A
recent viewing of an old Twilight Zone episode reminds me that authors need to
promote their uniqueness – rather than try to sound like every other author.
The television episode in question was one about beauty and how we all should
look beautiful. Everyone, upon turning
18, can get a face and body lift, choosing from a number of models. A young lady doesn’t want to look like
everyone else, even if it means she remains with average looks. But society forces her into it and out pops
another beautiful woman. But is she
really beautiful if she looks like everyone else?
Authors
must make sure they don’t start wearing Michael Jackson’s nose, Jennifer
Aniston’s hair, and Kim Kardashian’s ass, meaning they will have to take a
personalized, unique, targeted approach for their marketing, publicity, and
branding. One needs to stick out – not
blend in – when it comes to books.
One
reason the media has trouble deciphering who to interview, review, or feature
is that they can’t distinguish between books that look alike and authors that sound
alike. Writers, deep down, are unique
and individualistic, and that must be called upon when doing a dance for the
media.
When
the media focuses on one story angle, you must highlight another aspect, even
going contrarian. You need to voice a
new viewpoint or state an old one in a new way.
The media wants substance and personality. They want what’s new, different,
controversial – or that appeals to others – sex, politics, religion, celebrity,
money, death, crime, celebration.
Can
you say the obvious in a way that it has a twist? Let’s say your book shows us how to lose
weight. Your first instinct is to say
what it is in a straight forward way:
It’s a book about how to lose weight.”
Ok,
but tell us more. Put a number to it:
"It’s
a book that shows you how to lose at least 20 pounds in the first month of your
new diet.”
Or hype your credentials, if really good:
“It’s
a book that shows you how to lose at least 20 pounds in the first 30 days –
based on the author’s three decades of successfully treating thousands of
overweight people, including several morbidly obese patients who lost hundreds
of pounds each.”
You
see now how to improve the pitch? But
even this sounds too similar to other books out there. Find what’s odd or interesting – and throw it
in. Maybe the diet is strange – you can
only eat bananas, or pizza. Or it
restricts you from eating nuts or chocolate.
Toss that into the pitch, too.
Can
you quantify the diet?
Is
it one followed by a leading medical institute?
Was it endorsed by a top health association? Did a celebrity use the diet? Is it a really
inexpensive diet – or one that doesn’t require a lot of exercise or other
behavioral changes? Keep digging for how
it differs with others and highlight anything that sounds like a bonus.
Perhaps
your pitch ties into something in the news, but again, is not obvious. For instance, if a new survey or poll is
released about obesity, you can chime in and jack the news. Take ownership of it, but don’t just say you
can comment on the report as to why your diet is needed. Instead, issue some challenge or promise
like: “Send me your obese and coach
potato, the one who weighs at least 500 pounds, and says he fails at every diet. I will trim him down!”
Maybe
words can’t speak as well as pictures.
Share some amazing images of weight loss with the media – and then show
some funny way of measuring the weight loss.
Let’s say someone dropped 220 pounds.
Photograph what 200 pounds looks like when you stack up 15 shopping
carts with various junk food. Or show how, with a pile of cash, one has saved
thousands by no longer buying food to eat that’s not needed.
Or,
instead of talking about weight, discuss benefits – how one gained six years by
shaving off 70 pounds or how one can now run a mile after not being able to get
out of bed.
You
get the idea. Be creative, dramatic, and
unique. The shy, the neutral, the ordinary, the copycat – they will not win at
book marketing. You don’t want to look
like everyone else, no matter how pretty they may appear to be.
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Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2019. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s Independent. This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America.
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