Are Squidoo eBooks a Scam?

There are a few eBooks and programs out there that claim they’ll teach you everything you need to know about Squidoo. For the most part, these eBooks cost money–sometimes nearly $50.

Sounds like a rip, right? After all, Squidoo itself is a free service, and it’s not like it’s hard to use. Plus, lots of Squidoo users have already made helpful lenses and free resources that teach people how to build great Squidoo lenses. Why on earth would you spend any kind of money to learn about Squidoo?

The short answer: To save time.

If you’re already a great Squidoo lensmaster, or if you’re in love with Squidoo and enjoy the process of learning as you go, then you don’t need any of those Squidoo eBooks. Just about all the information you can find in an eBook can be learned for free, if you have the time and willingness to look.

But there’s another group of people who can benefit from Squidoo eBooks. These are people who are completely new to Squidoo and want to build good lenses as quickly as possible. Rather than hunt and peck for nuggets of wisdom, they want all the information organized and clearly spelled out in one place. They might be small business owners who economize their time, or they might be people who are confused by new technology and need a roadmap to help them out. That’s what eBooks are for.

One of the downsides to eBooks is that unlike real paper books, you can’t peek and browse through them before you buy it. You pretty much have to rely on an advertisement to tell you exactly what you’ll learn from the eBook and how you’ll benefit. You should usually be able to get a refund if you decide the eBook is crap, but that’s a hassle most of us don’t want to deal with.

Before you buy a Squidoo eBook, I suggest learning something about the author. Is the author known to the Squidoo community? Does the author have lots of good lenses? People who are active on Squidoo and are at least somewhat involved in the community are not likely to write and sell a rotten Squidoo eBook. Not only are they “walking the walk,” they have a reputation to worry about. For example, I have no qualms about Masterpiece Lenscrafting on Squidoo, because it was written by Margaret Schaut; she’s a well-known lensmaster who made one of the best lenses on Squidoo.

So, no, Squidoo eBooks are definitely not scams or rip-offs (though perhaps a few are). They can in fact be a great asset to the people who need them. But if you’re already a successful lensmaster, or if you enjoy the learning process, then you don’t really need one.

Edit - Lensmaster JigsawForte just made a debate lens about Squidoo eBooks. Do eBooks about Squidoo have their place, or is the whole idea insane? Join the debate!

Tags: ebooks, scams