There are several companies that make eBooks for others, allowing them to put their names on them. This is akin to writing a term-paper for a college student to turn in to the professor, the student did not write it and presenting it as his or her own for a grade. Perhaps you can see the problem here, and while we decry cheating in academia, it appears in the eBook business this is an acceptable practice?
Well, actually it has not gone without notice. The SEC is now onto various licensed professionals in the securities industry that use these eBook on financial matters as selling tools. When a financial planner or sales person of a financial product puts their name on an eBook and uses that to help establish them as an expert with a client, they are misrepresenting themselves passing of work they did not do.
The new buzz-word on the Internet is “Informational Products” and eBook writing teams often use this buzz-word to sell their wares, but what they are doing is akin to helping college students cheat on tests. You see, I do not believe a business model the lies to consumers is an incredible one, rather it is a disgusting one in my opinion. Indeed, I believe that this crosses the ethical line and simply cannot muster the strength to get by the regulatory agencies.
In the US it is not okay for eBook writers to sell eBook about the following subjects in my legal opinion:
- Medical Ailments – because in the US you have to be licensed to practice medicine.
- Personal Finance and Taxes – because tax accountants, financial planners, broker-dealers are licensed, so those that take him up on it are Breaking SEC laws and may not but should realize it.
- Senior and Elder Care – because these are also licensed professions in the US.
Just because you can make money at something does not mean it’s ethical or that you should. Drug Dealers are engaged in a high-profit business too, a good “cash cow” business model, but that does not mean it’s okay. See that point?
As a writer, I’ve been asked to write eBooks on “Reverse Mortgages” and “Financial Planning Topics” and could very well do that, these books were to be rebranded by the company paying me to write it, with an commission on each one sold. But I will not do that because I would be enabling folks in the financial sector to break the law.
Although I, the writer or eBook Author would not be breaking the law by writing the book, I would be an enabler to someone else who allowed others to rebrand them pretending to have written them, and hand them to consumers making them look like experts, when they did not write these books themselves.
Now then when one mentions that other people write eBooks that are giant “Advertorials” they also cross into unethical territory, because there are Buzz-Marketing Laws and the consumer needs to know upfront what’s going on, otherwise these trickery tactics are dishonest. You see that point?
Those who write eBooks for others to put their names on are breaking an ethical code of conduct. Further, those who write “super long sales letters” and pass them off as eBooks are violating the trust of the reader. Please think on this.
