Here is my latest article. It may be freely used in ezines, on websites or in e-books, as long as the Resource Box is left intact.

I would appreciate notification of where it was used, and if possible, a copy of the ezine or newsletter that it was used in. Please send notification mailto:webmaster@online-wealth.com

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The internet's full of freeloaders looking for freebies, right?

So, when you get emails that ask for a piece of you, you treat them with some...skepticism? Well, whatever *you* feel, I'll wager you don't feel like parceling out anything for free, unless there's a good reason.

At one of my domains (http://rogersreference.com), I get a lot of emails from people constantly looking for help with homophones and homonyms. I love it...can't get enough of it.

Occasionally however, I get emails from...wiseguys is the best term I can use...looking to pick up a free copy of one of my ebooks that I have for sale.

Note that: it's in full view for sale, and he's asking for it for free. Sheesh! He'll give me a sob story of some sort, and expect me to cough up with a free download. Well, I guess, if you don't ask, you don't get...sometimes.

I (nicely) point such types to a free sample or whatever, and leave it at that...get outta my face, OK.

But, there are exceptions to every rule, as you know.

Just recently, I got an email from a person who'd bought a copy from me a year ago. A fire in the house had destroyed a lot of stuff, and the hard drive had suffered in the heat and smoke. The purchased ebook was on that drive, cooked.

"Can you send me a fresh copy...I have no backup! Please!"
The anguish sounded genuine; I asked for verification of purchase details. That came back genuine also, matching what I had on file.

Problem: that particular ebook was no longer available. I'd taken it off, in favor of a new, updated version. Que faire, as the French would say?

I could have said, "Tough bananas, you shoulda hadda backup, OK! Buy this now..."

Instead, I seized the opportunity to get a customer for life: I emailed back and said, "That ebook is no longer available. Instead here is the latest version. With such interest in *my* work, I want to make sure *you* have it!"

Crazy? I don't think so. Sure, I let go a $23 item that the customer had paid only $10 for, a year back. But, it costs me only pennies to maintain that volume and practically zilch to send it (as you well know).

So, where's the pay-off? For starters, I got back a very nice e-card, courtesy of Blue Mountain, with the nicest "Thank You" I've had for many years.

Better still, I have that person's trust--and that's gold.

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Roger Burke has been involved with computers since 1967, and has managed to break quite a few, over the years. He, and his wife Sherry, are now actively engaged in online self-publishing and promoting specific affiliate programs at http://online-wealth.com . If you have any comments or questions about this article, please send emails to mailto:webmaster@online-wealth.com .
Copyright 2002, Online-Wealth. All rights reserved.
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