Thursday, September 21, 2023

Why Aren’t More Books Read?

 


Books can comfort, challenge, complete, or change us. So why does something that powerful get ignored by so many people?  

Think about it.   

Books can entertain or educate us. They can inspire or enlighten us. That’s powerful stuff.   

But tens of millions of adults in America do not read even one book in a given year. Tens of millions more read just one or two books in that same time period. 

Why? 

Is It A Matter Of Money? Nope. books are free all over the place- from libraries and schools to senior center and churches. One can find free e-books online or a treasure trove of titles for as little as 99 cents each. There are used bookstore sales, estate sales, and garage sales where one can pay 50 cents or a buck for a hardcover book. Heck, even if you buy a new paperback on Amazon, it likely sells for no more than $15. If you spend just 50 cents a day, you can buy 12 new books per year at that rate.  

Is It A Matter Of Time? Nope. Americans stream dozens of hours of shows weekly. They surf online content endlessly. They have time to read some books.  

Is It Literacy? Ten percent of America is illiterate, so that’s a huge problem. We must address that, if we hope to not only get more books read, but more people employed and self-sufficient. 

Are There No Good Books? There are thousands of new books being published daily, and tens of millions of old titles available at Amazon. I think you can find some worthwhile books.  

Don’t Know Which Book To Read? Ask a friend or relative. Ask a librarian or bookstore owner for a recommendation. Search online lists. Look at book reviews and best-seller lists. Sit in a bookstore and read book descriptions until you find one that speaks to you. Consult book award winners and finalists.  

Don’t Have Hands? No worries. Try audiobooks or use voice-activated software to turn the pages of a digital book. Besides, how many people lack hands? A tiny, tiny fraction of the population. You get my point. There are no more excuses for why Americans don’t read more books.  

Failure Of Education System? Yes, there are bad teachers, unsafe schools, and impoverished students, but even crappy schools have books and encourage reading.  

Bad Parenting? Certainly, parents can play a big role in encouraging kids to read and can nurture a good habit at a young age. A parent can model good reading habits and make reading seem important, fun, and interesting. But, we can’t avoid books just because we lacked parenting input.  

Had A Bad Book Experience? If you have a bad date, you don’t swear off humans, do you? If you had a lousy book, get over it, and try another. And another. And another.  

Not Social Enough? Take a break from FB, drinking, BBQ’s, and phone calls. Read in solitude. That’s the beauty of a book- its experience requires no one but you, and yet with a book you never feel alone.  

Competing Content? Yes, the Internet has plenty of competing sources for consumption, from articles and social media posts to news, websites, podcasts and movies. But books deserve their time, too. Most books can be read in four to six hours. a little as 10 minutes a day set aside yields one book read per month.  

Learning Disorder? There are tutors who can help people with ADHD, Dyslexia, or other learning challenges to thrive. Get diagnosed, get helped. No excuses.  

Poor Vision? May I suggest audiobooks, large print, or braille? 

Brain Injury? Ok, sure, the handful of people with brain tumors or injuries get a free pass -- until they recover. Then it’s time to read, read, read.  

Low IQ? You may be dumb, but you can still read, and you’ll get smarter by reading more books.  

Live In A Book Desert? Books are everywhere online, so even if you lack access to a bookstore or library, seek out digital books or order paper ones online. You are never more than a click away from a book.  

Depression? Well, mental illness could improve if one finds the right books, and therapy or medication (or all three).  

So, why aren’t more books read? If we can address any or all of the above excuses, we will see a dramatic rise in book sales and in the number or people reading a higher number of books.

“It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.”

-Charles Francis Potter

 “If a book is well written, I always find it too short.”

-Jane Austen

 “To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable spelled out is a spark.”

-Victor Hugo

 “Books are the mirrors of the soul.”

-Virginia Woolf 

Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their 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!

 

Read This!

Read This Before Writing Or Promoting A Book!

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/read-this-before-writing-book.html

 

About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on LinkedIn. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. 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. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.4 million pageviews. With 4,600+ posts over the past dozen 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.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs 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. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. 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. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.  

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

What’s An Author’s First Step To Marketing A Book?


The hardest thing about doing anything is getting started. The bigger the task or goal, the more we procrastinate. You know what I am talking author, dear author. Yes, you do. 

Have you started marketing your book?

Are you doing a least one thing every day?

Will you stick with it? 

Marketing a book is akin to going on a diet – no one likes to, but we know it is necessary – and it feels great when we succeed. 

It is easy to get psyched out about book marketing. “What should I do and when?” you may ask. “Who can help me? is another likely question, followed by “How much time or money do I need to market my book?” 

You must answer all of those questions, map out a timeline to execute a marketing plan, and identify the resources of people, things, services, and funds that you can call upon for assistance. 

To get started in marketing your book, simply list what your mission is: Why did you write the book and what do you hope to accomplish with it? What are different levels of goals, from wish-list to realistically achievable? 

Next, list the steps you can take to achieve these goals, to go from a dream to reality. 

Third, determine what tasks you will perform, which ones you will outsource, and which ones you just won’t be able to get to – and dismiss them. 

