Wow, we got the ebook version of Hal’s book online last night. What a FEAT. The learning curve for the software alone took me days to conquer. I bought a piece of software last year for $60 or $70, can’t remember now, that promised to allow instant secure digital delivery of a digital product.

In case my mom is reading this, I’ll explain: a digital product is one that is sold online and you take possession (after you’ve paid) via download. Like an ebook. Or an iTunes song. Or downloaded software. As opposed to a physical something you get in a bag or a box, like chocolate or a DVD in a plastic case or a hardcover book. A digital product is not a physical thing. Except on your hard drive. I’ll explain hard drives later.

When it came time to actually USE the software, I realized I didn’t know exactly what I’d bought. Great. That’s handy. I thought I’d bought software that would format my ebook selling webpage… you know: pictures of the books, a description area, a Buy Here button leading to a secure instant digital delivery of my goods in exchange for wampum… The only similarity to what I got and what I thought I was getting is the button:

Finally, I called Frank the creator in London and asked for help installing it (geek needed here, geekier than me.) He was LOO-vely. I gave him my password and he actually installed it for me. A week later, after actually reading every word of the instructions and watching every instructional video, I figured out what I’d bought and how to use it. Once you do, of course, the whole thing is so simple! I didn’t buy a webpage. I bought a tool that works in the background. And it works like a charm.

Hey – you can get your own personal demonstration here: buy Hal’s ebook Democracy: The Painted Whore. You know, just to see how the software works. I have to reconfigure the emails that you get… but for $9.97, you get to see this software in action AND you get a great book full of thought-provoking funny enlightening maddening essays to boot. Perfect Sunday morning fare.

If you are thinking of selling any digital product on your site, check out this software. Cheap and will save you literally hundreds of dollars if you sell very much of anything digitally. Well worth the learning curve.

Miles to go: we need to get the hardcover published and distributed, on to Amazon somehow without it costing an arm and a leg. There are ways…  Then I need to put the finishing touches on Advice From A Broad: The First 100 Things You Need to Know About Coming to Costa Rica and get that online. Then there’s book two to put together…

Today, I’m working on the PowerPoint presentations for Evangeline’s talk on volunteering in Costa Rica and mine on life as an expat for the IL conference. I’ve decided to go to the whole thing even though I’m not speaking until Wednesday. Should be very enlightening… probably going to be mostly real estate sales, but I don’t have to participate in any of that. I can just listen and nod knowingly. Right up my alley.

And two days alone at the beach… I deserve that after hell week learning software! Right now, I’m going back to bed. Pura vida!