Why Authors Need The Momentum Of A Win

 

 

Every day authors feel rejection. People say no to their requests to be interviewed by the media. Publishers turn them down. Literary agents reject them. Critics leave negative reviews. Consumers ignore them. Silence is their most common feedback. How can authors move past these obstacles and score a win?

Momentum.

That is what authors need to work in their favor.

Achieve some modicum of success and build on it. Lay a foundation to score a win and replicate the process for victories to come.

Right now, many writers experience negative momentum, a cascade of rejection, criticism, or at best, being ignored. But if they can get a yes or two, suddenly the tide shifts. The no’s and naysayers then take a backseat to your victory, however small or short-lived.

A yes gives you hope. A yes builds your confidence. A yes is a real positive sign.

Ironically, the best way to position yourself to get a yes is to risk getting more no’s. It is a numbers game. You will get rejected and refused far more often than you get positive feedback. That can still be a winning formula. The more often you try, and the bigger the ask, the more likely you will get a yes.

In most cases for authors to succeed, they have nothing to lose by trying. Worst thing that happens is you remain stuck or fail to grow. By not trying, you guarantee nothing will happen, so that is a loss, whether it came by an actual rejection or not. So, the lesson here: there is only upside in trying and only defeat in not trying.

Ok, so what are things authors could and should be doing? They must try to identify their targeted market, solicit it over and over, and live for the yesses.

Ask more people for more things more times. That is the formula. For instance, if you are handing out fliers about your book, hand them out on more than one occasion at more than one location. Hand out more fliers per each time that you hand them out. Don’t count the no’s or people who shun you. Count only the yesses.

Handing out fliers is one of several dozen things that you could easily do to market or sell your book. Make a list of other activities that you could be doing. Commit to doing more activities, more times, to more people each time. If something appears to be working, keep doing it. Double down on it.

As you move forward in your attempts to get more yesses, reflect back on the efficiency of your tactics and analyze what you can fine-tine and do better. Doing more of good practices and not just more of an inefficient same is the goal. Authors should look to:

* Understand the rejection rate and experiment on how to decrease it.
* Celebrate the wins, however few or many.
* Look to always increase the chances for a yes.
* Find their fans and unearth where they live and breathe.
* Never give up.
* Keep learning, changing, and growing.
* Model how others get a yes.
* Change the offer, the risk, the reward — whatever it is that will push people closer to a yes.

Have an opportunistic mindset, believe in your book and yourself, make the extra effort, risk rejection or pride for a win, and be willing to buy, trade, beg, discount, or give something away to get what you need and want. Know that you can do this. Now go ahead and do it.

Again and again.

And again. 

 

Please Contact Me For Help

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres.

Catch Up & Read These !!

Getting Others To Buy -- Or Help You Sell -- Books

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/getting-others-to-buy-or-sell-your-book.html

 

Will You Sell More Than 200 Copies Of Your Book?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/will-you-sell-more-than-200-copies-of.html

 

Why Bad Books Outsell Yours

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/why-bad-books-outsell-yours.html

 

How Can You Grow Your Writing Career?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/how-can-you-grow-your-writing-career.html

 

Audit Your Book Marketing

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/04/audit-your-book-marketing.html

 

   Author Costs & Rewards

   https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/author-costs-rewards.html

 

How Do Authors Solve Their Problems?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/how-do-authors-solve-their-problems.html

 

Do You Have A Good Author Tagline?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/04/do-you-have-good-author-tagline.html

 

The Truth That Authors Need To Hear

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-truth-that-authors-need-to-hear.html

 

Book Publishing Expose For Authors From An Insider

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/04/book-publishing-expose-for-authors-from.html

 

About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2022. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This blog, with over 4,000 posts over the past decade, was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Susan RoAne, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, IBPA, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. 

Will You Sell More Than 200 Copies Of Your Book?

 

The average book in the United States sells fewer than 200 copies annually.   

That is a statistic stated by Berrett-Koehler Publishers. For some, it is not shocking. For others, it’s a wake-up call to do more to promote and market their books. With 5,000 new books published daily in America, there’s a lot of competition for book buyers and authors, and publishers fully know that unless there are pro-active steps being taken on a consistent and continuous basis, individual book title sales will languish.  

If you sold four books per week, you’d average a little over 200 sold for the year. That’s pathetic.  

So, what can you do to sell more than 200 copies of your book this year?  

Authors simply have to look at what moves a book to sell and determine if they have the time, resources, and network to make books sell. No one thing sells tons of books on a consistent basis. Everyone needs to find what singular thing or combination of things that work for them. The brand areas that authors need to look at are the following: 

 

• News media coverage
• Social media posts
• Speaking at events
• Advertising 
• Networking
• Book awards
• Bundling with other books, products, or services
• Give-aways
• Bulk sales
• Referrals & affiliates
• Discounts
• Paid reviews & influencers   

Each of these areas are important. The less you do in one pf them, the more you’ll need to do in another. It’s okay if speaking is not for you or you don’t like using Twitter, but you can’t be weak in too many areas or burden to succeed in just a few areas becomes high.   

If a book is really good, it will get word-of-mouth buzz from those who read it. However, you can’t get that until you seed the marketplace with enough readers who read and like your book. So, getting the book into the hands of hundreds and thousands of people-the discovery process can only happen when authors and publishers force the issue. They need to not sit back. They have to go out and hustle and convince/inform enough people that the book exists and is worth investing their time and money into.   

Will you sell more than 200 books this year? It doesn’t depend on how good your book is. It comes down to what you are willing and able to do to market your book. Stay in front of those you believe to be your targeted reader and share an interesting message that they simply can’t ignore. There, that’s the secret formula!  

