Define Your Place On The Author Success Spectrum

 

 

One’s success in promoting their book depends on the metric used to define it. The selected measuring tool should be based on the author’s goals.

Most, but not all, will point to the obvious: number of sales. But many authors have other objectives when it comes to marketing their book.

Some may be more concerned with building third-party validation from book reviews, news media coverage, and book awards, seeking to affirm that they are in fact good writers.

Others may be more focused with using this book’s public exposure to get a certain message out there to as many people as possible. They use the book as a way to win people’s hearts and minds and to impact them deeply.

Some may want to leverage their book as a calling card to secure bigger payoffs from selling other products, services, or paid speaking engagements.

Maybe the book, as a branding tool, makes them more attractive to hire or to do business with

The exposure of this book may help an author find a literary agent or publisher for their next book or maybe attention for this book can help in the selling of the rights of the book to Hollywood or overseas publishers.

A certain number of people take to writing as a hobby and getting public recognition for their work is a mere ego boost with no other end game. It is a check off the old bucket list.

Further, some people seek to leave a legacy by handing down their memoir or wisdom, perhaps for just family and friends or maybe to go beyond such circles.

So, as you can see from the myriad reasons one may pen a book, based on each specific reason will come a different set of goals, each with their own success metrics. Whatever your measurable goals are, pursue them and reflect on your progress. Make adjustments and keep moving along on your self-defined success spectrum....

 

Do You Need Book Marketing 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 4.7 million pageviews. With 5,400+ posts over the past 14 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