The Worst-Case Scenario For Authors?

 

I recently came across the popular book, The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Expert Advice for Extreme Situations, in the bookstore. I started to wonder:  What are the worst-case scenarios for authors?

 

The book covers dire life or death situations — forest fires, tsunamis, hurricanes, pandemics, and doomsday moments — and it outlines what to do to if you ever find yourself in such a situation. Well, authors have their own what-can-go-wrong scenarios that need solutions — as well as preventive hacks.

 

Ok, so authors may never need to know what they will learn in The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook, such as:

 

·         How to Break Down a Door

·         How to Land a Plane

·         How to Escape from a Sinking Car

·         How to Survive Being Buried Alive

·         How to Survive a Snake Attack

·         How to Fend Off a Shark

·         How to Escape from Killer Bees

·         How to Wrestle Free from an Alligator

·         How to Survive a Drone Attack

 

But you will need to know:

 

·         How not to get suckered into answering a scam email

·         How not to miss your window of time to market your book

·         How to promote your brand successfully

·         How to generate more book sales

·         How to make sure you have a useful website

·         How to avoid the pitfalls of hiring the wrong marketer

·         How to overcome rejection from the news media

·         How to seek out speaking engagements

·         How to effectively utilize social media to get results and not headaches

·         How to develop an elevator pitch that draws people in

·         How to get published successfully

·         How to handle or avoid problems with amazon, your web master, a publisher, or your publicist

 

Ok, ok, so such a book of worst-case scenarios for authors does not yet exist, but luckily the information and strategies do — and yours truly can supply them to you — if you hire me! Lol.

 

 

Need Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum 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 11 million page views. With over 5,700+ posts over the past 15 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 2026, 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

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) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, 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