How Can Authors Get Attention?

The way to communicate today is not completely the same as 25 years ago – or 50. One’s social media footprint, zoom presence, and phone etiquette surpass one’s in-person persona and energy on the priority list. We live more through a screen than being able to literally reach out and touch another. So, as an author, how will you master today’s communication landscape? 

Let’s first look at the means at your disposal to reach, connect, and communicate with another: 

·         email

·         text

·         social media

·         phone

·         video conferencing

·         meet in-person

·         mail: letters, books, gifts 

What are the raw skills or assets at play here? 

·         Writing style/vocabulary

·         Energy level/attitude

·         Speaking style/voice

·         Your appearance – clothes, make-up, hair

·         Your physical look – size, age, setting

·         Ability to motivate, help, be supportive, inform-enlighten-inspire-entertain

·         Morality and ethical standards expressed 

Now, think about (assess) your strengths and weaknesses. Where do you come across as strong – and weak? Can you limit the situations where your shortfalls are exposed and maximize the opportunities where you tend to shine? 

For your strengths, can you improve and make them even better? For your weaknesses, can you get them to a point where they may not be an advantage for you, but at least can be neutral? could you even come to see – and sell – your liabilities as assets? Turn a negative into a positive? 

There are five attention triggers at your disposal according to Matt McWilliams in his book, Turn Your Passions Into Profits. he says the following: 

Trigger 1: Pattern disrupt

“You can do this by being bizarre, quirky, or just downright controversial…The key is to stay on brand and not be so weird that you creep people out or e so off-the-wall that people miss your message.” 

Trigger 2: reward

“What are some short-term rewards you can offer your avatar to capture their attention? How can you connect with your avatar n a way that makes them feel they are being rewarded for being in your audience?” 

Trigger 3: Prestige

“What are some trust symbols you can use to demonstrate prestige, believability, and credibility in your niche? What are other influences in your niche doing to increase their perceived reputation and prestige? Study them!” 

Trigger 4: Uncertainty

“Uncertainty works like a cliffhanger. When people don’t know what’s going to happen next or they don’t understand something, they pay attention until the uncertainty is resolved. Until their questions are answered or their curiosity is satisfied, you have their attention. In marketing terms, we call these incomplete stories.” 

Trigger 5: Recognition

“People pay attention when you recognize them. They give their attention to those who encourage them and support them. We all have an intense desire to be known, recognized, and acknowledged.” 

Authors have many ways of getting attention – from what they say and do – as well as how they say something and how they look doing it. Play the game. – fund your public persona and sell that image to others. Be the best version of you. 

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.