Do Authors Want Permission To Fail?

 

“Can I go without having a blog or a podcast?”

“Do I need to advertise?”

“Must I speak in public places?”

“Do I have to be on social media?”

“How important is it to get media coverage?”

“Do I really need to pay for book reviews?”

“Can I get by without a web site?”

Authors ask these questions of me all of the time. They know what my answer is going to be, yet they ask anyway.

Are they looking to hear a hard truth of what they need to do — or are they seeking an excuse to not do something that could be helpful to their cause?

In either case, authors must face up to reality and stop looking to get away without investing time, money, and mindshare on book marketing.

Imagine being overweight and asking if a diet is necessary. Or, if your child is failing out of school and wondering if a tutor is needed. Or, your debt is rising and you wonder if you really need to reduce your spending. You get the point. Stop asking stupid questions that you know the answer to.

I want authors to be successful and happy. I would be committing PR malpractice if I didn’t encourage authors, with honesty and facts, to pursue their dreams by taking concrete steps in all of the key areas of book marketing. Writers simply can’t just put out books and then blindly walk away from them — and then wonder why they didn’t break the 100-book sale barrier.

I cannot, in good conscience, just tell you it is ok to do little or nothing on the marketing front. I don’t make the rules. But it is obvious that books need a push on multiple fronts, on a regular basis, to sell, so instead of looking at what you would like to avoid, start thinking of what you will do and how much and how often.

Let’s say you really are shy and don’t want to speak anywhere. Ok, so what else will you do and double down on? Don’t like doing social media? No problem. What will you pour your time and resources into so you can compensate for the social media hole? Can’t afford to advertise? No worries. What can you do that is free and impactful?

Authors, don’t ask me these questions anymore. I will not grant you permission to fail. Instead, start figuring out what you can say yes to. 

 

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.

 

Please Contact Me For Help

 

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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.