Is Your Book Special? Tell Me?

 

While on a recent family vacation in Cape Cod, it occurred to me that the many beaches adorning the peninsula’s shores each offer some unique charm or amenity that draws visitors to them. There are dozens of beaches splattered across the cozy confines, competing with one another for visitors, much the way books are vying for customers.

One beach emphasizes ideal sunset views. Another highlights how it has a snack bar and other amenities on the premises. One says it is perfect for families of little kids, while another positions itself based on it being small and intimate. And on and on. They all have water, sand, sun, and wind, and yet each tries to come across as unique, comforting, and the perfect place for renewal and relaxation.

Books are sold this way, too, and they get packaged in such a way that people feel the book speaks to them. In a tsunami of books, yours must stick out in order to swim to shore safely.

Your book needs to offer something different, unique, new, or engaging that you can proudly push in your discussion about it. If you can’t find a good hook about your book or background, stop reading this and walk away from your book. It will never sell if you can’t identify a reason why one should want or need your book.

That is the tough love take-away for today. Think about the story that you want to tell about your book. The origin story. The elevator pitch. Your mantra, one-liner, or branding statement. Call it what you will and say what you want. But you need a clearly defined hook and bait or you not catching any readers today.

 

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