Do
authors market books based on how they see they see the world – rather than how
the world sees them?
Think
about it. If you are a visual person, do
you market yourself in a visual-centric way?
Do you rely on photographs and charts, rather than an approach that
involves wordy content?
If
you like to speak and communicate by talking, do you think others want to be
sold that way, rather than through other means?
If
you are optimistic or smart or a fan of horses, do you market to others as if
they have the same strengths, likes or views?
Authors
have instincts to follow – as well as real market data, statistics, and concrete
facts to operate under. But they mustn’t
mistake who they are for what others need, want, or like. You should almost take the opposite approach
– don’t assume people will like your book, agree with you, or want what you’re
offering. Assume that they don’t like,
agree with or want you. Prove yourself
and try hard to win others over instead of expecting them to see things your
way.
Challenge
your assumptions, values, and theories.
Do not promote your book with the expectation that everyone will love
you and your book. It’s not that you’re thinking is necessarily so wrong or way
off the mark, but your approach to life and how you see things may be at odds
with many people. The trick is to help
others – on their terms – see things the way you do.
If
this were an easy process, every politician would win in a landslide, but few
elections are won by a huge margin – and no one wins every time they run. Most lose.
Book marketing is the same way.
The odds are against each author, but some will breakthrough and
succeed.
So
what can you do to market your book better?
1.
Identify
ideally which types of people or demographics your book has the best chance of
appealing to. Then narrow it down. For, instance, a novel about a divorced woman
who takes a younger lover and has tantric sex, is not for everyone. You may think it is for those who like romance, /erotica, women, and those who believe in second chances at
love. Sounds good, but narrow it
down. Is this for straight woman,
bisexuals or lesbians? Is it for
20-somethings or 40-somethings? Is it
for people of a certain ethnicity or region?
2.
How
do people in the targeted reader profile like to be marketed to? What will appeal to them – a struggle to
start over?A woman who gets the kind of sex she’s always wanted? Is it for risk-takers or the rejected? How you
sell a specific message is what will define whether your targeted reader is
curious enough to read on.
3.
Are
you appealing to the emotions of your reader?
You can’t just talk dirty and quote steamy passages – it takes money to
reel in your readers. They want to know
they can identify with the main character, that they share her values, and see
some of themselves in her. Can you
humanize your story so that it has an emotional appeal and doesn’t lazily
depend on bedroom fireworks to sell it?
Once
you go through this entire process you need to answer one final question: Why you and not competing titles of a similar
nature?
This
is the hardest part, but you can do it.
Reading the marketing copy and books of your competitors will help
inform you. But regardless of what others write or do, your focus is to hype your
book against all other things. For the
moment, your desired readers should not be thinking about chores, jobs, money,
kids, or any distractions. They
shouldn’t be aware of other books. You
should’ve carefully or forcefully made the case for your book by tapping into
how they see the world. Unlock your book
sales by decoding the emotional needs of your readers.
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