The Messages That Sell Books

 

 

What does an author need to say to sell a book?  

Whatever it is that one needs to hear --provided it is not a lie and won’t endanger that person.  

So, what do people need to hear?  

It’s what they want to hear, something that meets their needs, serves their desires, supports their values, and makes them feel good -- mentally, spiritually, or physically.   

Think about it. 

You can reduce life to a few dozen topics or areas. Then, you need to position your book so that your message aligns with one or more of these topics. 

Readers want something that will do to them the following:

• Entertain
• Enlighten
• Inspire
• Inform
• Improve  

They want something that helps address their desires:

 

• Laugh
• Play
• Sex
• Hobbies
• Travel
• Shop
• Pets
• Addictions 

They want to hear things that help them craft or support their already existing values and beliefs, such as: 

 

• How they approach life
• How they treat people
• Their convictions
• Sense of truth and understanding about life
• Improving society
• Freedom and liberty
• Volunteering and charity
• Political views and government 
• Religion and faith 

The reader also wants his or her needs met, including:

 

• Shelter
• Safety
• Food/water
• Healthcare: mental/physical
• Clothing 
• Education
• Career/business 
• Wealth/opportunity
• Love/friends/family
• Spirituality 

So, whatever you have to say about your book, whatever it is about, must tap into the above areas or you just won’t pierce the reader's shield. To sell your book, discuss what they are pre-disposed to buying. 

Need Book Marketing 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 ©2023. 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 3.3 million pageviews. With 4,400+ posts over the past dozen years, 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 www.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, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, 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: www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.