is another way to think about a book from a broader perspective. Did you know that books are considered a “media outlet” by some experts? So if your book is a breakaway best seller and you sell 1 million copies, your media platform will have successfully reached .3% of the US population. Knowing this, however, most large publishers will consider a book as a “win” if it sells 10,000 copies.
The biggest question for you today is this: how do you become findable and sell a minimum of 10,000 copies? Many best-selling books will sell about 35,000 copies in a year. Better yet, what can we do to make your book so popular that it sells 1 million copies?
By following the series of steps in the coming pages, you and your story can be the center of attention. So, let’s get started on your best-seller success story!
The Achilles Heel of Authors
HE was in his 50’s, and his steel-blue eyes could bore a hole through a sheet of steel.
“What do you mean I need to fund a $25,000 marketing campaign to create a best-selling book?” Rod’s voice was steady, from years of practice leading teams for technology companies.
“Listen, Bryan; I didn’t sign up for this—press releases, blog posts, kowtowing on social media, butt kissing on talk radio, writing jacket blurbs. I’m not a marketer. The only thing I’m going to write is my story, and my ideas will sell themselves.”
I sighed, as I’d heard this story many times from authors across the globe. “I’m sure you can see that the work needs to be promoted,” I offered, thumbing the corner of his thick manuscript. The meeting had dragged on longer than I’d expected, and as I glanced at my watch, I noticed that the chic seafood restaurant was now empty of lunchtime traffic.
“You’re a promoter, and that’s what I’m evaluating you for, isn’t it?” he quipped.
“Um, actually I’m a publisher,” I retorted. “You see, my job is to move books through distribution channels in order to exponentially expose readers to your writing. “
“Fine. Whatever. You can do that too. I’m just not going to do anything but write my stories. I’ve been leading teams for 20 years, and I’m not going to change that now.” He took a sip of his iced tea. “I’ll leave the marketing up to you to figure out. My game is technology and leadership.”
The man was formidable. If it weren’t for the fact that he was referred by a high-profile friend, I would have called for the check and gone to my next meeting.
No, book marketing was definitely not his thing. While he went on with a voice of authority, I mused about how he would come across at a book signing event.
But there was something about Rod that made me stay... Maybe it was the quality of his work; it really was good.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Of Jangled Nerves and Disruption
I’m telling you about Rod because his situation is common among writers. Doing the daily work of a publisher, it is typical to deal with two types of authors: those whose motto is “I breathe; therefore I speak,” and those whose motto is “I write; therefore I don’t need to speak.” One is outgoing; the other is not. One is people-oriented; the other is well qualified to work in a Forest Service fire watch tower—alone.
In both cases, their medium is words. And in both cases, “sale” is a four-letter word. Sales and marketing are the last things either of them wants to think about. They just want to work with the words they love.
In today’s publishing environment, a love for words just isn’t enough to get a finished book into the hands of readers. In fact, as I’ve said so often before, writing your book is only 10% of the work involved.
Unfortunately for authors like Rod, writing is all they know. The good news is that book publishers’ team of people handle the tasks of editing, book design, sales and distribution. So many self-published authors try to take on all of these tasks at once and succeed at only a few—if any. It’s just too much for one person to master.
New authors are a little less buffeted by the disruptive storms of change and technology than those who are more seasoned. But, anyone trying to keep up with a rapidly changing marketplace, like book publishing, has a case of jangled nerves. The average book launched will only go on to sell 500 copies (statistically), which is far below the expectations of people like Rod.
Selling the Sizzle
When structuring a marketing plan, one of the first questions to ask is, “Who is the audience for this book?” Your job is to seek out a segment of people who are hungry for your solutions or stories. It starts with assessing the playing field and crafting a story that resonates with a ready audience, ideally one that is accessible. How this story gets told is up to each author.
Here are a few examples of successful book marketing practices to get you started:
1 Blog tours: provide articles to high traffic bloggers
2 Radio shows: guest appearances on local or national radio shows
3 TV appearances: many New York Times best-selling authors get their start with appearances on Good Morning America
4 Social media: this is a great vehicle to build a big audience at a low cost
5 Bookstore signings: bookstores and libraries are great places to talk about your book
6 Speaking engagements: there is nothing more effective than sharing your ideas with a crowd to generate book orders
7 Advertising: it has never been easier than today to purchase advertising to a highly specific audience
8 Partnerships: professionals in this business build relationship with others who have large audiences, effectively structuring deals with the philosophy, “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine.”
What is noble about writing is putting ideas into the hands of readers around the world— readers who wouldn’t have access to these ideas without easy access to a book.
Whether it’s through libraries in Liberty, Kansas or on Kindles in the Amazon jungle, authors today have a reach that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. It’s great to see them realize their goals.
For authors like Rod, a publishing relationship is a godsend. Now his business philosophies can be enjoyed everywhere, and his book sales show it. That’s something any author can sink their teeth into.
The Book Launch Formula – Becoming a Hometown Hero
Have you ever noticed that no matter how successful you become, there’s always someone who likes to knock you down a peg? Maybe it’s an older sibling, an in-law or a friend from your high school days.
Maybe you are the exception, and you don’t have anyone who fits this description. But I imagine if you think hard enough, the odds are high that you’ll think of someone like this who is not too far from your inner circle.
The reason I bring it up is that, when it comes to your
