What Can Writers Learn From Drew Maggi?

 

Will you make the most of your opportunity at book marketing success? Learn from Drew Maggi. 

Who is Drew Maggi, you ask? 

He was a professional baseball player who waited nearly 13 years of playing in the Minor Leagues before finally getting called up to play Major League Baseball. The 33-year-old rookie  hit .333 and drove in a run over just six at-bats for the Pittsburgh Pirates  Then, he got sent back down, never to be seen in the Big Leagues again. 

Why was he never seen as good enough to get called up earlier in his career? Why did he not get another chance after producing in his brief stint with the Pirates? I don’t know. Scouts and general managers evaluate their talent and make judgments. Not all are correct or good. But Drew, even though he never had much of a career at the highest level of baseball, enjoyed playing his childhood sport for a living for a decade and a half – and he did realize his dream of playing in the Major Leagues. 

Authors can take this to heart. Many writers are toiling in the minors, waiting to get discovered, either by a literary agent, publisher, or readers. Like Drew, writers can break through and perform their best on the biggest stage.  But the odds are stacked against them. And even when you write something beautiful, sometimes the experts/critics/customers misjudge it. 

Writers should realize there is lots of good competition out there. But those who endure rejection and keep perfecting their craft and never stop marketing can have a shot at the big time, and maybe they will last longer than Drew Maggi. 

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator! 

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 6,200,000 page views. With 5,600+ posts over the past 15 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum

 

 

 

Interview With Children's Book Author Margot Bennett

 

1. What inspired you to write this book? I chose to write the story about the therapy dog I worked with for 10 years because he made such an impact on so many in the community. I wanted to share how many ways a therapy dog can help and thought telling it from the view point of the dog would make it so much fun for kids to read. At the same time I published his book, I finished raising my 8th service dog and looked back at the various dogs I had been a part of forming-therapy dog, service dog and guide dog. So, I decided to make it a series! Soon after I raised a service dog that graduated as a Facility Dog so that became book #4 and then I looked at our own rescue dog, Aspen, and realized she had been there not only for Brisco's journey, but also for SEVEN service dogs that came through our family and thought, wow, she deserves her own story too. 

 

2. What exactly is it about — and who is it written for? My books are chapter books written for children ages 5-12 but they are so informative and engaging that I really think adults would enjoy them and learn as well. They tell the stories from the very beginning of the puppy's journey with me at 8 weeks of age, their time with me learning and being socialized for 18 months, professional training and then ultimately to their perfect match with a partner. 

 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? They will understand the entire process of how a dog who helps finds their way to what they are meant to be. In addition, there are photos from their time with me throughout the books, interactive questions and educational back matter about the schools where they are trained, the differences between the various types of service dogs and more.

 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? Once I decided on the title for Brisco to be Brisco, Life as a Therapy Dog, the others just fell into place! All the covers include the actual dog in the story and follow the same design.

 

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? Take your time and enjoy the journey! Writing isz a creative process that should be embraced and developed over time. Make friends with other authors where you can share work and help each other. 

 

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? I am disappointed at the way AI is intervening with both authors and illustrators and how challenging it can be for readers to learn the differences. I feel that is very important to understand. I do think alot of authors are taking on the roles of both self publishing and marketing but it is a challenge and they need help.  

 

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? Yes, my first grade teacher told me years ago that there is no such word as "can't" and I will always remember that. You CAN do anything. Also my background is in finance which helps immensely with the spreadsheets I need to keep track of everything!

 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? I feel my writing style is traditional with a repetitive structure. It's similar to some of W. Bruce Cameron's books about dogs because of the animals helping humans concept. 

 

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? Editing, editing and editing. Many, many redo's! That was just the actual writing part. Alot of cutting and rearranging as well once the book was set up in publishing format. 

 

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? My goal is to share about how dogs can help and I am a huge proponent for service dogs and their partners. When a reader chooses one of my books, they will understand their love, heart and passion that is poured into EVERY service dog working out there and there can be more respect and understanding of the importance of the dogs role. If children can begin to learn this at an early age, maybe their generation will grow up to be the ones who don't take fake service dogs out in public. 

