Book Marketing Lessons From Pickleball

  

Pickleball mania has swept the nation for several years and I finally got a chance to play America’s fastest-growing sport the other day. I love it! There is a book marketing lesson here, so listen up.

Learning a new sport and its rules, acquiring new skills, and developing the right muscles and body to perform well are all part of anyone attempting to embark on any new sport. It is a similar feel to how authors need to learn a new sport, and it is called book marketing.

So, there I was, with 10 other newbies to the sport, ready to see if I have what it takes to hit a wiffle ball and with a plastic paddle.

The court is half the size of a tennis one, and games are scored differently from other sports.

The ball doesn’t have much bounce and the holeless paddles don’t allow for particularly big whacks to occur. It is a game of finesse.

It is a game built for doubles, a team sport, one in which your ability has to synch up with that of your teammate.

It reminds me of tennis and paddleball, but it really has carved out its own story. The success of the sport should remind us that even in a crowded field, something new and unknown can catch on from word-of-mouth.

Think about it. Not that long ago, where was this sport? It just did not exist. And there was little reason to think it would catch on. Then it did. Just like your book. It is unknown now, with little demand for its existence. But one day, we may reflect back and wonder what our lives would have been like if your book had not entered it.

Pickleball has no reason to exist. We have paddleball, ping-pong, paddle tennis, tennis, badminton, racquetball, and other similar sports. What is it about the noisy sport of pickleball that draws us in?

* It’s the new shiny toy and everyone finds it trendy to say they play it.
* It is familiar enough to anyone who plays a racquet/paddle sport.
* The wiffle ball makes you feel like a kid.
* It is genuinely fun.
* Games don’t take long to play.
* Low entry point to playing — old people, fat people, short people, and dumb people can play.

Now look at your book. Why would people want to read it? You should have some answers.

Now ask, why would one invest their time or money in your book when they could easily be reading something else? What is the pickleball factor for your book?

As with all sports, there is are elements of strategy and execution to pickleball — where and to whom to hit it; and how fast or low? Authors need to strategize how they will go about marketing their book — and then start volleying to see where the ball lands.

Perhaps a book on pickleball, if marketed well, would be a big seller? Then the author can retire…. And have time to play pickleball! 

 

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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 like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your 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 (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.9 million pageviews. With 5,000+ 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.