What are some of the excuses that keep authors from succeeding? Here are a few I’ve heard over the years and some I continue to hear.
1: “I don’t need to develop a marketing plan because this book will sell itself.” Promotion is about getting exposure, having your book become known, putting it before your audience… And if you don’t do that, no one will know about it, which means they certainly will not purchase it.
2: “I don’t feel like being around that many strangers.” An author told me this when I suggested a bookselling opportunity to him. It’s hard to sell books when there aren’t very many people around.
3: “You can’t sell books at book signings.” Of course, I’ve also heard, “Publishers don’t buy books from first time authors,” “You have to have an agent in order to get a publishing contract,” and other fallacies. The truth is, you can’t sell books at signings if you don’t attend them. Plus, sales aren’t the only thing you should consider when you are promoting a book. What else is there? Exposure, exposure, exposure!
4: “I don’t like getting up in front of a group.” I also hear, “I don’t want to mess with building a website,” “I hate approaching people to review my book, give me testimonials, publish my article, etc.” I tell these authors that personality sells books. In fact, personality is probably the most important factor in selling some books. An author who wants to sell books, should definitely become more proactive and more people oriented.
5: “I have publishers interested in my book so I don’t want to promote it.” I got this response after asking an author if she’d like to participate in a book festival. I think I convinced her that she could be selling some of the copies she has in her garage and making some money while continuing to wait for a publisher to commit to publishing her book. As a matter of fact, impressive sales might just tip the scale in her favor.
Authors who make these excuses—who prefer to stay within their comfort zone and out of the limelight—can probably expect to be one the over 78 percent of authors who fail every year.
Instead, I urge you to stop making excuses that interfere with your publishing goals. Educate yourself about the publishing industry and become proactive and assertive on behalf of your project.
Learn more about book promotion by reading my book, Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author. If you still don’t quite “get” the world of publishing, purchase Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author. They are both available at Amazon.com and most other online and downtown bookstores. You can also order it from my website: http:www.matilijapress.com