| Several weeks ago, I promised a review of the new Yanik Silver release, Moonlighting On the Internet. This is an actual physical book (not an eBook), which got my attention. If you are not familiar with Yanik, he is an “A-list” Internet Marketing Guru and a favorite of the guys over at Internet Business Mastery (my favorite IM podcast).Bottom Line: I recommend the book for beginners trying to learn about making money online. The Silver book is a 300 page paperback with a cool green and black cover (affiliate link to Amazon shown at left). It's pretty much a no-nonsense look at how to get started making money on the internet. Silver is an Information Marketing guy, so he relies on other domain experts to write some areas of the book (a strength, in my opinion). |
What is Inside Moonlighting on the Internet?
Almost completely hype-free, the Moonlighting on the Internet covers five methods for making money on-line:
- Information Marketing — Selling digitally delivered information. In this section, Yanik describes why selling digital information is the ultimate way to go. I happen to agree with him, as this is part of my long-term plan. He covers the basics of how to get started registering a domain and setting up a shopping cart. The section is only about 100 pages long and is not a complete guide. However, looking at it from the perspective of a brand-new-to-the-internet person, it is an excellent beginners guide.
- Selling on eBay. I don't know the first thing about running a real business on eBay, so it was hard for me to evaluate this section. Sydney Johnson covers how to select products, how to do listings, and what makes a successful seller.
- Affiliate Marketing. This section is nicely done by super-affiliate Rosalind Gardner. I like this section too as it is also part of my longer term strategy. When I started looking at making money online, I did not even know what affiliate marketing was. It would have been really nice to have seen this section of the Silver book at that early stage. Gardner talks about how to find and work affiliate programs. The advice she gives is very similar to the advice in a recent post about how to make money online by Garry Conn. Good, solid fundamental information about how to get started.
- Yahoo stores and E-Commerce stores. Again, not something that I am highly interested in. The section covers the history of Yahoo stores and how to select a niche, drop-ship, take payments, etc.
- Blogging. I liked this section. It was written by Darren Rowse – lending instant credibility. It covers what a blog is, how to set up a blog, and how to monetize. Again, since it is only 50 pages long, it is just a start and covers the basics. However, if you are just starting out, it is a great overview.
So, why write a real book? At $21.95, this 300-page book sells for less than most eBooks. The answer is that this book (which provides useful information and is an excellent value for the beginner) is actually a loss leader for the associated website. The book comes with free videos. When you go to the web page, you hit a squeeze page that collects your email. According to the book, they have plans for a membership site.
No matter. If you are a beginner and are having trouble telling whether or not guys like Jeffrey Lant are on the up and up, Moonlighting on the Internet is a great book for you. If you are not brand new, take a pass on this book.
Regards,
Mark
