Why Write A Book If You Won't Promote It?

People write books and a chunk of them don’t get published—but many do. Of those that get published, only a small percentage are marketed and promoted in a substantial way. A lack of vision, knowledge, resources or courage impacts which books are promoted and marketed well. I often wonder why people go through the effort or expense to write and publish a book, only to let it die a quiet death because there was little or no marketing to support it. If I can impart this nugget of wisdom, it’s this: You should promote and market your book, even if you have a publisher, even if you have to pay for it. Otherwise, there’s a great chance your book will fail or under sell, leaving you with a smaller brand, a tinier circle of influence in the world of ideas, and a greater chance your next book won’t succeed—if it even gets published.

Now, I know not every book can be promoted and I know there are limitations to what one can do and as to how successful they will be. But I also know if you do nothing you will come away feeling bitter and defeated. You didn’t even give yourself a chance to be rejected—you simply didn’t play the game. Life is about risks, challenges, and underdogs. You have to at least try to do something to build buzz for your book.

Let’s review the many potential benefits derived from book publicity and marketing:

1.      A long shot—but a chance—you’ll get discovered by a literary agent, book publisher or movie agent.

2.      Increased book sales and maybe a chance to be a bestselling author.

3.      An opportunity to build your media resume and platform, which will position you in the future for other opportunities.

4.      A chance to grow your network of followers and connections.

5.      A way to establish or further your brand, which could have payoffs down the road in your career.

6.      A way to become a paid speaker.

7.      A chance to become a media personality and develop a gig as a paid commentator or host of a show on local radio or TV.

8.      A platform to share your ideas, experiences, and advice so that you can change society or impact people’s lives.

9.      A chance to become a paid corporate spokesperson.

10.  A means to climbing the corporate ladder or starting your own business or switching employers.

So many good things can come from a moderately successful PR and marketing campaign. You owe it to yourself—and your readers—to do all that you reasonably can to get the word out on your book.

Otherwise, I implore you to question why you even write books. If you write it and no one reads it, did you really publish a book? Your words can make a difference—don’t let your book die by not trying to promote it. Don’t go down without a fight!

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, Media Connect, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2014