Turn Club-owned IP into Cash ...by Publishing Some of It

So, vigorous Ham Clubs tend to attract the writings, designs, hints & tips of its members. Such clubs usually publish a newsletter, including larger or smaller compilations of this type of Intellectual Property (IP).

Ham Clubs can usually find good projects to put any spare cash that comes their way, be it by donation, sale of equipment or (sometimes) grant funding.

Recently, Amazon.com has invited authors & owners of IP, that might be suitable for publication as eBooks, readable by its Kindle eBook readers... and they're prepared to PAY FOR IT.

Payment is no longer based strictly on royalties, although some of the payment can continue to come from such royalties.

In addition, Amazon has announced that it will allocate fairly large sums of money to a pool, which authors, publishers and/or contributors will share, ie, if their eBook publications meet some fairly reasonable conditions.

Now, Amazon sometimes runs promotions, in which books are offered cost-free to its Kindle market(s) across the world. Normally, by royalty agreements, authors, et al. would gain nothing when their books go out without any revenues coming back in, to Amazon.com.

However, the new pools enable particpating eBooks to generate income for their authors, et al. -even- when they are given cost-free to Amazon's customers.

My suggestion is:

For any Ham, Club or peak-body, with suitable "content" - even previously published materials qualifies, provided - of course - that you (or they) own it.

Look for Amazon.com's web site for would-be publishers of eBooks for the Kindle platform for all the details, conditions, tools & samples.

Get whatever you (or your Club) own & think someone else might like to read... published by Amazon.com, so your ?income stream" may begin to fund more local Ham projects, repeaters, education and/or promotional work in your area.

Maybe just having wider distribution of Ham articles, short or long books on our hobby, the history of your Club, how it helped out in a recent Natural Disaster, etc. will ALSO arouse more interest in Amateur Radio, & attract more people to meetings, classes, exams, Fox Hunts or other Ham activities.

It can't hurt to try... :-)