Writing and Publishing News

Authors often contact me after their book is published and say, “Help! My book isn’t selling. What’s wrong?”

What’s wrong is that the author didn’t 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’t do was fill in the blanks in the middle—between the imagination and reality. I tell authors that book promotion is a frame of mind. It’s 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.

A large and growing percentage of books in the marketplace today fail and the main reason is the author’s 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—“Okay, my book’s published. I’ve accomplished my goal.” They don’t realize that publishing is only the beginning of a very long journey into the world of publicity and promotion—that is, if he wants to sell those books he’s produced.

Let’s 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—the author—need to be asking:

• Why do I want to write this book?
• What is the purpose of this book?
• Is there a need or desire for this particular book?
• Who is the audience for this book and how many readers does this comprise?
• What’s the best way to approach my audience?
• Do I have the skills to promote this book to this audience? If not, am I willing to hone those skills?

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:

• Study the publishing industry so you have a bit of a handle on what to expect. Way too many authors enter into the publishing world with warped expectations and, too often, no concept of the realities. My book, “Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author” is a good place to start the study I suggest.
• Write a book proposal. This will guide you in determining if your book idea is actually a good idea, who your audience is, and the best way to reach them once your book is a book.
• Write for your audience, not for you.

Authors often ask me to tell them in 100 words or less how to generate more sales. What they don’t understand is that book promotion is not a cookie-cutter proposition. It’s 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?

So the way the book is written is actually the first step in promoting that book. It’s 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—understanding 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, “Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author.” 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.

Questions? PLFry620@yahoo.com