How Many eBook Downloads Does It Take To Screw In A Light Bulb?
For once, I am just going to throw down and speak my mind. I have a new series of posts that I’ll be publishing over the span of whatever… called, “How many FILL IN WORD Does It Take To Screw In A Light Bulb?”
The reason why I am doing this series is simple. I am totally fed up and sick of all the freaking garbage, noise and pollution that is being published on many of the blogs that supposedly are intended to help people learn about making money online, Internet and search engine marketing, search engine optimization and business blogging strategies.
So many blog authors, and I literally mean a countless number of them, are projecting themselves to be experts in the business while they fail to find success in the propaganda they write about and offer to others. It’s stupid. It is totally misleading, misguiding and it needs to stop. People turn to the Internet to seek online careers for very valid and important reasons and when uneducated and inspiring individuals have to be subjected to garbage, it honestly kind of aggravates me.
So anyway, I wrote this post immediately after I received an email from someone asking me to review their brand new e-book that promises to change the world. So knowing in advanced, that this eBook would totally suck, I downloaded it anyway to get confirmation.
The question remains, “How Many eBook Downloads Does It Take To Screw In A Light Bulb?” In other words to paraphrase this question in less sarcastic terms: How many more eBook downloads does it take before people stop the madness of pretending to be experts and releasing garbage into the blogosphere?
Once again, I downloaded yet another eBook that makes me want to puke.Yet another eBook that offers nothing but noise, propaganda, misleading information and is packed full of affiliate links that point to even more mindless bullshit eBooks that waste millions of dollars from people who only want to learn the business of making money online.
This whole eBook thing is a joke. And that is partly the reason why I trashed my eBook in the works a few months ago. I was more than half way done with my eBook and I quickly found that almost half of the book provided more education on what NOT to look for in an eBook than what it was originally intended for.
I don’t know… I might start a new eBook and title it, “How Many Light Bulbs Does It Take To Shine On A Fake” or “How Many Light Bulbs Does It Take To Get A Bright Idea” You know, the things of that nature… which are typical of the things I tend to rant about time to time on my blog.
For those out there who develop strategies, bullshit products and scams who rob from the uneducated and ignorant, it’s time that you stop. It is time that you pack your bags and get off the blogosphere. This is something that has bothered me more and more over time. As the months go by, I continue to bite my tongue, I continue to be respectful and continue to hold my thoughts and keep them reserved to myself.
But I must say this… it is getting very difficult to do so. It is getting even more difficult to keep myself from dropping “Call Out Bombs” on all the idiots out here in the blogosphere who are claimed to be experts but in reality are fakes. I can’t stand people who mislead others. I don’t like people who trick others and I sure as hell can’t stand people that lie.
I very well might say screw it and start calling out some names of the people who reside in what I call the StupidoSphere. So let this be a warning to anyone who sends me an email, drops me an IM or visits my blog: If you’re a fake, and pretend to be someone you’re not, take this as an official warning that I very well may blog about you and call you out on your bluff and publicly display you as the true fake and liar you are.
Have a nice day! LOL!!!
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Date/Time: 2-27-2008 14:47:58 Comment #11950
I’d have to agree a lot of e-books are trash, but often the ones that actually cost money are even worse! There is a serious problem in judging the quality of e-books.
I released my first e-book yesterday about Blog Monetization Strategies, I hope it steers clear of the group of e-books you are talking about!
(It can be downloaded free here:
Blog Monetization Strategies)
Date/Time: 2-27-2008 14:54:32 Comment #11951
Garry,
I agree with you 90%, however, I must admit that I do like eBooks. But, you are right about people pretending to be something that they are not. WHY????? What is wrong with stating that I am a beginner at making money online, but I have learned a few things. The eBook should be filled with these few things. Make sure that you are providing value for the money.
So you are probably saying, Fred, why do you like eBooks when so many of the authors just restate what you can find around the net for free. I like the convenience of it in one place. It does take time to synthesize all of the advice out there and put it into one book. I think that this does add value. But, don’t act like your the next Bill Gates.
