Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Do Authors Have Twins?



The other day I saw a woman on the train, sitting directly opposite me, a replica of a beautiful friend of mine.  I couldn’t stop marveling at how much she looked like a woman I’ve known for over a decade.  I guess everyone has a twin.  But it made me think:  Do authors have twins?

Why not?

If people could look or sound like one another; isn’t it likely that another writer could pen books with your style, voice, and attitude?

Do you have a writing twin, and if so, what does that mean?

It means that competition for readers is fierce.  Sometimes very little separates two books or two authors.  The difference comes down to marketing and how potential readers come to see and perceive who you are and what you offer.

In fact, there probably are twin book marketers out there, calling upon similar tactics, employing the same timing, and peddling well-crafted messages that seemingly could frame two different books in the same light.

Just as I stared at this woman’s face that seemed to be chiseled from a tool kit that followed a factory pattern that seemingly produced my friend as well, I have no doubt that there are very similar authors and very similar book marketers out there.  All of this just means you have to work even harder to find what makes you unique and to exploit what truly differentiates you from others.

I don’t know how my friend would have felt, staring at someone with the same impeccable taste in clothes and accessories, a woman who even used the same shade of lipstick to moisten and color her lips, a body seemingly carved out of the same seductive mold. Would she recognize the stunning resemblance or would she immediately find an imperfection or fault with this body double?

Writers can’t spend time dismissing their competition or finding imperfections in their books.  They, instead, have to figure out a way to play up their own assets that could give them a unique advantage in a crowded field.  Writers won’t gain by denying nor criticizing other authors’ books.  They can only win by promoting themselves.

So think hard about how you’ll separate yourself from the masses, knowing somewhere out there is your writing twin.  How will you be better than yourself and overcome those who seemingly rival and resemble all that you are and have to offer?

When the young woman rose up from her seat to exit the train.  I followed behind her, heading out of Grand Central Station. I finally detected a subtle difference. Whereas my friend walks very confidently, almost giving off a body language that suggests her sexual prowess, I found this woman to be a little more reserved or cautious in her strides.  She didn’t quite have the confidence in her bodytude that my friend has.

Perhaps every author, even with a twin out there, can find that one thing that they do better, differently, and invitingly, than his or her competition.  Authors need every, edge they can get when the world seeks to clone what works.


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Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2018. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America and participated in a PR panel at the Sarah Lawrence College Writers Institute Conference.

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