How Authors Avoid Being Boring

  

What impresses a message upon another in a way that will get them interested in what you have to say — and to act upon your offer?   

Yes, dear author, I am talking to you.   

How and what will you say what will win another over to buy your book, a bookstore over to agree to have you speak, or a news media outlet to want to interview you?  

Whatever you think should work, make sure it is something that you can say in 30 seconds or less — or that takes no more than 200 written words. Anything longer and people will tune you out or stop reading, and mentally vacate the premises. We live in an ADHD world, where a distraction is only one click away.  

First and foremost, explain why you are communicating with someone. Are you looking to make a sale, persuade a book reviewer to read it, seek a library to have you come speak, beg a bookstore to carry your book, or something else?  

When discussing your book, listeners need perspective, context, setting, and the big picture. Is this a vampire LGBTQ romance, an international crime thriller, a memoir, an inspiring self-help book, or … what? State the genre early on.  

The recipient of your elevator speech wants to know what is in it for them. Who are you, what is it about, and what need or desire does your book purport to fill for them? They may not ask these questions, but they certainly need to hear the answers.  

What is the persona or voice that you will speak in? Are you about logic and substance or style and appearance? Funny or serious? Some other type of vibe that you want to give off? 

Ask yourself: What can I say or do — and how can I say or do them -- in such a say that I will come off as being:  

* Engaging 

* Empathetic 

* Witty 

* Relevant

* Sincere

* Truthful

* Authentic

* Entertaining

* Inspiring

* Enlightening

* Motivating

* Relatable  

Here are added bonuses when seeking to effectively convey a message: 

* Be a great dresser

* Have an attractive appearance

* Wear a smile n your face

* Possess a great vocabulary 

* Share good stories

* Listen carefully

* Exhibit good body language

* Show some energy 

Don’t drone on, mumble, talk too softly, fail to make eye contact, or sound ignorant.  

But above all, do not bore me! 

 

Need PR 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 3.8 million pageviews. With 4,900+ 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.