Fundies and E-Books

[Fundilicious]

Does this bother anyone as much as me? Since coming to Free Jinger I have widened my range of Fundy blogs I read. It seems that most homemaking, homeschooling, or faith encouraging blogs pimp out their E-books like crazy. It seems like any random stay-at-home mom that encourage you how to "make your home", can also tell you how to clean it for the low price of $5.99.

Maybe writing an E-Book is just a blogging thing that I'm not aware off. I'm just curious how many of these books actually sell and how many women out there take what is written in these books seriously? Especially those who are just getting into the Fundy world and trying to learn how to become more Fundyesque.

[lilwriter85]

I have seen different types of bloggers write and self-publish ebooks and often they don't sell a lot of books. It is just the hardcore followers that buy the ebooks of fundie bloggers. Some followers of fundie bloggers take ebooks or things a fundie blogger writes very seriously. I have seen some fundie followers of bloggers seek out advice from bloggers on health care and education. A lot of the advice fundie bloggers give out are often inaccurate and sometimes unhealthy.

[Kaylee]

It's the big trend to make money for bloggers. Really, if your choices for outside income are limited, it could be an attractive option, but I doubt most of them sell very well. I also follow a lot of regular bloggers and authors, and some internet marketers, and it really seems like everyone has e-books they're selling on their blogs now. Most of them are short and a lot are poorly written, so I usually stick to the free ones rather than risk paying for something useless.

I do think some of the blog followers will probably buy them and take them seriously. There are a lot of women looking for answers, either in a religious sense or just trying to make the best for their family (often it's a way to make the best of a crappy situation). This is how so many people end up getting sucked in and following people like Candy or Courtney or some of the other bloggers and circles out there.

[GenerationCedarchip]

It's the big trend to make money for bloggers. Really, if your choices for outside income are limited, it could be an attractive option, but I doubt most of them sell very well. I also follow a lot of regular bloggers and authors, and some internet marketers, and it really seems like everyone has e-books they're selling on their blogs now. Most of them are short and a lot are poorly written, so I usually stick to the free ones rather than risk paying for something useless.

I do think some of the blog followers will probably buy them and take them seriously. There are a lot of women looking for answers, either in a religious sense or just trying to make the best for their family (often it's a way to make the best of a crappy situation). This is how so many people end up getting sucked in and following people like Candy or Courtney or some of the other bloggers and circles out there.

Yes - I think this is so true. Some of the better eBooks get picked up at more mainstream sites like (in)courage, but a lot look pretty poorly edited.

As a side note, I do find fundie-lite blogger Sarah Mae kind of interesting. She had an eBook that promoted a cleaning system(I think I'll stick to Flylady, thank you) and she featured that ebook all over the place. Seriously, I think I've seen it mentioned on every other fundie or fundie-lite blog! She also runs a big blogger conference and she's used the relentless marketing to get her name out there. I'm not sure what really drives her aside from wanting people to buy her stuff and make her famous, but it is kind of an interesting phenomenon. Does anyone know anything about her?

[contrary]

it's a lot cheaper than paying to get a paperback published through a vanity press.

as long as you can type and Print-to-PDF, you can pimp out an electronic book for cheap.

[Burris]

As a side note, I do find fundie-lite blogger Sarah Mae kind of interesting. She had an eBook that promoted a cleaning system(I think I'll stick to Flylady, thank you) and she featured that ebook all over the place. Seriously, I think I've seen it mentioned on every other fundie or fundie-lite blog! She also runs a big blogger conference and she's used the relentless marketing to get her name out there. I'm not sure what really drives her aside from wanting people to buy her stuff and make her famous, but it is kind of an interesting phenomenon. Does anyone know anything about her?

I've spoken with Sarah Mae a few times and even wrote a criticism of her book (which prompted her to add additional information to it).

I like Mae.

If you want to explore a real mystery, look into how the hell June Fuentes sells so many of her shitty, poorly written books and makes so much blogging money.

[GenerationCedarchip]

I've spoken with Sarah Mae a few times and even wrote a criticism of her book (which prompted her to add additional information to it).

I like Mae.

If you want to explore a real mystery, look into how the hell June Fuentes sells so many of her shitty, poorly written books and makes so much blogging money.

Interesting. I've seen her on Twitter and her book on a gazillion blogs, but aside from noting that she doesn't seem fundie in the sense we talk about here, I didn't know much.

And yes, June Fuentes is one that mystifies me. I get the impression from fundies I know offline that part of her allure comes from her presence in the offline fundie homeschooling community, but that's all I really know.

[lilwriter85]

I remember June Fuentes thread. I think with her she basically has a niche audience who will eat up up BS she writes. Fundie bloggers manage to get people who buy into their BS. Some people will buy poorly written e-books, if they were a written by godly pious Christian SAHM.

[Fundilicious]

Has anyone read keepofthehome.org books? Hers make me nervous because they involve nutrition. I also get the feeling that some books are borderline plagiarized. Based on the reviews for Money Saving Mom's new book, it sounds like a retell of Dave Ramsey's stuff. Though I believe he has an endorsement on her book, so maybe he doesn't care.

I will say though I'm a SAHM and if some of these books make that much money, I wish I could compile a bunch of random crap for some extra income, lol.

[lilwriter85]

Has anyone read keepofthehome.org books? Hers make me nervous because they involve nutrition. I also get the feeling that some books are borderline plagiarized. Based on the reviews for Money Saving Mom's new book, it sounds like a retell of Dave Ramsey's stuff. Though I believe he has an endorsement on her book, so maybe he doesn't care.

I will say though I'm a SAHM and if some of these books make that much money, I wish I could compile a bunch of random crap for some extra income, lol.

Fundies plagiarizing other works is common. There is one fundie blogger who loosely plagiarized To Raise Up A Child. I can't remember who it was though.

[The Archivist]

I have a real soft spot for Candy's ebooks. They're like store-brand Flylady or something.

[ceg045]

Does this bother anyone as much as me? Since coming to Free Jinger I have widened my range of Fundy blogs I read. It seems that most homemaking, homeschooling, or faith encouraging blogs pimp out their E-books like crazy. It seems like any random stay-at-home mom that encourage you how to "make your home", can also tell you how to clean it for the low price of $5.99.

Maybe writing an E-Book is just a blogging thing that I'm not aware off. I'm just curious how many of these books actually sell and how many women out there take what is written in these books seriously? Especially those who are just getting into the Fundy world and trying to learn how to become more Fundyesque.

I love me my Kindle, and frequent several free/bargain e-book blogs and sites. I've definitely noticed a glut of Christian publishers. Every once in a while, I've accidentally bought one, thinking it was mainstream historical fiction and/or romance, , only to be smacked in the face with God talk almost immediately. Not fun. Unfortunately, I'm one of those people who has to finish a book once they start it, so I end up trudging my way through it. I'm careful to read the description very carefully now, and if anything looks suspect, I check the author's back titles and/or Google him/her.

[contrary]

store-brand flylady! bwah haaaaaa. loves it.