Most authors get distracted by daily life, feel the call o write and not market, and have to contend with obligations/chores being balanced with desires/dreams. But almost every author, beyond extraordinary circumstances, can do something every day to market their book. authors must keep moving, always. 

Here, for example, could be your tasks for a week: 

·         Day One: Write a blog post and share it on social media.

·         Day Two: Research local bookstores, libraries, and other places to speak.

·         Day Three: Join 20 FB groups that contain potential readers.

·         Day Four: Update and revise your web site.

·         Day Five: Draft a press release.

·         Day Six: Call 10 places to seek out speaking opportunities.

·         Day Seven: Research 25 media outlets to send your press release to. 

We could write out tasks to fill your entire calendar year There’s always something that one can be done – and that you should be doing. Take that first step. Don’t overthink it. No excuses. Just move. You’ve got this. 

“Only the ephemeral is of lasting value.”

--Ionesco 

“I’m always trying to turn upside down and see if they look any better.”

--Tibor Kalman, Graphic Designer 

“Real knowledge is knowing the extent of one’s ignorance.”

--Confucius

 

Brian ‘s wisdom Nuggets:

·         A NO is just a delayed YES. Keep pushing. Show them value. Help them see what you know to be true/good/right or needed/desirable/wanted.

·         You don’t need anyone’s permission to succeed. You can create, invent, sell, negotiate, network, learn, and collaborate.

·         Persistence is what prevails. Initiate. Follow-up. Change your approach. Follow-up.

·         Assume one will oppose or argue with you. Come at them with confidence and certainty. don’t ask. tell. Make the assumptive close. Expect a yes and act as if. The only questions are “when?” and “where?”

 

Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their 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!

 

Read This!

The Author Checklist For Success

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-author-checklist-for-success.html

 

Read This Before Writing Or Promoting A Book!

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/read-this-before-writing-book.html

 

Help Make America Literate Again

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/help-make-america-literate-again.html

 

Can AI Sell Your Book?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/can-ai-sell-your-book.html

 

Do Authors Think Too Big?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/do-authors-think-too-big.html

 

Can Authors Run To Success?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/authors-can-run-to-success.html

 

Oh, So That’s Why Muy Book Failed?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/oh-so-thats-why-my-book-failed.html

 

About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on LinkedIn. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. 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. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.4 million pageviews. With 4,600+ posts over the past dozen 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.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs 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. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. 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. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.  

 

 

 

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

The Value of Bad Book Reviews

 

Inevitably, your book will get a bad book review. Maybe several. What does this mean? 

In the long run, it may mean absolutely nothing. Look, if you are getting a lot of bad reviews, then something is up, but if it’s just a few or only 10-20% of all reviews received, dismiss them. 

Bad reviews may not be as bad as you think they are. Perhaps you’re being too sensitive. “They only gave me four out of five stars.” Calm down. That is very good, just not great – and certainly not bad. 

“Oh, they said the book had one chapter that felt misplaced.” Yes, but they may also have given high praise to the rest of the book. Don’t gravitate just to the negative. See the positive and keep a good perspective on things. 

Even when a review seems weak or negative, see if you can cherry-pick something positive - -and excerpt that part and use it as a quote. 

So, why do books get bad reviews, especially when the vast majority of those that you receive are good to great? 

·         Because the reviewer is a freaking idiot and obviously does not recognize your talent.

·         Because the reviewer really didn’t fully read it and made snap judgments.

·         Because the reviewer is an irritable piece of crap who likes to be overly critical because he or she are failed writers.

·         Because they have a bias against you or a prejudice against your genre and they decided your fate before opening to the first page.

·         Because people’s tastes vary greatly. Ask 10 people anything and rarely do you get 100% similar responses. It’s just a statistical thing – put your book out for review enough times and someone will chop it to pieces.

·         They had high expectations that could never be matched.

·         They lack experience and knowledge – and really were not qualified to review someone’s book property. 

Some reviewers, as much as they sting, may not be completely wrong or motivated by grudges, and they present opportunities for you to grow as a writer. 

If you want to bury a bad review, seek out more reviews. More recent reviews by consumers will push down an older, bad review. If you need more professional book reviews, there are plenty of media outlets where you can buy a review (but they don’t guarantee a glowing review). 

Stay level-headed about the book reviews. If the bad review is an aberration, additional reviews will be positive. If you get a lot of negative or mediocre reviews, well, maybe you misjudged your book’s value and it is time to write a new one. 


Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their 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!

 

Read This!

The Author Checklist For Success

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-author-checklist-for-success.html

 

Read This Before Writing Or Promoting A Book!

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/read-this-before-writing-book.html

 

Help Make America Literate Again

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/help-make-america-literate-again.html

 

Can AI Sell Your Book?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/can-ai-sell-your-book.html

 

Do Authors Think Too Big?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/do-authors-think-too-big.html

 

Can Authors Run To Success?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/authors-can-run-to-success.html

 

Oh, So That’s Why Muy Book Failed?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/oh-so-thats-why-my-book-failed.html

 

About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on LinkedIn. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. 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. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.4 million pageviews. With 4,600+ posts over the past dozen 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.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs 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. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. 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. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.