EBooks

To begin with, there are the eBooks/Travel Resources that I have written. These books are designed to help others achieve their travel goals using the knowledge I’ve gained over the years, and they also help me earn an income. I spent months working on each one, pouring a ton of energy and effort into the content, and I am constantly updating the material as well in order to make sure that each product is always as relevant and useful as possible.

But despite this setup, every now and then I receive an email from a reader who is disgusted that my eBooks need to be purchased. Usually their argument is that this is just a travel blog and as a result, all of the information should be free. In addition, they claim that if I really wanted to help others achieve their travel goals, then I would release all information openly, at no cost whatsoever. Fair enough, I certainly understand their point.

However, here’s how it really works. If I didn’t charge money for my eBooks, there would be no WanderingEarl. com, and as a result, I wouldn’t be helping anyone at all achieve their travel goals. As I stated above, maintaining this website is no joke, it takes up the majority of my time and I work mighty hard to keep this site going. If I didn’t earn any money from the blog, it, and I, wouldn’t survive. Everyone needs some sort of income to live. It’s as simple as that.

Also, one thing I’ve always tried to do on this site is to keep advertising to a minimum. While I will promote certain companies that I truly believe in, I actually turn away approximately 95% of the advertising offers that I do receive in my inbox. Recently I decided to estimate how much money I have given up by not putting much advertising on my site over the past 4 years. The figure I came to was $40,000 USD.

But since I’m a firm believer that a site flooded with advertising is a site that isn’t going to last very long at all, I plan to continue giving up this income. I’ll take a little here and there but that’s it.

So, that’s why I charge some money for my eBooks, in order to maintain and grow this site (which also involves me being able to travel). And if the feedback I receive every week is any indication, the amount I do charge for these products is well worth what you receive in return, which is the balance I have always worked hard to achieve.