A Big Ego Dooms Book Marketing

Book marketing is not complex. First write a good book on a timely topic that appeals to a large group of people who can afford to buy your book.  Second, get it published.  Third, tell people about it – often. 

Of course it’s not without its challenges.  It takes time, money and a will to market anything. Either you will do it or you will hire someone to do it, or most likely, do both.  And you won’t be happy until you feel you have arrived as a writer, that you’ve made your mark.

You’d at least settle for making some money and having readers tell you they liked you book.

I have found many things can stand in the way of book marketing and book publicity success but none stands out more than ego.  Poor timing, ignorance, lack of support, bad presentation, lousy book, crappy communications kills, ugly covers, dull ideas, and a personality with no oomph have all conspired in part or whole to doom so many books and authors.  But an author’s ego can kill your PR and marketing.

How so, you wonder?

A certain dose of ego is needed to survive in this world and certainly to write, and market yourself, but you do not want to be ego-driven.

I have seen too many authors who let their ego blind them.  They have lofty expectations but do little to work hard or smart in order to realize their goals.  Often they set too high of a bar and then curl up in a ball when they discover they are being rejected by consumers.

It’s okay to feel good about your book and to be proud of your accomplishment.  But do not act like a best-selling author before you even sold a single copy. Be hungry and ambitious and hopeful.  Do not act as if everyone will buy your book and award you a Pulitzer.

I am an optimist and seek to see the potential in everyone or everything but I never want to be disillusioned by my own bullshit.  Neither should you.

Big ego means you demand more than you give; you expect rather than hope.  Instead, choose to be humble and shoot for the stars.  But don’t expect a tricycle to become a spaceship overnight.  Now stop reading this blog and go write your own.  But be nice about it.

Brian Feinblum is the chief marketing officer at Planned Television Arts (www.plannedtvarts.com) and blogs daily at http://www.bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert.