Success With Shareware

[joko@well.sf.ca.us (Joe Kohn)]

For a panel at KansasFest, and for a possible article, I would like to try
to figure out why some shareware authors are more successful than others.

Given two programs that are equally fantastic, why would one generate many
more shareware fees than the other?

I'm putting on my thinking cap, and would like to ask shareware authors to
do the same. As soon as time permits, I'd like to post some type of survey
so that I would be able to spot some trends. My goal, of course, would be to
learn what works, and what doesn't work, as far as shareware registration. I
would then be able to share that information with Apple II programmers, in
an effort to help them maximize profits.

Think about what's worked for you, and what hasn't. Were you successful in
making money because you went out of your way to provide tech support, or
was it because you sent a printed manual to those who sent in fees? Or, were
you successful because you worded your plea for shareware registration fees
in a certain way? Do games garner more registration fees than utilities?

The future of the Apple II depends in large part to shareware. If shareware
authors can make some money from their software, they are more apt to remain
programming the II and IIGS. Let's pool our resources and our knowledge to
learn what strategies work and which don't work. By doing that, we'll help
to insure a bright rosy future for the Apple II computer!

Joe Kohn