How Books Get People’s Attention

When some people speak – or issue a press release – they draw people to them and create a buzz. Is it the topic? Charisma? Luck and timing? Yes.  

What will get people interested in your message – and inspired by it to take an action step such as visit your site, buy your book, attend your event, interview you for the media, agree to sell your book)? You need to have an answer.  

Try any one or more of these things:  

·         Be controversial

·         Tell wildly funny jokes

·         Say contrarian stuff

·         Make vivid the dangers before us

·         Come off as an authority or leader

·         Sound insightful

·         Make bold future predictions

·         Simply be weird and unconventional

·         Break all of the rules, even the law

·         Ask questions that challenge the status quo

·         Say aloud what people only think

·         Appeal to us emotionally

·         Create a vision or a mission we’d want to buy into

·         Astonish, wow, dazzle, and amaze us

·         Feed and tease our curiosity

·         Tell the truth or be a likeable liar

·         Promote certain values, ideals, and beliefs

·         Disprove a fallacy or myth

·         Be bold, sound confident, look attractive  

Of course, it is easy for me to say you should be unique, great, interesting, daring, beautiful, etc. I know, I agree. But take the point to heart. Regular sentences, mediocre ideas, stagnant language, or accepted opinions don’t get you far. You need to be on the offensive. In other words, don’t bore me with your allegiance to standard fare.  

Now, you try it. Think of something. Write it down. Say it aloud. Listen to it as if it is the first time you are really hearing what your writing sounds like. Does your pitch letter, marketing email, blog, social media post, press release, or back cover copy draw me in, dazzle me, and make your best representation of what you truly offer? No? Get back at it. Yes? Still, check for weak ideas, dull words, or unnecessary statements. Make whatever you say to be said powerfully while using an economy of words.  

Look, to get attention you simply can’t just check boxes and feed us the ordinary stuff. Be loud and proud. Be colorful. Don’t play it safe. You simply must acknowledge that to break through you need to be unique, exciting, or new.  You are not on the two-yard line and expecting to score. Instead approach it as if you are 90 yards away and need a big play to get you downfield. Assume the role of underdog, victim, or loser.  

You must punch above your weight class. Go for it!

Please Contact Me For Book PR 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 over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

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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 award-winning blog has generated over 3.2 million pageviews. With 4,400+ posts over the past decade, it 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 years 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.