15 Self-Help Rules For Authors!

  

A lot of self-help webinars, retreats, videos, books, and conferences offer basic guidance for living a better life, weather you seek to improve your health, wealth, relationships, career, or overall happiness. Let’s look at these concepts through the prism of authors and the marketing of their books.  

Step 1: Own Your Book’s Fate

No one else will make your book a success -- and it won’t get itself discovered unless you take ownership of its marketing.  

Step 2: Be Optimistic, Take Action

You must simply adopt an optimistic mindset, even when there’s little evidence to support things will change and improve. Believe, and you can achieve. Think the worst, and it will be so. But wishful thinking also requires you taking action steps.  

Step 3: Learn From Your Mistakes

That’s easy. You will make mistakes when promoting your book. It’s ok. Learn from them and seek to not repeat them.  

Step 4: Aim to Improve 

Set goals, even modest ones. You can try to exceed your reach, fine, but at least reach for what’s achievable. Always be trying to grow.  

Step 5: Value Relationships & Connections

You may know a lot, have great energy, and feel like you can do a lot. Good. But you can always supersize yourself by benefiting from the favors, resources, knowledge, and support of others. Develop friendships and partnerships -- nurture them -- and leverage your connections when marketing a book.  

Step 6: Demonstrate Perseverance

Many people give up just before they are about to break through. Just when you feel ready to quit or stop trying, push on some more. Try again tomorrow, and the next day, and so on. Book marketing is a numbers game. Keep trying and you are bound to secure some success. Yes, you may need to alter your approach or strategy, but the key is to never just give up.  

Step 7: Be A Life Long Learner

Even the top authors and book marketers don’t rest on their laurels. They keep seeking to learn and improve. They are curious and want an edge over the competition. The more you learn, the more empowered and effective you’ll be when it comes to promoting your books.  

Step 8: Believe In Yourself, That You Are Good Enough

Don’t look for perfection nor suffer an inferiority complex. Just give yourself permission to succeed - it can’t come from anyone else. Believe that you can market your book and that your book is just as good as anyone else’s.  

Step 9: Focus On Your Process, Not The End Result

Don’t put the pressure of a goal on yourself. Set a goal, yes, but then break it down into accessible smaller steps and deadlines. Follow a process or game plan, and day by day, you will achieve.  

Step 10: Get Help -- Don’t Do It Alone 

Seek out a mentor, therapist, coach, book marketer, publicity agent, friend, lover, priest, or anyone who can motivate you or directly assist in your efforts.  

Step 11: Have A Book Marketing Mantra 

Likely some type of message that’s best encapsulates the mission you are on and the vision that you have for your book. Know why you write books and remind yourself of this often.  

Step 12: Manifest Your Desires

If you think about what you want, you start to put it out there to the universe as to what you seek. Keep talking about your book and keep seeking to bring about the success that you desire for your book.  

Step 13: Identify Your Limiting Beliefs

Learn what makes you fearful, lazy, angry, or insecure. Now address the things that limit your from taking necessary actions. Your book marketing is limited by your beliefs, and nothing else. 

Step 14: Develop Healthy Habits

Do book marketing the right way - and do it often and consistently. Start a habit of marketing your book, even if for just 15 minutes a day.  

Step 15: Improve Your Attitude/Aptitude 

It’s never too late to learn how to do something or to take a new approach to dealing with people or situations. Never stop growing your skillset, knowledge, or ability to navigate through a maze of challenges.

 

Do You Need Book Marketing & PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over four 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

This award-winning blog has generated over four 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.”  Copyright 2025.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity 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.

 

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).

 

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. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

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.

 

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.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum