karel · #12 05-16-2007, 01:17 PM

Had a lot of trouble trying to install the program, so I have left it.

I may have to come up with another solution.

Vasili · #13 05-16-2007, 09:02 PM

Paul.....

Please don't give up just yet! It really is not complicated, but the steps can seem overwhelming when you don't understand them all. Try to print out the installations instructions from your current PAP installation, and then delete it from your account. Then... (please just do it for my sake?) re-load PAP (get a pristine copy) and step-by-step follow the instructions.

If this is something you either choose not to do, or cannot seem to successfully do, you may wish to consider getting with General Naval and have him install it for you for a very modest fee.....I do not think you to be one to simply give up: this is by far the best solution for what we have been bouncing around all this time, and I am confident you will see even greater uses to expand the capabilities once it is rolling for you.