How
does an author make a name for himself and get his book out there? This is a question that literally millions of
writers wake up to. Is there an answer?
There’s
no singular formula for author success, just as there is no one exact way
anyone succeeds in any industry. But,
there are things that tend to work, at least some of the time, under certain
conditions for specific people.
Here’s
what I know works:
1.
Ride a single
strength. For some, it means doing what you do best and
forgetting the rest. If social media is
your thing, then do even more of it. If
speaking to groups is what you do best, do that. If advertising is carrying you,
bet more on it.
2.
Go big or go
home. Approach your book with near desperation. Take risks – you have nothing to lose. Go all out and try whatever is feasible or
affordable and give it your all.
3.
Diversify and
experiment. Sometimes you need to explore what works
well for you, so go ahead and look into traditional media, social media,
speaking appearances, telemarketing, direct mail, advertising, networking
events, etc.
4.
Have a past
that people respect. You can’t change your past but you can shape
your biography to highlight the events, stories, and experiences that make you
sound relevant, unique, and interesting.
5.
Looks count. Don’t go for plastic surgery but do your best
to look your best. Men and women are
naturally drawn to people they are physically attracted to. Otherwise, why
would guys buy crap from pretty women?
6.
Choose between
being seen as odd or the every person.
Odd is good if you play it up and let that be your selling point. Coming off as a “regular Joe” could work when
you are dispensing advice and want to be seen as normal and not elitist.
7.
Put your time
and resources into it. No book sells itself. You need to spend money and time to give your
book and brand a boost.
8.
Have a really
good book. Your book needs to be excellent but that
alone guarantees little. However, once
you get some people to notice and read your book you’ll get their endorsements
and word-of-mouth praise if your book is truly superior.
9.
Find someone or
something to champion you. Just as a
mall has an anchor tenant, you need a great endorsement from a respected,
popular, leading authority. It adds
instant legitimacy to what you do.
10.
Present yourself
as if. That means you act like you have arrived
where you hoped to be. Act as if you are
already a best-selling author. Speak
with confidence and command. People
believe in those who believe in themselves.
11.
Make your own
luck. By being open-minded and always putting
yourself out there to seek out opportunities, you’ll eventually get lucky. You’ll come across a situation and recognize
it to be a great chance to grow, and if all goes well, you’ll take off.
Now,
keep in mind, these 11 strategies are not the only ones that work. Nor can you depend on just one of them to
really make it big. You are only as good
as what you do to make yourself better –and you do so in the context of your
competition. But I’m confident that if
you truly have a great book and you believe in yourself and seek out ways to
succeed that any of you will rise high.
Good luck!
Good luck!
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