10 Rules For Authors To Get Attention

 

 

As an author, you need to get people’s attention all of the time. You want them to open your blog post, connect with you on social media, buy your book, interview you for an article, hear you speak at a bookstore, respond to your ad, and any of another dozen or more calls to action. So, how do you do that in a sea of others - not just authors - seeking one’s attention? Embrace the 10 rules for all authors to get attention. 

Rule 1: Seek Attention

This may sound obvious, but it’s not. In order to get attention, you need to pursue it often and to be purposeful or deliberate about it. One should map out the ways they plan to get some spotlight time. Will you pursue certain opportunities - hand out fliers in a busy location? Email a targeted list of people? Advertise somewhere? Call 50 libraries? Mail postcards to 250 indie bookstores? Speak at certain types of events or before a carefully selected group? Each attempt at attention deserves its own strategy on timing, messaging, etc.  

Rule 2: Get Help

Identify who can help you do certain things. Assess where you are weak or lacking in contacts, skills, or time. Then find people who can fill the gaps to do what you can’t or won’t do. Set a budget. Seek to trade favors, beg people, or lean on those who you know best. But be prepared to outsource tasks that will easily cost hundreds and thousands of dollars.  

Rule 3: Establish Your Brand

Okay, so you’re not Amazon, Coca-Cola, or Target, but you do have a brand - an image, a sound, a book -- an ethic, a style that is unique to you. Do you have a logo, certain colors you like to use, a font style, or a tagline/mantra that you call upon? Do your actions voice a certain message? Do things look consistent? Do you exude a certain persona or feeling? 

Rule 4: Have Marketing Materials

You need to have a website, a business card, and a press kit. There are other tools you’d benefit from such as a flier, postcard, bookmark, video, etc. as well. You should have core messaging content that appears in a variety of formats, such as a press release, a solicitation letter for friends to buy a copy of your book, a website bio, etc. 

Rule 5: Perfect Your Elevator Speech

What can you say in about 30 seconds or 180 words that will come off as natural but be totally packaged so you can introduce the highlights of what your book is about and who you are? The elevator speech is what you say every time you meet someone - in a random place, at an event, on the phone, via email, wherever. If you stumble here, you close doors. People want to be intrigued, entertained, and informed. Touch them with your words, and you’ll open a dialog to somewhere.  

Rule 6: Exude Confidence, Competence, & Captivation

We all buy from those whom we trust, like or believe, and who can bring us what we enjoy. Based on your word-choice, voice control, and story-telling ability, we can project an image that invites others in. Smile, make eye contact, and be friendly.  

Rule 7: Give Off Good Energy & Positivity 

Some people seem to have a bounce in their step. They are animated in their facial expressions, hand gestures, voice fluctuation, and quick response time. Give off good vibes. 

Rule 8: Offer Value: Fill A Need Or Desire

No matter how charming you are, people buy what they need and want - or what they desire. Be clear in stating your unique selling proposition.  

Rule 9: Provide Elusivity & Exploit Your Assets

Your assets could be your looks, your energy, your way of telling a story, etc. Show off what you know that people perceive of as your best qualities. Sound exclusive, first, better, or special - if you don’t stick out, why would people buy your book? It may come down to just one thing that gets people to buy - find out what it is and use it. 

Rule 10: Encourage An Action Step

To get a sale, ask for it.  If you want, make it a two-step close. Encourage or incentivize people to get to your website. The site should sell the book with its words, images, audio, and video - and then provide a link to purchase the book. 

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 LinkedIn. 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, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.4 million pageviews. With 4,600+ 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.