6 Interesting Book World Facts

 

1. In 2021, total books sold crossed the one-billion copy threshold for the first time ever in the United States.  

2. The U.S book industry took in $26 billion in revenue in 2020, the first year of the pandemic.   

3. In America, some 1,700 indie bookselling companies operate some 4,000 stores.   

4. The U.S book market is dominated by print book sales. E-books and audiobooks only make up about 20% of the market in total.  

5. Audio books are growing wildly. In 2020, 71,000 audiobooks were published, an increase of 39% from 2019. The U.S audiobook revenue reached $1.3 billion in 2020, an increase of 12% from the year prior, and the ninth consecutive year of double-digit revenue growth.   

 

Please Contact Me For Help

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres.

 

Catch Up & Read These !!

Why Bad Books Outsell Yours

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/why-bad-books-outsell-yours.html

 

How Can You Grow Your Writing Career?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/how-can-you-grow-your-writing-career.html

 

Audit Your Book Marketing

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/04/audit-your-book-marketing.html

 

Author Costs & Rewards

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/author-costs-rewards.html

 

   How Do Authors Solve Their Problems?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/how-do-authors-solve-their-problems.html

 

Do You Have A Good Author Tagline?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/04/do-you-have-good-author-tagline.html

 

The Truth That Authors Need To Hear

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-truth-that-authors-need-to-hear.html

 

Book Publishing Expose For Authors From An Insider

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/04/book-publishing-expose-for-authors-from.html

 

About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2022. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This blog, with over 4,000 posts over the past decade, was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Susan RoAne, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, IBPA, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. 

 

Getting Others To Buy Or Sell Your Book

 

What can you ask another person that will help you sell your book?

1.      Ask them to buy it.

 

2.      See if they will sell it to others.

 

3.      Can they tell people whom they know about your book?

 

4.      Shall they post a review at Amazon or BN.com?

 

5.      Can they post about it on all social media platforms?

 

6.      Could they give you ideas of how to market it? 

 

7.      Can they buy multiple copies and give it away as gifts to family and friends?

 

8.      Do they have access to mailing lists that they can share with you?

 

9.      Do they know anyone they can introduce you to who may be able to help you?

 

10.  Ask them to read it and give you honest feedback.

 

11.  Ask for a hug and some support.

 

12.  See if they can ask people they know the same questions you posed to them.

 

So, as you can see, there are at least 12 things you can ask of another to help you get books sold, maybe even in large quantities.

 

That’s the “what.” Now let’s look at the “who.” Whom shall you ask for help in buying or sell your book?

1.      Anyone, especially if they are your target reader or know how to reach people in that demographic.

 

2.      People who have bought similar books.

 

3.      Those who are willing to help you.

 

4.      People with lists of friends and family who have a decent social media following.

 

5.      Anyone who owes you a favor.

 

6.      Someone you can pay or have share in the profifts -- to incentivize them.

 

7.      Those who believe in you and/or your book.

 

8.      Anybody you can trade with so they’ll help you. 

 

Neat, the “when” is easy: Now. Tomorrow. Always. Often.

 

The “where” can be: Anywhere. The power of social media, zoom ,and websites allows you to be in contact anytime, anywhere, with anyone.

 

The “how” depends on a number of factors, including: 

1.      Using the Internet.

 

2.      Speaking in person.

 

3.      Talking by phone.

 

4.      Sending an email.

 

5.      Using a snail mail letter. 

 

6.      Communicating one-on-one or addressing a group. 

 

7.      Going to where the sales could be- bookstores, libraries, schools, non-profits, campuses, houses of worship, businesses, government agencies, conferences, events, fairs, etc. 

 

Lastly, you need to address the “why.” Why will someone buy your book or help you sell more books? 

1.      Financial: they can profit from it.

 

2.      Moral: they believe in your message and want to serve a purpose. 

 

3.      Chartable: they are in the helping mood. 

 

4.      Political: they support an agenda or movement. 

 

5.      Religious: they want to support a belief system. 

 

6.      Connected: helping someone they know, desire, or like.

 

7.      Mental Wellness: they will feel good as a result. 

 

8.      Emotion: they get revenge, relieve depression, find love, laugh, or feel something desirable.

 

9.      Obligated: they simply feel it’s the right or necessary thing to do – or they owe a favor.

 

10.  Fun/Entertainment: they want to escape, be happy, and be lost in something.

 

11.  Curiosity: they want to explore and feed their inquisitive mind.

 

So, there you have it: the who, what, when, where, why, and how of getting others to buy your book or feel implored to help you sell books or even sell books for you.

 

Sales, is a number game. Make enough asks of enough people -- and you will get sales. The more you do this, and the more often, the likelihood of success. 

 

Please Contact Me For Help

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres.

Catch Up & Read These !!

Why Bad Books Outsell Yours

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/why-bad-books-outsell-yours.html

 

How Can You Grow Your Writing Career?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/how-can-you-grow-your-writing-career.html

 

Audit Your Book Marketing

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/04/audit-your-book-marketing.html

 

Author Costs & Rewards

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/author-costs-rewards.html

 

   How Do Authors Solve Their Problems?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/how-do-authors-solve-their-problems.html

 

Do You Have A Good Author Tagline?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/04/do-you-have-good-author-tagline.html

 

The Truth That Authors Need To Hear

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-truth-that-authors-need-to-hear.html

 

Book Publishing Expose For Authors From An Insider

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/04/book-publishing-expose-for-authors-from.html

 

About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2022. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This blog, with over 4,000 posts over the past decade, was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Susan RoAne, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, IBPA, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.