Regarding the message I sent you yesterday about selling Claude Hopkin's “Scientific Advertising" for $80 -- which is the price Amazon.com set, not I -- I received two emails…
First one...
| "Great point! People really need to understand the power this type of information has to change their lives." |
That was followed by another one titled "John's Wrong 100%." Maybe I should have just ignored it. Not enough sleep, makes you edgy.
100%, eh? It's rare for anyone to be 100% wrong. Maybe 99%. I could accept that. But, unless this is some type of math quiz, not an "ethical" issue, I don't think anybody could be 100% wrong -- especially if they are following their conscience.
Anyways, here's a bit from the gentleman's email:
| "Yes john your missing something." |
Great opener!
| "You are here to make a living but... not by miss-guiding for profit... Yeah you should be making money selling stuff to your subscriber but don't be greedy. Its just comes back to bite you in the rear." |
Greedy? 5% of $80? On a book worth at least $200? I'd much rather spend my time recommending products with a REAL affiliate commission (Amazon is lousy at their payments).
| "What happens when a struggling subscriber takes your advise and shells out 80 smackers for the book... then he finds it selling on the web for 15 Bucks... like I did..." |
I'd hope he'd read, study and apply the wisdom and the book and turn that "80 smackers" into 80 grand, over the course of his career.
Secondly, I'm not a price-shopper. This is "Reality" Copywriting, not the consumer report. The reality of well-paid copywriters is that they don't hunt for bargains.
I think the book is worth $80, thus I have no problem promoting it for $80. It's that simple for me. You'd be getting your money's worth, even if some guy down the cyber-lane is selling it for $15. The $80 version is closer to the original solo version, so maybe it falls under "collector item" status.
Justifying it by saying its worth 80 or more is wrong also... because if you can get it for 15 it ain't worth it. Cash is king... especially when you don't have it.
First of all, it's not the exact same book, so you can't get it for $15.
Secondly, CONTENT is king, not cash.
If someone pays $80 for Scientific Advertising they are going to study it harder (I hope), and make far better use of its content, than if they paid $15. (In fact, on amazon.ca they are charging over $200, which is where I ordered my copy from).
Either way, by applying the guidance Hopkins gives, you can easily make $800, $8,000 or even $80,000 over a lifetime at this (if not over a few years).
If you don't have cash, then you need to focus on GETTING more, not wasting time and energy trying to save $60 on a book that can make you thousands.
That’s not looking out for your subscribers that’s looking out for yourself... no matter what.
I don't know. I want my subscribers to have thriving copywriting careers, not tripping over hundred dollar bills, collecting some shiny pennies.
| "You're offering advise here, people listen to you, trust you, so you must hold yourself to a higher standard." |
Sounds to me like you're asking me to drop to a lower standard. This is the copywriting business, not Wal-Mart.
| "Know where the line is and try not to cross it." |
I think, your line is far closer to poverty-consciousness than I'd prefer, so I'll stick to my own line, thank you.
Personally, and with all due respect, I don't think you know what you are talking about, but you're most welcome to your own opinion. I just think you should keep that in mind -- it's your own opinion -- not the 100% final say.
| "You have good stuff here, hope it only gets better and you're rewarded for it..." |
Thanks! Nice of you to save the best for last.
As I said in my last email, you can get a career-changing book from the father of direct-response copywriting for only $80, an older edition, at this link...
Scientific Advertising
...or you can grab another edition from the link the subscriber has now made me aware of, for the alleged $15 price here.
You're choice. I'm for the $80 version. Spend that type of money, and you're far more likely to give the book the attention, time and absorption it deserves. One of the biggest points, glossed over by many modern copywriters, is the importance Hopkins and the other classics give to research before you begin trying to write copy. "Know thy product."
Anyways, this is the last message I'll write on this subject. I just needed to get that out of my system.
Capture, captivate convert,
John C. A. Manley
P.S. I know a lot of subscribers are new to "profitable writing." They may have been pinching pennies following the starving writer's life (as I have). Someone wrote to tell me how they know how to find the best deals on bulk toilet paper. Sheesh, spend time and energy not chasing discounts, but chasing your dreams.
If you need some more help with prosperity thinking, here's a FREE ebook on the Science of Getting Rich...
Science of Getting Rich
Personally, I bought a copy off Amazon. I more so recommend the site at the link above because it offers many other resources for changing poverty-consciousness into prosperity-consciousness (the screen-saver they offer is terrific).
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