In
such a short period of time we went from being a strong economy to one under
the threat of a great recession. We went from being a nation where its biggest
health risks come from the things we do to ourselves – obesity, addiction,
smoking, suicide – to one that is challenged by a new virus that could kill
untold numbers. The news seems terrible today and easily worse tomorrow. But
could we possibly take some positives from all of this – and apply it to our
lives and ability to promote our books?
Most
definitely.
Every
generation has had to confront a challenge, either one familiar to others or
something seemingly new and uncharted. We always come away stronger, rebounding
and thriving. The pain and loss suffered were real and seem insurmountable or
unrealistic at this time. But with some distancing, we came back from the
depths of despair, destitution, and destruction to rebuild something that was
bigger and stronger.
America
overcame slavery, a civil war, two world wars, dozens of
recessions/depressions, a terrorist attack, and the upheavals of presidential
assassinations and civil unrest. Today we are taxed with a moment that will
define who we are now – and who we will become.
I
know how the story ends. There will be economic bloodshed. There may be mass
casualties of life lost. But we will somehow, with great introspection,
resilience, and grit come out of this. And we’ll be forever changed by it.
I
hope and pray we keep the suffering to a minimum, in our physical, mental, and
economic health. We know it’s a worldwide phenomena. This pandemic will impact everyone,
though some will feel it more than others. But we have to, as we soon begin to
confront the worst, have a vision of life psot-Coronavirus-19. If we can
somehow see past what has not yet fully arrived, we might be able to better
understand what is to soon happen.
We
are undergoing a new normal that can last indefinitely. We await a vaccine,
more testing, and a way to effectively treat or mitigate the damages of the
virus to our bodies. The timetable of those medical developments will dictate
not only our ability to save lives, but to get us close to being able to reboot
our lives and the economy.
So,
in the meantime, what can we do to ensure our writing continues, that we
position our brands to survive to a recovery, and that we market our books and
promote our messages?
Rule
1: Don’t give up hope – and don’t stop promoting yourself.
Rule 2: Seek to insert yourself into the current news cycle and find a way to bend your message to what is in the news today.
Rule 3: Adapt to how people are sharing information. Our digital world seems to have doubled overnight. With voluntary quarantines and mandatory isolation, we are in public less often and not gathering at big events. We now will communicate online, whether we like to or not.
Rule 4: Use this time not to think of what you can’t do, but what you can do. We don’t just lose something without gaining in another area. There’s opportunity, even in loss or change.
Rule 5: Write more. Use this time to create more books, develop online courses, beef up social media, and to position yourself to re-emerge from this calamity with some new ideas and products.
One
thing is certain. More people are spending more time at home and circulating
short distances within small circles. They will have more time to read books.
Authors will finally have less competition that movies, plays, sports, and
concerts used to generate. For the moment, books can provide nourishment to the
minds and souls of a worried, exhausted, and isolated public. You can fill a
void.
Authors
should also, whether writing fiction or non-fiction, children’s books or
poetry, give thought as to what type of books will soon be in demand – both to
weather our troubled waters and for the recovery period that will surely come.
You have to think about what people will need, want, or desire. Just as a
generation of authors weaved in plot lines of terrorism to their books post
9/11, what will we see put into books in the 2020’s and 2030’s?
This is one of those generational moments of a before and after. We all will see life differently the longer this pandemic panic goes on for. How could we not be changed by something that threatens our well-being and economic security?
The
story lines right now resemble fiction, things we never fully prepared for or
thought imaginable. And as we live through them, we will write new fiction and
non-fiction that reflects who we have become, individually and as a society.
Life
from just a few months ago seems so quaint. “Remember when we used to do
(blank) and think that (blank).” Fill in the blanks. A new world is coming. We
never wished for it, but we will need to embrace it if we are to get beyond it.
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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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