MAKE YOUR BOOK LESS OF A SECRET AND MORE OF A SELLER

Reading books has been a common pastime for many in previous centuries. Even today when entertainment options abound, so many people still buy and read books. Gary Price reports that book sales in 2020 rose to 751 million units. This is the best year yet for print book sales as this was a growth of more than 8.2% from previous years. Research shows that this was actually brought on by lockdown restrictions implemented during the pandemic, increasing the need for at-home education and entertainment.

It is clear that the demand for written work is there, but how do you go about getting people to read your book? Writing, publishing, and selling a book is not easy work. You can find an agent who will send your manuscripts to publishers, or you can send your work to publishers yourself. Self-publishing has also become an option for those who are still starting out because it is far more accessible than the traditional means. Founder and CEO of MindStir Media, J.J. Herbert, lists the reasons why self-publishing is better for many people like having more creative control over your work and a guarantee of being published. If you’re considering publishing your book, here’s how to get people interested in picking up your work:

Know who needs your book

The first thing you have to consider is for whom are you writing? Who do you want to read your work? Who do you believe needs the content you will provide in your book?  Knowing your audience can help you write a book that will resonate with them. You can use this to guide you in what information you should include, how you write your book, the tone you use, and even what stories you tell. Gaining feedback helps you know what your readers expect and want from your work. It is also important to know the goal of your work. Though it is good to reach a wide audience, your primary target audience should always be your priority. They are the people who will most likely purchase your book, and catering to what they want gives you a loyal readership; and it also helps you expand your audience in the future.

Write to challenge conventional thinking

It might sound like a challenging task, but writing something that has not been written before will definitely help in attracting readers. With hundreds of books being published every year, you want to make your work stand out from the rest, and you can do this by being an innovator. Marketing a book in a highly competitive landscape can be a challenge, but as New York Times bestselling author Jonah Berger who wrote The Catalyst puts it, marketing is not about pushing harder, arguing better, or spreading information; true change comes from catalysts. This means that to make an impact in the writing world, you will have to take leaps and risks.  Write from your perspective, a perspective that may be unconventional and is one that challenges what people have always believed.  As Berger emphasizes, a catalyst removes roadblocks and barriers. Writing something you believe is different from the rest will naturally help you garner readers and make you a pioneer in your own right.

Create a strong strategy for getting the word out

Once you’ve written and published your book, the next thing to focus on is promoting your work. This will play a big role in getting people to read your work. There are many things to consider when conceptualizing your campaign. This can range from creating the right book cover, categorizing your book in the proper genre, and distributing press releases. Even the time of year you release your book should be considered as we detailed in a previous blog post. You can even make appearances on local shows and podcasts to help spread the word about your books. Having a good PR list and sending advanced copies to influential personalities that might enjoy your book is another way you can promote your work. Carefully planning how you market your book will help entice people to read your work. (And when you sign on with Press 49, we provide you with a comprehensive marketing plan that includes in-person and online options for getting the word out about your exciting project!)

Book publishing can be a difficult market to enter. It is an aggressive market, and it may be daunting; but it is more than worth trying. Use these tips to help in growing your readership and getting your work out there.

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Content credit: Melissa Ford, guest contributor

Image credit: Tayeb MEZAHDIA