Hey Everyone,

I guess this is a bit of a strange blog post, by that I mean, it’s not particularly related to ebooks or Internet Marketing.

You may, or may not, have noticed that I disappeared off the face of the internet for over a year, yes a whole year!

There were several reasons this happened…

1.  My online ebook business literally took over my life and affected my personal life.

2. eBay banned digital downloads.

Now I could have told you some big lie, and said for the past year I have been lying on a beach, in my bikini, with a flat stomach, sipping cocktails thanks to all the automated income profits I made online.

But I wasn’t.

Fact is, I have not been near a beach, I would never wear a bikini due to the lack of a flat stomach and I would be more likely to be guzzling a budweiser not sipping a cocktail!

The truth is for the past year, I basically returned to life “B.E” (before eBay).

Like I said before, several things happened that pushed me back to a 9-5 life.

It’s really strange actually, but success came with a price, one I couldn’t handle.

Maybe “couldn’t handle” is a wrong choice of words, I just wasn’t prepared with what came with being a success online.

After I released my first proper ebook “How To Start A Profitable Ebay Ebook Business”, I was thrown into a whole new online world.

I was swamped with support tickets, emails and money!

The money was great, the support tickets and emails were not.

If only I had learned to outsource more of business, perhaps I could have coped better, but it didn’t matter because at the peak of my success eBay ripped the rug right out from under my feet.

It’s really weird, but a few weeks before eBay announced their digital download ban, I had actually looked at another marketer’s business and thought, wow, he has all his eggs in one basket, if eBay ban digitally delivered ebooks, his business will go bust.

I was right, but my business went down the pan too!

Now when eBay introduced the digital download ban, I had two choices:

Switch over to a physical delivery of ebooks on cd

OR

Give up.

I GAVE UP.

Now I am no quitter I can assure you but let me explain…

Have you ever worked really hard at something, doubted it would work, but kept trying anyway?

I did.

I worked so many late nights, every hour I possibly could I was on my pc, I even gave up my social life.

I was practically a recluse.

The worst point was when my daughter Jade said “Mummy, your always on the computer”.

To say I felt bad is an understatement, I tried to explain I was making money to make our life better, but really she would have traded all the money in the world to have her mummy back.

I felt so guilty.

But all my sacrifices paid off, I became a success, I finally made a decent regular amount daily online.

Money was flying into my account left, right and center.

Woohoo, I can relax now.

No.

I actually had to work even harder!

I got more emails asking for help.

More support tickets.

There were affiliates (who I didn’t even personally know) promoting my ebook and making me lots of money, it was literally like a dream come true.

One of my favourite sayings is “watch what you wish for, you might just get it” and now I know that’s so very true.

I suppose one side of the success (apart from the money) was funnily enough the fact that out of all the copies of my ebook that I sold I only ever got ONE REFUND REQUEST!

Every cloud has a silver lining and all that.

So back to me being inundated with support tickets, emails and no one to help me.

I couldn’t cope, end of story.

So when eBay offered me an escape route by banning digital downloads, I gladly removed my ebay ebook business sales page and RAN LIKE THE WIND!

I think I was looking for a way out.

The weird thing is, I don’t think I cared about the success or the money, I just had to prove to myself I could do it or all the sacrifices I had made would have been in vane.

I had one goal, to write an ebook that people bought, loved and could use to make money, my job was done.

I was never money orientated, I have never chased 20k days, I just wanted to make a steady income then show people how they could make money online too.

So like I said before, eBay banned Digital Downloads, and instead of moving over to physically delivered cd ebooks, I gave up.

I didn’t want to amend or add to my ebook, I just wanted a way out.

I did list a few ebooks on cds on eBay but to be honest my heart was just not in it.

It’s actually quite a horrible feeling to work so hard on something for it all to come crashing down around you.

Not sure if you have ever “failed” at anything, but trust me it does your confidence no good.

I was relieved but at the same time I felt like a complete failure.

So that’s why I disappeared.

I wanted to get as far away as possible from everything online, and for that I apologise.

The reason I wrote this blog post is just to say I am back, just like I was when I very first started online, eager and determined to be a success.

But, this time I am prepared for success, I know what success brings and forewarned is forearmed.

This time I will have a happy medium, a work and life balance so to speak.

I believe I can find another way to make money online, and once I find it, I will be sharing it with the people on my list.

My previous failure has taught me to learn from my mistakes, so look out for me in 2010!

Sally :) x

PS. Have you filled out my quick survey yet? You can fill it out here: Sally’s Quick Survey

Filed under: Internet Marketing

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!