Can Authors Answer The 4 Marketing Questions?

 

I ask every author four questions before determining if I will agree to represent him or her and help them market their book. If they fail to answer any of them satisfactorily, I know that I will have my work cut out for me.   

Can you answer these questions: 

1.  What is your book about? 

2. Why would someone want or need to read it? 

3. Why did you write your book and what do you hope to accomplish with it? 

4. Why are you the best person to write this book? 

The first one should be the easiest but often is the hardest. They say too much or too little. 

If it is non-fiction. they state plot summary exhaustively. If it’s poetry, they make a vague, flowery statement about their random missives. If it is a non-fiction book, they tend to dispassionately state what the contents include. If it is a children’s book, they may state a lesson learned but not really say what happens in the story. Authors need to have a tight, 180-word elevator speech that states things in about 30 seconds. 

The next question must be answered clearly. What should people believe the book will do for them? What will be the end result? 

Will readers feel happier? Will they gain knowledge to do something? Will they escape life for a few hours? Will they find a story to model their lives by? Determine if your book fulfills a need (needs to know how to do their own tax filings), desire (desires to take up a hobby), curiosity (curious about how Taylor Swift really lives), or a want (wants to learn how to lose weight). 

Now tell me what motivated or inspired you to write this particular book? What is its origin story? Then give me the big picture. Is the book a hobby for you or a career launcher? Will you write more books? Is the book intended as a branding tool to help you market something else? Simply, what are your goals in the short- and long-term? 

The last question needs to be answered in a way that people understand who you are and why your personal, professional, or academic background makes you a logical choice to write this book. 

What are your degrees, certifications, or licenses? How many years of relevant experiences — professionally or personally — do you have? Are you famous, infamous, or a one-hit wonder? Are you the spawn, sibling or spouse of such a person? Are you a hero or victim, professional or amateur/hobbyist?  

If you can answer each of these questions confidently, and completely, you are on the right path. If not, stop, and figure out what your answers are. 

Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with 3.6 million page views, 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!

 

About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. 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 3.6 million pageviews. With 4,800+ 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 director of publicity positions 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 hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, 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. His first published book was The Florida homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.