Date/Time: 2-27-2008 15:03:17 Comment #11952
@ Fred,
Well said man… well said. I too like eBooks and have downloaded quite a few for the trip as I won’t be bringing my notebook with me. One thing that does come to mind since we mentioned 90%. To me it seems like 90% of the people who download these books take what is written as it if were the Word of God and that disappoints me. It disappoints me for two reasons. (1) I wish people had more common sense and (2) I wish people didn’t take advantage of other’s ignorance. As I saying that I feel that 90% of the people who download eBooks are stupid? No! What I am saying is that there is a world of difference between being stupid and being ignorant of a subject and as long as people continue to exercise ignorance, there will always be a business of publishing junky eBooks of trickery and scams.
Excellent comment Fred, thanks for offering your feedback.
@ Matt,
Bold move dude… dropping a comment with a link to your newly released eBook following a post like the one I just did will probably get you some of the purest and most honest reviews available.
I have downloaded and printed your book for the trip as well and will provide some feedback about it when I return.
Date/Time: 2-27-2008 17:04:53 Comment #11959
Great post Garry.. There’s some good ebooks out there but anytime someone says they’re going to make me money or revolutionize the world I dont even bother clicking anymore..
I’m looking forward to the rest of your ‘how many’ posts..
Cheers
Matt
Date/Time: 2-27-2008 17:19:28 Comment #11960
Wow! I am thrilled you are tackling this topic- thanks! I have been wondering for a long time now, “whatever happened to giving REAL value for value EARNED” - (That is what I want to do - earn some money on the internet by giving something of real value ) ~megan
Date/Time: 2-27-2008 19:15:54 Comment #11965
Hi Garry,
Well said. When I first got this idea of makig some cash I was sucked in, like all newbies. It ddn’t take long for me to realise what a loafd of BS a lot of people were talking and when I realised I was reading the same crap from site to site I got angry.
I decided that I couldn’t make money online and it was a scam but then…. I gave it another go and with my experience and gained knowledge started to filter out the crap and have managed to come across such great sites as this and many others. My Google Reader is packed with new info on a wealth of subjects everyday. Not all amazing but at least it’s honest and most of the people I subscibe to are not trying to rip me off.
There is a place for ebooks and as Fred said it’s nice to have them in one place. I personally would have been very excited to see an ebook by you. Maybe you and Coder could do a joint book where you argue over each others techniques and tips as you guys disagree on various things but always bring valid points to the table.
Oh and finally I just reviewed your site today over at my blog. It is a genuine review even though it may seem like you paid me to do it!
Date/Time: 2-28-2008 03:10:09 Comment #11979
I want honest feedback, I look forward to it
Date/Time: 2-28-2008 03:43:49 Comment #11981
Most people make money on the internet by selling something/generating leads through an affiliate program. Sell someone else’s stuff and get a percentage of the sale. Sounds good, right? Well, when you start adding up your percent and their percent, you start to see how much money you could make by having your own product and having affiliate programs where other people do the selling for you. When it is something like an e-book, which incurs no actual material cost, the temptation is just too great. People think, “Hey, why am I selling someone else’s ebook/seo guide/etc. when I can just make my own and have others sell it for me?” The answer is simple - you are not a good writer and don’t really know what you are talking about.
Good write-up on an important topic and I look forward to reading your post when you start calling people out by name.
Date/Time: 2-28-2008 04:18:57 Comment #11983
Garry, I understand, and totally agree with your rant. I wouldn’t call myself a noob when it comes to all things SEO, et al, but I certainly wouldn’t call myself an expert. I have fallen into the trap more than once when it comes to following advice, either in ebooks or on blogs/sites in general. What may have seemed like a good idea at the time, will suddenly dawn on you as a total waste of time and effort a few weeks later! You wonder what ever possessed you to follow the **** advice in the first place. It gets to the point where you take everything with a pinch of salt and get on with what you alone want to do and if you make mistakes along the way- well, we all have to learn.
Date/Time: 2-28-2008 04:40:14 Comment #11984
Some e-books have proven indispensable to me and my online ventures but I must admit that these are few and far between. Look forward to this new series your’e planning Garry!
Date/Time: 2-28-2008 05:23:18 Comment #11986
I like it when you speak your mind Garry. That’s what keeps me coming back to your blog.
BTW: I like your header graphic. Very simple and clean. I liked your old one but couldn’t get used to the red letters for some reason. This one I liked without complaint instantly.
I have spent a lot of money on ebooks since I began my online business in 2001 and most are just repeating what they read in another ebook. I have made a ton of refund requests too.
