With today's advanced technology it has never been easier for someone to start their own publishing business.

You can create and market your own ebook (electronic book) for an unbelievably low price (sometimes free). Furthermore, because the ebook is not a book but a computer file, you can offer it for immediate download once the purchase has taken place. The computer file is then downloaded (or copied) to the purchaser's home computer, but you still own the original (or copy).

You have a continual inventory, night and day, without having to re-stock. There is no office space required, no staff other than yourself, and a fully automated payment and delivery system which requires very little maintenance. This really is the perfect business. The ultimate business.

Consumers are hungry for information. And they want it now! Electronic products provide the information and have immediate access.

Here are four key points that I wish to make here.

1. The information is out there, and it seems that everyone is trying to sell it. The same information, sometimes packaged differently but not always. I'm sure you've seen the adverts. The identical adverts selling the exact-same-identical product. One of the ways to be successful in this virtually new arena is to provide "niche" products. Information that no-one else is selling.

2. Duplicate your efforts. It is unlikely, but not unheard of, that you will stumble upon a product that everyone wants and will pay you huge sums of money to get their hands on. Duplication, or multiple streams of income, is the sure-fire way to success when it comes to selling information products online.

Write your first ebook and market like crazy, but don't lose sight of the longer term. Have one eye focused on your next ebook project. For example, I had my first sales page up and working within a few short days, complete with affiliate scheme and shopping cart. I marketed my ebook like crazy. A few days later, I had my second ebook online and ready to go. I marketed my second ebook like crazy. Do you see where this is leading? It is highly unlikely that you will hit a winner with just one ebook, but multiply your efforts over a number of products and sell a few of each every week, and soon you will be reaping the benefits.

3. Offer something for free. On all my websites I offer a free ebook to download. I make sure that it is of the highest quality, because if it isn't my customers will assume that the product I'm selling is of the same standard. A good place to get free etext to turn into an ebook is Project Gutenburg at http://www.gutenberg.org. Most of the etext here is out of copyright, but check the license of anything that you borrow from this site. The license is always included within the text file. For example, on my UFO Report site I am giving away a free copy of Jules Vernes' Around the Moon. I downloaded this as a plain text file and converted it to a pdf file, making sure I had a link back to my website at the beginning and end of the ebook. I have also offered my free ebook to a number of ebook directories to give away. Not only am I giving away something free on my website, but I have my ebook listed on other websites across the web. With links back to my own site included, of course.

This is viral marketing, and it works incredibly well. On auto-pilot. Put a few hours work in at the beginning, then just sit back and reap the rewards. For years to come, with no more effort on your part. Let your free ebook guide people to your site. Another point to make here is that you should offer something free that is closely related to what you are selling. Thus, the people downloading your free ebook will already be predisposed toward the product you are selling.

4. Cross-promote your products/websites. However many products/websites you have, link them all together. Put a banner at the top/bottom of the page. Put a small, unobtrusive button down the left-hand side of the page. I always create a Links page for my websites, and try to gain exposure by linking to other websites in this way. It is important to remember that links to websites with similar subject material to yours will be of far greater value than links to unrelated websites. These are called quality links and most of the search engines love them.

As a final note, unless you are extremely lucky you are not going to be successful overnight. Don't give up after a month or two because you are not making any money. Keep working at it and eventually you will have an online venture to be proud of.

I wish you every success in your niche ebook venture.

This article is free for re-publishing.