As an eBay eBook seller you have the ability to automate a lot of your work starting with digital delivery. You can automate for free using Outlook Express and heres how you do it.

Setting Up Your Message Rule

At the top Menu Link, Find the word/link: "Message", click it. From the menu displayed, select: "Create Rule From Message. .".

A new window will appear giving you multiple check boxes to select from.

Here are the ones you MUST check:

1. Select the Conditions for your rule:

"Where the Subject line contains specific words"

2. Select the Actions for your rule:

"Move it to the specified folder"

and

"Reply with message"

Now, 3. is where you will be setting all these rules up that you have previously selected under numbers 1. and 2. Inside the small text box area of 3., you will see several words that are links. Click on each of them so that these rules can be set up successfully.

For the first rule, you will want to enter the following text in the appropriate text field once you click the linked words: "contains specific words". . .

Item #00000000 Notification of Payment Received

You will need to replace the zero's above with your actual auction listing number which you can find inside your "My Ebay" area.

The next rule you want to adjust is the "specified" text link provided inside 3. text field.

For this, you may want to create a special folder for all incoming Ebay Auction Payments for your listings to better keep track of them and to separate them from other payments you receive from other sources if you are running other types of businesses online. You can name the folder anything you wish and when you click on the above text, you will be given the option to create a "New Folder".

The last and final rule you will want to adjust is the "message" text link provided to you. This is when you will need the email message you made up earlier. Click on the "message" link and a new window will open up ready to accept your settings for the specific email message you created to be sent out. Find it on your hard drive and select it as the message that will be sent out for your auction listing as a payment is received.

Then, hit the "OK" button. And close the Message Rule settings window.

Now, Open up the "Tools" > "Message Rules" > "Mail" and find the Message Rule that you just created. Highlight the name of the message rule, usually it will be "New Mail Rule #1" if you did not give it a specific name earlier.

Then, click on the "Apply Now" button. It will apply the rule immediately to all incoming messages to your inbox. Then simply hit "OK" to exit. And you'll be all set for automation!

You can follow the above process and create as many email message rules as you like if you have different items up for auction.

If you can afford it however you should consider purchasing an eBook delivery programme. Outlook only sends the eBook when you are online so is not ideal if you are away from the computer for a long time.