I would have to say due to the fact that ebooks are digital and made up of bits and bytes that it would take 74 because their hands are so tiny.
I am not the greatest marketer by any stretch of the imagination but if I were to write an ebook I think it would be on fly fishing or gardening but it certainly won’t be on how to make money online. I will leave that to the experts and those other people that think they can write about it.
Note: I purchased an ebooks from a marketer that I believed in but their ebooks was so bad that I requested a refund and he lost it. He told me never to buy from him again and not to come back to his site. I think I hurt his feelings.
Date/Time: 2-28-2008 09:34:16 Comment #11987
I believe this is about the third time you have written a post about your dissatisfaction with certain folk who are doing more harm to newbies than good.
I feel you are being too politically correct and/or are just too wary of “calling them out” as it could conceivably hurt you.
However, until they are SPECIFICALLY identified and called out, your posts really do no good and nothing can be done to rectify the situation. Its just like saying many polititians are crooked….we all know that but what we need to know is which ones are the crooked ones.
You said it needs to stop. How can it stop if no one ever has the guts to name them?
Date/Time: 2-28-2008 10:14:38 Comment #11989
Garry, way to go.
I had bought one ebook on affiliate marketing and it was three years ago.
Since then, I read blogs but I am mostly learning from my failures and always trying to improve.
Date/Time: 2-28-2008 15:14:02 Comment #11995
Agreed, there’s a lot of bullshit e-book circulating around the internet, actually I’d go as far to say 99% of them are crap. Hope when I finally get to finish mine, maybe in a few months, it will actually be worth the time reading it.
Date/Time: 2-28-2008 15:27:56 Comment #11996
Great post Garry. Having dabbled with Ebooks myself over the years, I have come to the conclusion that the best way forward is trial and error by doing things yourself. At least you can’t blame anybody for your failures then!
Date/Time: 3-4-2008 10:32:55 Comment #12075
Hi Garry,
I’m new to your blog and the whole ‘make money online’ circus.
I have to say, it’s nice to see someone truly willing to help the newbie. I was diagnosed with MS 4 years ago and i’m only now trying to build a new life (online). The problem is, as you mentioned, all the junk that’s out there.
However, in the few weeks i have been researching ‘make money online’ etc, i have developed a b******t detector for ebooks and other marketing products.
If the landing page has….
1 - A big red headline.
2 - It goes on for 30 pages.
3 - Bullet points are highlighted in yellow.
4 - It mentions the writer started off broke and living in a bucket (or whatever)
5 - Writer say thanks to his system he now makes $,1000,000,000.00 A day
6 - He/She says to buy the product before it - runs out, explodes or sprouts wings.
In truth the first 3 points tell you all you need to know - it’s crap, dont’t buy it!
Thanks for what you do Garry.
All the best - John
Date/Time: 3-5-2008 19:02:45 Comment #12125
John said it best, I think. Gotta have a good BS radar, Truth be told though, the BS makes skeptics of some of us, and at what point do you not buy something. See where I’m going. I mean you can always grab something decide its shite, and refund it. Im not advocating anything here, but isnt this the way the world at large works. Watch TV for any length of time and you’ll get the impression that you’re too fat (even if youre not) supposed to look like some model or another, and the list goes and for only 19.99 someone will send you a fix for what ever ails you. Pathetic yes!! in my opinion. What really peeves me is this when someone who has a good name in the IM industry is promoting cut and paste email promos. I had at one collected a long list of tha all the fad promos at one point (i’m on everyones list it seems. And it blew my mind that some of the larger names in the industry were just cut and paste marketing. dudes like mike filsaime and john reese, by the way didnt john say at one point that he was doing the aff thing promo anymore and whammo out comes frank kerns massive what ever JV promo and dont I get an email from john selling it. Thats my beef with these types of things. Mst e-books now adays are just 70 page sales letters.
Cheers and beers
Shane
Date/Time: 9-9-2008 00:00:35 Comment #21718
I agree with your post. Which is not something I will usually do!
I enjoy reading a post that will make one think. Also, thanks for allowing me to comment!
Date/Time: 9-15-2008 10:27:16 Comment #22426
Wow Garry, why don’t you tell us how you really feel?
I totally agree with you. Anytime that a industry or topic is “big”, the scamsters are ready and willing to jump on it.
Check out Misty’s last blog post..What Are EBooks?