Things Authors Need To Know About Securing Book Sales

What gets people to buy your book?

 

• People buy on emotion and how they feel. 

• Some will buy based on price or try to commoditize your book.  

• Everyone buys on ignorance – there is always something they don’t know.  

• People buy what they know, are familiar with, and are comfortable with.  

• You don’t have to correct their misperceptions if it is not in your favor.  

• Never lie or make up things but you can dress up the truth.  

• People buy from people they like or relate to.  

• They buy on fear, ego, greed, desire – touch all of those buttons.  

• Don’t judge the buyer or his/her personal life – you don’t have to like them to sell to them.  

• Only say as much as is needed to sell someone – don’t talk your way out of a deal.  

• Present yourself as an expert or authority and speak the lingo they would expect to be associated with your topic.  

• Make timely references to things in the news or pop-culture that relate to your subject matter to show you are up-to-date.  

• Lead with benefits – tell them what they will get – identifying how to solve a problem, prevent one from occurring, or how to capitalize on an opportunity.  

• Connect with them on something – anything – just keep getting yeses to things – find common ground, a meeting of the minds, and identify things they like and agree with them.  

• Inject humor – people like to laugh or put even serious issues into perspective.  

• Do not mention personal setbacks – no one will buy from you out of pity. They will feel like they want to run away if you tell them that you don’t feel well, that your kid broke his arm or that your spouse is leaving you. Mention the setback only if it ties into your book’s message.  

• Mention names or events they recognize and can relate to even if they are not directly connected to your book in a personal way.  

• Offer few risks – give them a chance to feel they are not signing their life away.  

• Respect that people won’t be forthcoming or even truthful with you initially.  

• Find out what the customer hopes to accomplish and then position your book as addressing those areas of concern.  

• Try to package your book with the other things or services to sell.  

• Do your outreach, follow-up, and then follow-up again – then move on.

Need PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over 3.9 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 3.9 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, BookCAMP, 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.