Today,
there are hundreds of enterprising men and women who write
simple
research papers (known in the mail order trade as FOLIOS)
and
sell them by mail.
In
the pages that follow, I'll show you how you can do the same.
I'll
show you how to select a subject, how to research it, how to
write
it, how to get it printed, and how to sell it.
I'll
show you the four ways to sell it.
If
you are new to folio selling, I'll show you which of the four
ways
would be the best for you.
I
hope you will read what follows very carefully and very
thoroughly.
There
are no catches. I have nothing more to
sell to you (unless
you
want to read some of the other folios which I have written).
I
hope the information which follows can be of real benefit to
you.
That
is why I have written it!
Exactly
what is a folio?
A
folio can be called a booklet, a pamphlet, a report, a
newsletter,
a guide, an instruction manual, a plan, a manuscript,
etc.
A
folio is simply an easy-to-understand manual which shows the
reader
"How To" do something that he does not already know what to
do.
Most
folios show the reader ... How to start or expand a hobby;
How
to develop new abilities or qualities; How to start a new
business
or expand an old one; How to prepare for a new career;
How
to make or save money; How to solve personal problems; How to
spend
leisure time.
A
well written folio is authoritative, factual, and helpful. It
should
be written in simple, easily understood language.
..page
It
can be anything from a brief two-page photocopied report to a
professionally
printed book bound in a hardback cover.
People
who purchase folios by mail are interested in the
information
they contain. Seldom do they care what
brand of paper
the
information is printed on.
What
kind of folios are now being sold by mail?
Pick
up almost any magazine at a news stand that carries
classified
advertising and you will find ads written by people who
are
selling their folios by mail.
Here
are sample ads from magazines lying on the desk.
"Be
secure, confident, successful! Learn the
secret of personal
power. $2.00"
"Secrets
of the Spirit World! Only $2.00
Postpaid!"
"Traffic
Tickets? Beat them, step by step
method. $1.95".
"Fluorescent
Tubes Rejuvenated at no cost.
Instructions $4.00"
"Why
grow old and die? Li Chung Yun lived 256
years. You could
too".
"Guide
to Witches Covens - $12.00"
"Learning
Bridge? Send $12.95 for 20 page
guide."
"Learn
the secret of making every dress you sew fit perfectly.
Only
$3.00".
"10
Wonder Working Prayers. Enrich,
Strengthen Your Life.
$2.50".
"Home
Made Cheese. Hard, soft and
cottage. Make it yourself!
Complete
instructions, recipes, $2.00"
"Peterborough
Area Job Opportunities $2.00"
"Ship
in Bottle. Instructions. Drawings.
$3.00"
If
you can produce a "How To" manual that is novel, interesting
and
genuinely helpful, you can do what the advertisers above have
done. You can print it yourself and sell it by
mail!
What
should you write about?
You
should write
*
only on subjects that really interest you, and
*
on subjects that you already know something about.
For
example, if you just love to cook, write a folio on cooking.
If
people like the first folio they buy from you, they will buy
other
folios in the future, as long as they are on the same basic
subject.
If
you write on a subject that really does not interest you very
much,
you will be bored to death by the time you get to your third
folio.
Ask
yourself - what do I do with my spare time?
Write a folio
about
that!
How
do you research the folio?
Make
yourself an expert on the subject!
Talk
to friends and neighbours. Ask
questions. Read books,
newspapers,
and magazines on the subject. Ask your librarian
for
suggestions. As you read, keep notes on everything. When you
have
read everything you could lay your hands on, sit down and
study
your notes. Read them over slowly and
carefully. Then lay
the
notes aside and think about the whole subject for a day or
two. You will be amazed at what your mind will do
with the
subject
if you have researched it thoroughly.
How
do you write it?
Here
is a tip from a professional writer.
Sit
down and pretend that you are a person who knows absolutely
nothing
about the subject.
Write
down fifteen questions that such a person might ask you.
Then
write out, in your own words, the answers to the fifteen
questions.
Do
not try to be literary!
When
you are finished, lay it aside for a day or two.
Then
re-read it with a red pencil, crossing out all unnecessary
words
and sentences, inserting a new point here and there.
Rewrite
the whole thing, and you will be amazed to discover that
your
folio is ready to be published!
How
do you get in printed?
Type
it as neatly as possible onto A4 white typing paper. Single
space
it, leaving two lines between each paragraph.
take
it to a local copy/print shop, who will make you however many
copies
of it, very reasonably, within 24 hours usually.
If
you have more than four pages, have it printed on both sides of
the
paper. It will lower your printing costs
slightly, and save
you
extra postage in the future.
To
give your folio a professional touch, have it printed on canary
yellow,
pink, or light green paper.
How
do you sell it?
1. Direct from ads in magazines and tabloid
papers.
If
economically possible, sell it for $2.00 or $3.00 per copy.
Write
a brief, eye catching classified ad, asking those interested
to
send their orders directly to you.
If
your ad is novel, believable, and of genuine interest, you will
be
surprised at how many people will do this.
If
your folio is about stamp collecting, advertise it in the stamp
collecting
papers.
If
it is about astrology, advertise it in the Astrology magazines
-
to do otherwise is fatal.
Be
sure to run your ad in at least three issues.
If you have
never
sold folios by mail, I sincerely suggest you use this
method.
2. Advertise for Inquiries.
If
your folio is quite elaborate, and must be sold for $5.00 or
more,
use this method. Write a brief, tempting
ad describing your
folio,
and offer free details. Then mail
literature describing
the
folio to those who answer the ads. Don't
expect more than one
enquiry
in ten to buy it from you.
Here
are ads placed by folio writers in a recent issue of Exchange
and
Mart who use this method:
"Never
Won Anything? Anyone can win sweepstakes
contests! Free
details".
"Troubled? God can help!
Free information."
"Overweight? I lost 53 pounds. Easily - Permanently. New
Method. Information Free".
"Make
money clipping newspapers at home in spare time. Details
free."
3. Direct Mail.
If
you have written a folio showing how to get your inventions
patented,
you could purchase a list of amateur inventors, and mail
your
sales literature to each individual on the list.
If
you are lucky, you'll sell your folio to about one person in
every
twenty-five.
Direct
mail can be very effective for experienced mail order
operators,
but it is usually far too costly for the beginner.
It
can easily cost you over two hundred pounds for each one
thousand
letters you mail.
4. Selling through agents.
If
you are willing to sell your folio in small wholesale
quantities,
or if you are willing to drop ship folios for mail
dealers,
then you might find this the most effective way to market
your
folios.
Below
are some ads placed by folio writers.
"Sell
Health Books Mail Order!
Write"
"Sell
Books By Mail. Complete Dealer Set Up $2.00"
"Sell
Books by Mail! 400% Profit"
"Free
Newsletter! Sell Books by Mail. We wholesale/dropship"
Some
of the above ads have been running for over ten years,
indicating
that this could be a very successful way to market your
folios.
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