Saturday, May 6, 2017

Choosing Your Next Book Or Dog Is Challenging



The other day I went through an exercise with my two kids and wife that we periodically go through, where we contemplate what kind of dog to add to our household.  We currently have an English Bulldog named Daisy who loves to snore, fart, and chase the back-up mailwoman down the block.  The discussion made me think about how authors debate within themselves as to what should be their next book.

Whereas we tried to decide what type of dog would complement Daisy and eventually outlive her, authors need to think about what they will pen and take into consideration the following:

·         What do they feel inspired to write about?
·         How heavy is the competition for a book on that subject?
·         How does it fit into your most recent or past books?
·         Will this dictate what I write afterwards?
·         How big is the book's readership potential and marketability?

For my family, we had to consider a few things as well, including”

·         How big or small of a dog did we want?
·         What has a good temperament for kids and other dogs?
·         Which one doesn’t need a ton of exercise?
·         What looks cute and cuddly?
·         What’s different from our past dogs, which for all of us includes the bulldog and pugs, and for me, a basset hound.

But then my 12-year-old son made a strong case for getting a dog that isn’t necessarily a pure-breed and isn’t store-purchased.

"Let’s see what the shelter has,” he said. “They will determine the dog that we get.”

Maybe writers should follow the same logic, that their next book isn’t solely up to them or in their control. What does the reading public want or demand?  Look to fill a void rather than just serve your own desire.

Both decisions can be emotionally draining.  The book that writers choose to publish next could dictate the course of their writing career.  In fact, it could easily doom it – or advance it greatly.  For my family, the next dog that we choose will dictate household peace for the next decade or more.  Our choice could lead us to never getting another dog – or inspire us to bring even more canines into our home.

It’s actually a small dream of mine to have a huge backyard filled with a pack of dogs. I’d love to one day fund some type of dog sanctuary.  Dogs are amazing friends to humanity.  So, authors, don’t bark up the wrong tree.  Go sniff out your next book and you may just find you selected a terrific puppy that will grow your writing career.

Check These Posts Out
Do You Promote Your Book Outrageously?

What's In A Name Or Word?

How Should We Define The Dictionary?

Do You Support The Bookism Movement?
What Color Is Your Book Marketing Parachute?

Welcome To Your 2017 Complete Author Book Marketing & PR Toolkit


Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer. 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 2017©. Born and raised in Brooklyn, now resides in Westchester. Named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.