Do Authors Just Wait To Win The Lottery?

Every author seems to treat their book like it is a lottery ticket. They want their book to be great, where it yields fame and fortune, but they do little to earn any of that. They do little-to-no marketing and hope to randomly get discovered. Further, often, what they write simply is no better than most books. Writers should know from the first page, maybe even the first paragraph, if what they wrote is truly great. And yet, all writers hope to find a winner in what they did, regardless of quality of effort to market it.

Though your odds of winning the lottery are much tougher than penning a best-seller, perhaps most writers should focus on buying tickets rather than trying to write their own — unless they are willing to really market their book.

If you truly believe — not hope — that your book is great, please, please do something about it. You must champion it and sound the trumpets. You owe it to yourself — and society — to ensure that your gift reaches as many people as possible.

“But Brian,” you might retort back, “I spent enough money and time to write this book and get it published. I don’t want to pay for marketing.”

You mean you don’t care to give your book a chance at success.

When a couple has a baby. they may think they accomplished something, but the real work begins with the time and money they will need to invest to ensure the child grows up ready to be independent and college- or trade-ready. Authors birth a book, but the real parenting begins when you market it.

Quite simply the lottery is a low investment, and a low chance at a great pay-off. A book is a high investment, with a moderate chance at a mediocre pay-off. But it is your book and you need to give it a shot at breaking through. You can’t just print a book and think it is your lottery ticket, where you remain passive and not try to influence your outcome. You must actively play the game.

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/