 

About The Author: Tails of Dogs Who Help is a children's book series that tells the stories of the various service dogs Margot Bennett has worked with over the years. Her purpose in writing these stories is to share all the ways that dogs can help. Children will learn through the eyes of real dogs what it takes to become a service animal. Margot has five books in her children's book series Tails Of Dogs Who Help:  Brisco, Life as a Therapy Dog; Ely, Life as a Service Dog Puppy; Rocky, Life as a Guide Dog Puppy; Barley, Life as a Facility Dog Puppy; and Aspen, Life After Rescue. Tails of Puppies Who Help will be released in 2026 as her first picture book! For more information, please see: https://dogswhohelp.com/.   

 

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator! 

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 6,400,000 page views. With 5,600+ posts over the past 15 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum

 

Interview With Teen-Ager, Award-Winning YA & Fantasy Author, Sara Fanfarillo

 

NYC Big Book Award - Distinguished Favorite 2025 - Fantasy
International Impact Book Awards 2025 - Fantasy
Regal Summit Book Award 2025 - Young Adult

1.       What inspired you to write this book? The idea for Everlasting grew from a fascination with the concept of permanence. The emotions, memories, and connections that stay with us even as everything else changes. I started with that single thought and slowly built a story around it, wondering what truly lasts forever and how people hold onto certain moments or relationships long after time has passed. At first, I only had a basic idea of the world and themes, but as I kept writing, the characters and conflicts developed naturally and became far more emotionally layered than I originally imagined. I was especially drawn to themes of destiny, loss, identity, and the struggle between holding onto the past and learning to move forward. Over time, Everlasting became a story not just about permanence, but about the emotional impact people leave on each other and the memories that continue shaping us long after moments are gone.  

2.       What exactly is it about - and who is it written for? At its core, Everlasting is a fantasy novel centered on identity, emotional resilience, and the search for belonging. It follows characters who are drawn into dangerous and uncertain situations, where they must face not only external threats but also their own inner struggles. As the story unfolds, they are forced to confront doubts about who they are, where they fit in, and how much they can endure. The internal struggles are just as important as the external events, shaping how the characters grow and the choices they make along the way.  The book is designed for readers who enjoy fantasy with emotional depth and strong character development. While it takes place in a fantastical setting, its themes remain grounded in relatable human experiences like trust, and the need for connection.  

3.       What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? I hope readers walk away feeling emotionally connected to the story and its characters. More than anything, I want the novel to encourage reflection on change, self-discovery, and the idea that growth is often uncomfortable before it becomes meaningful. Through the characters’ journeys and struggles, I hope readers are reminded that transformation rarely happens easily, but it often leads to something more honest and lasting. If Everlasting stays with readers after they finish it, if it lingers in their thoughts or makes them see parts of themselves in a new way, then I would feel I’ve achieved what I set out to do.  

4.       How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? The title comes from one of the novel’s central emotional ideas: the tension between what fades and what endures. I kept returning to that contrast throughout the writing process, and Everlasting felt like the most fitting word to express it. It reflects the idea that while certain moments, or even versions of ourselves, are temporary, things like memories, emotional truths, and inner transformations stay with us no matter how much time passes. This concept runs in parallel with every event in the story, particularly those connected to Kendall, the protagonist, whose journey continually reflects this balance between loss and persistence. For the cover, I wanted something visually striking but also emotionally suggestive, an image that hints at mystery, transformation, and the tone readers will experience inside the book, without fully revealing its story at first glance.  

5.       What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? Don’t underestimate the value of consistency. Inspiration matters, but discipline is what actually carries you through to a finished book. Showing up regularly, even on the days it feels difficult or uninspired, builds momentum that motivation alone can’t sustain. It’s also important to give yourself permission to write imperfectly at first. Early drafts are meant to be rough. They exist to be shaped, questioned, and improved. Real progress comes through revision and persistence, not from waiting until everything feels perfect before you begin.  Most importantly, trust your voice even when it feels uncertain. Doubt is a normal part of the process, but your perspective is what makes the story worth telling.  

6.       What trends in the book world do you see - and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? Readers today seem increasingly drawn to emotionally authentic storytelling and immersive worlds that balance escapism with genuine personal connection. There’s a clear interest in books that not only build rich settings but also explore relatable inner lives, stories that feel both expansive and intimate at the same time.  Online platforms have changed how books are discovered and shared, giving authors and readers more direct interaction than ever before. Word-of-mouth now spreads through communities that form quickly and globally, which has shifted a lot of visibility away from traditional gatekeeping and toward reader-driven momentum. Looking ahead, I think publishing will continue moving toward stronger reader communities, broader representation, and more hybrid storytelling that blends genre with emotional realism. The industry feels like it’s becoming more flexible in the kinds of stories it embraces, and more responsive to how readers actually engage with books today.  

7.       Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? Yes, especially on an emotional level. While the events in Everlasting are entirely fictional, many of the feelings behind them came from personal reflection and from observing experiences related to growth and identity, both in myself and in others. I think writing becomes strongest when the emotional truth feels real, even within a completely imagined world. That sense of authenticity helps ground the story, allowing the characters’ journeys to feel more lived-in and relatable, even when the setting is fantastical.  

8.       How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? I’d describe my writing style as atmospheric, introspective, and emotionally focused. I enjoy building immersive fantasy settings, but I’m equally invested in what’s happening beneath the surface. How characters think, feel, and change over time. For me, the emotional journey is just as important as the external plot, and I try to let those two elements shape each other throughout the story.  In terms of influences, I’m drawn to writers and books that leave a lasting impact long after finishing them. Stories where the characters stay with you because of what they’ve endured and how they’ve evolved. I’d say I’m inspired by works that blend rich world-building with deep emotional storytelling, where fantasy or setting enhances rather than overshadows the human core of the narrative.  

9.       What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? One of the biggest challenges was writing a debut novel while still young but carrying a big dream for the book. There was a lot to learn at once: storytelling, structure, pacing, and simply how to stay committed to a long-term creative project. Balancing that ambition with everyday life made the process feel intense at times, especially when the vision for the story was larger than what I initially had the experience or tools to fully execute. It also meant growing into the work as I was writing it. As the story developed, so did my understanding of what I wanted it to be, which often led to revisiting, refining, and reworking ideas along the way. That process wasn’t always straightforward, but it taught me patience and persistence, and helped shape both the book and my development as a writer.  

10.   If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? Because Everlasting combines fantasy, emotional depth, and personal reflection in a way that feels both immersive and meaningful. It’s a story about transformation, identity, and finding light in uncertainty, set within a world that invites readers to escape while still feeling emotionally grounded. At its core, the book focuses on characters who are learning to navigate change, make sense of themselves, and keep moving forward even when the path isn’t clear. I wanted it to feel like more than just a journey through a fantasy world. I wanted it to offer moments of recognition, where readers might see parts of their own experiences reflected back at them.  It’s the kind of book that stays with you a little longer than expected...like a thought you didn’t plan to have but somehow keeps showing up anyway!  

About The Author: Sara Fanfarillo is an author whose passion for storytelling began at a young age and quickly developed into a published literary journey. She released her debut fantasy novel Everlasting shortly before turning 18. The book later received multiple accolades, including recognition as a Distinguished Favorite in the 2025 New York City Big Book Award, Winner of the International Impact Book Awards, and the Regal Summit Book Award. Inspired by emotion-driven storytelling, and themes of destiny and transformation, she creates immersive fantasy worlds that blend introspection with adventure. For more information, please see:  www.sarafanfarillo.com

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!   

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 6,400,000 page views. With 5,600+ posts over the past 15 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum

 

 

 

Oh No, Oprah’s Back!

  

As soon as I saw the news flash across my phone — Oprah Winfrey Podcast Comes To Amazon — I knew it would only be a matter of time before I get asked the O question: Can you get me on Oprah?  

Let me pre-announce this now to all authors: No!  

She will air twice-a-week video podcasts. How many guests will she have? Will she have guests? What topics will she want to cover?   

No one knows — but it does not matter. You, dear author, have virtually no shot at getting on her show. Zilch. Nada. Zero.  

Not her show.

Nor in the book club.

Not even on her social media. 

