Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Do You Know What Your Book Can Do For Others?




To market your book successfully, you just have to answer one question:“What will my book do for someone?”

Let’s break it down:  Is it a must-have or would-like-to-have book?  

The difference?  One fulfills a need; the other a desire. 

You might enjoy an erotic novel but you need a book that helps you obtain a fulfilling sex life.  You might like a book about 1940’s Hollywood but you need a book on how to raise a healthy child. You may want a book of inspiring poetry but you need a book on how to make money in real estate.

So how badly do people need or want your book?  What’s your competition – can other books, forms of content, entertainment, or instruction fulfill, our targeted reader’s needs?

Identify the No. 1 and possibly the only reason they will buy your book, and make that your leading selling point. Subject matter, writing style, book packaging, or something else is leading your book buyer to you.  Then they will look at price, availability, competition, and other factors. Discover what motivates your reader.

You must answer that basic question and sell to those people.  No doubt you know what your book can do for someone.  It will have a payoff, from something extreme as in saving a life, getting rich, having wild fun, or finding a soul mate – to something like helping one get better at something, learning a lot, finding help with a problem, getting answers to questions, or obtaining solutions to issues.

Maybe your book just tells an interesting and unique story.  Perhaps it is first to do something.  Or it has an alternative viewpoint that most have not thought of.  Maybe it’s a funny book or one that challenges our values.  Perhaps it’s a tribute to something we love.

Figure it out.  Don’t just tell me this is a book for those who like military-themed historical fiction or who enjoy a good thriller , or who want the next 50 Shades of Grey.  The public needs to hear more and get a sense of why they will like, appreciate, learn or get help from your book, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction.

You really need to boil it down.  Get to your book’s essence.  Put your book into context of all else that’s out there. 

Will people need a comedy during tough or deadly serious times?  Perhaps.  Will they want an edge on how to do something that’s important but challenging (like a diet) or highly competitive (get hired) or potentially lucrative (start a business)?  You bet!

So your selling points become:

  • Topic – theme subject matter
  • Benefits offered to the reader
  • How it compares to anything else available.
  • Why you – and your writing style, expertise, and knowledge/insights.

Know what your book will truly do for others and sell that one thing like it was ice cream in a desert.

  
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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 ©2020. 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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