Authors often contact me after their book is published and say, \u201cHelp! My book isn\u2019t selling. What\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s wrong is that the author didn\u2019t consider sales before deciding to write the book. Sure, he probably imagined his books flying off the shelves at bookstores and being delivered to homes and businesses all over the world via millions of Amazon drones. But what he didn\u2019t do was fill in the blanks in the middle\u2014between the imagination and reality. I tell authors that book promotion is a frame of mind. It\u2019s a mindset more than a happenstance. It depends on the author more than most will admit because most authors are focused on writing what they need to write, feel is important to write, or simply want to write.<\/p>\n
A large and growing percentage of books in the marketplace today fail and the main reason is the author\u2019s frame of mind. He looks at his book project as a creative endeavor instead of a business venture. He sees publishing as the end of his responsibility\u2014\u201cOkay, my book\u2019s published. I\u2019ve accomplished my goal.\u201d They don\u2019t realize that publishing is only the beginning of a very long journey into the world of publicity and promotion\u2014that is, if he wants to sell those books he\u2019s produced.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s back up the pony for a minute. Yes, for the most part, the process of promotion comes after publishing. But I maintain that marketing and promotion should be foremost in the thoughts and plans of the author before he ever starts writing that book. This is the point where you\u2014the author\u2014need to be asking:<\/p>\n
I suggest to authors that they are the CEO of their book and should think like one from the very germ of the book idea. What, exactly, do I suggest an author do? First, realize that when it comes to book promotion one size does not fit all. However, there are some steps all hopeful authors should take:<\/p>\n
Authors often ask me to tell them in 100 words or less how to generate more sales. What they don\u2019t understand is that book promotion is not a cookie-cutter proposition. It\u2019s personal to the project and the author. It is important that the author keep his readers in mind throughout the writing process. If the book is nonfiction, is it organized logically, are the steps and instructions written clearly, does it cover every aspect of the topic in a cohesive manner? For fiction, does your story flow, are you staying true to your characters and the theme\/genre of your book, will your readers be able to follow the storyline?<\/p>\n
So the way the book is written is actually the first step in promoting that book. It\u2019s part of your plan to write the right book for the right audience. Once your book is finished, the next phase of promotion kicks in\u2014understanding that a book that no one knows about will not sell and that it is up to you to know who your audience is and how to approach them. For more on book promotion, read my book, \u201cPromote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author.\u201d And remember that my goal and those of other professionals is to guide you in taking charge of your business venture (your book project) because you are the CEO of your book.<\/p>\n
Questions? PLFry620@yahoo.com<\/p>\n
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Authors often contact me after their book is published and say, \u201cHelp! My book isn\u2019t selling. What\u2019s wrong?\u201d What\u2019s wrong is that the author didn\u2019t consider sales before deciding to write the book. Sure, he probably imagined his books flying off the shelves at bookstores and being delivered to homes and businesses all over the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16,5],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t