And I am an optimistic and opportunistic kind of guy, a book promoter who has worked with thousands of authors and have executed or oversaw well over 100,000 unique media placements for books — interviews, article mentions, feature stories, and byline articles. Oprah is just on her own planet and an indie author, especially one of fiction, poetry, short stories, essays, or children’s books, has improbably low, low, low odds of getting onto her show. 

Look at reality. She has access to presidents of nations, billionaire entrepreneurs, star athletes, celebrities, best-selling authors, and all kinds of experts. You are not on her radar.  

Look at the numbers. If she is doing two shows a week, and ignoring that she will have vacations, she won’t exceed 100 new shows a year. With as many as four million books published annually, the odds are something like one in 40,000 authors that you will be interviewed — if all interview slots went to authors. And they won’t, so this looks unreal to all but maybe a few dozen authors in the world. 

I don’t care how good your book is, how many reviews it had earned, or how many awards it just won. You are not cracking the Oprah Code. Yes, it is sad but true.  

So, please don’t ask about getting on Oprah. The answer is, and always will be, no!

 

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator! 

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 6,200,000 page views. With 5,600+ posts over the past 15 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum

 

 

 

Do Self-Help Books Need Help?

Overcoming adversity. 

So many books, movies, and plays are about how one overcomes a major loss, setback, or wound. From Holocaust survivors and rape victims, to people who grew up in abusive homes and people who lost their homes, jobs, loved ones, or marriages due to addiction, scandal, natural disaster, or some other calamity, so many self-help books. That’s fine. We need stories of comebacks, resilience, and success from people who could have just as easily succumb to life’s pains and tragedies.  

But what of ordinary people just trying to find their passion, pleasure, and purpose in life, those individuals who did not get raised by broken or dysfunctional families, or suffer from a disability, poverty, or violence, or did not experience an ism prejudice (ethnic minority, religious outsider, immigrant,  LGBTQ+)? What happens for the ordinary vast majority that is not particularly defined by outside people or events? What motivates them? What self-help book will help them discover or get what they want?

I am wondering if the class of self-help books out there are written by or intended for “regular” people. So many of the authors have an origin story that clearly defined what happened to them, thus their advice is filtered through that lens.  If one does have life-defining events, is what they say always relatable to people who know nothing of that experience?

Now take it a step further. Can anyone really speak to everyone with their book? What really qualifies one to write a self-help book and why should we listen to them?

No singular book meets everyone’s needs. But some books, in their own way, can essentially convey the same ideas and advice as the other. But, the voice in which they are written or the origin story behind the author’s perspective may vary.

Most self-help books seem to take one of these approaches:  

** I did it, so can you — lost weight, got off an addiction, found love after broken relationships, survived physical or psychological abuse or loss, came back from a physical or mental trauma, experienced poverty, is a former convict.  

** My success story from nothing to something — how to get wealthy.  

** Common sense steps and sound advice, combined with rah-rah inspirational talk on how to live a balanced life, from the perspective of a therapist, consultant, coach, professor, or manager. 

The question is: Can one who succeeds at one area of life during a certain time and place be the right teacher for all aspects of it? Can one who does something well also have the right skill set of a coach, to help others model another?  

That said, the best self-help book is the one the reader is willing to read and is able to follow through on the advice to improve their life. The reader has to bring a certain mindset to the table, otherwise no piece of advice or bit of strategy will get acted upon.  

Maybe what is needed is a book that just focuses you on why you should change and that encourages you to do so, but saves the instructional tips for another book. No one cares about the how until they embrace the why and muster the courage, discipline, energy, and the time to make changes.  

The first great self-help tome that I read as a young man was the cult classic, bestselling book, Awaken The Giant Within by Tony Robbins. Its teachings and inspirational advice still fuel me decades later. More recently, I enjoyed Unf*ck Yourself by Gary John Bishop. In between I read some great ones by Dale Carnegie, Stephen Covey, Deepak Chopra, M. Scott Peck, and Adam Grant — and hundreds of others. 

Find what works for you. The key to self-help is to take that first step to helping yourself.  

 

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator! 

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 6,200,000 page views. With 5,600+ posts over the past 15 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum