Have you ever had a project that not only knocks your client off their feet, but you off your own feet too? This past month we had the opportunity and pleasure of working with Lori Hoeck and Betsy Weubker on a totally amazing project. This was the kind of experience that makes writers and designers swell with pride when it’s done and out the door.

It all started when Wendi and I decided to make February Ebook Month on Sirius. I think it was Wendi who pointed out to me that there was this great ebook called Think Like a Black Belt. I had to go check it out. Anything that has to do with martial arts and how people are using it in blogs on the web is going to grab my attention.

I started poking around the site. One series of posts in particular snagged my attention. The information hit home and then some. I had to contact Lori and let her know how much her words meant to me.

Well as the saying goes, strangers are just friends you haven’t met yet. We started corresponding and somewhere along the line we started discussing ebooks. Lori mentioned she had a book ready to release and she sent it to me. I took one look at it and shook my head.

The content was genius. The information solid and from what I could see, had the potential to help so many people.

The design? Not so much.

Paying It Forward

“It would be a sin to let this book go out this way.” Yes, I actually said that. Not to Lori. I said it to the cat sitting in front of my monitor, but judging by the look on his face, he agreed too. I decided to take a chance and email Lori back with a proposition: In exchange for a much needed portfolio piece Sirius would design and help her market her ebook.

The thing was, Lori and Betsy were going to release the book as a freebie. Like so many ebook authors out there, justifying the cost of having an ebook professionally designed just didn’t fit. It’s an age old dilemma; you want to put your best foot forward, so you do what you can even though you know you won’t be making anything back in return.

Or will you?

Embrace The Big Picture

One thing I’ve learned over the last few months is when you approach people in the right way many of them are extremely generous. Money isn’t the only currency. Many of us are very skilled service providers. Many of us have wonderful audiences and communities. We also have our own networks we do business with. When you take that into consideration and view it as collateral, you’ve got something amazing.

You know why businesses offer freebies? Because everyone loves FREE. And since people love FREE, it’s one of the simplest methods to get your foot in the door. Not everyone will buy or buy right away, but eventually, they just might. Or they might remember the freebie and refer your service or product out to someone else who needs it.

Once that happens, then you start to make money. Your freebies are an investment in your business and yourself. Whether it’s free samples at Costco on a Saturday morning or a daily blog article, you’re giving the world a taste of what you’ve got to offer.

Sure in the present it may seem like a lot of work and you may be asking yourself, “Why am I doing all this for nothing?” Truth is people, it’s not for nothing. None of it is for nothing. Every word, every shape, everything you do counts for something in the long run and brings you closer to the Big Picture.

Know When to Hold ‘em, Know When to Fold ‘em

Living here in Las Vegas, the gambling capital of the world, many of my friends are surprised to hear I don’t go out gambling every night. Many of us locals are like this. I can count the number of times I’ve gone to the casino with the intent of dropping a few bucks at Black Jack on one hand. I can also say that I’ve never walked away from those tables without something left in my pocket.

The win and lose over the course of a couple hands goes back and forth between me and the dealer for a while. I watch the tourists get caught up in the thrill of winning, only to get sloppy and start losing it all. The trick is to keep your head and don’t get greedy. Set a limit, a goal and stick to it.

The same thing goes with your “freemiums”. Go ahead and place your bet and put your best work on the table. Treat that freemium like it was actually going to make you money (why? Because it is). Everything you do with this is the test run for the next product you put out that you’re actually going to sell.

When you’re doing a campaign like this you’re giving the public a taste of what you’ve got. You’re making them hungry for more. If they see quality from you once and it’s free, the public starts to think, “Damn, if this is free and it’s this good, sure I’ll pay for what they’re selling!”

Carved In Stone

Because the Sirius Team took a chance and offered our best to Lori and Betsy, they now have the golden opportunity to kick ass in the future with the rest of their products. And what do we get out of it? A chance to show the world that we are as good as we know we are.

No one in Sirius is a newcomer to business on the web. We’ve each made our marks in our own ways. But the entity of Sirius Graphix itself is an unknown. We have to do our time in the trenches like everyone else and none of us are afraid to dig into the dirt and get our hands dirty.

We also believe in helping others. This philosophy is what forged a new relationship with Lori, Betsy and many other clients. This is how business is done in this new millennium. It’s becoming more personal, more of a give and take rather than a constant take driven by money alone.

Helping Those Who Help Themselves

Last week I announced that for the month of February we’ll be offering 10% off all of our ebook services to help get you started. Well, we’re going to take that a step further and do something a little radical.

Once a month we’re going to be on the look out for a project like Lori and Betsy’s where the authors could use a boost up to get them started – free of charge.

This is not a contest. There will be no push for entries, nor do we want a flood of emails with people just looking for a hand-out. We’ll be watching and reading. We’ll be looking for people who have serious drive and are honestly trying to make it on their own. We’re not here to do all the work for you and hand it to you on a silver platter by any means.

If you’ve hit a wall with your ebook and just can’t seem to break through, go ahead and contact us with your story and a sample of your book.  We’re more than happy to give you a free assessment of that book and let you know what can be done to improve it.

And if we think the book and you could use a boost, then we may just show up on your doorstep one month ready to kick your butt into gear and get your project out there.

We’re the best and we know it. We want the world to know that you’re the best too. There’s plenty of success to go around for everyone.

The Happy Ending

Next week, Lori and Betsy will be releasing their new ebook. It’s free and it’s beautiful. As Betsy said:

Did I already say what a staggering difference if you put the two versions (our pitiful one and your glorious one) up against each other?  It’s like our book went to Glamour Shots!!!!

Not only does it look great, but the content is fantastic. Tune in next week to find out more. You know you want to.

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