Here are 3 HUGE mistakes I see authors making every day. Do any sound like you or an author friend?
1. When asked the simple question, “Who is your book for?” they say:
“My book is for everybody.”
Nonsense …take off your shades … otherwise you will continue to live in Delusional Land.
If your book is for “everybody,” that means you mean it’s written for men, women, children, babies, and everything in between. It means that it’s for every religious hat; every type of sports and nature lover; anyone of any political persuasion (or not) … EVERYONE.
No way Jose will it reach EVERYONE. The more you niche who you write for, the bigger your market can become. It’s so much easier to be the whale in the pond versus the sardine in the sea.
2. When I ask, “Are you planning to promote your book and seek publicity?” they say:
“I believe that the media will RUSH to feature my book.”
Ha! Get ready for a rude awakening. If you are basically unknown, not expect this to be a piece of cake. Probe and find the audiences that will be a perfect fit — and surprise, they may not be watching Dr. Oz, Ellen, Rachel or Today. There are countless blogs, bloggers, podcasters and freelancers who would be doing the happy dance to discover that you have discover the perfect thing to put a cranky teething baby to sleep in five minutes. Don’t aim for the top tier in media … there are zillions of others out here. Let Google do you clicking for you. And, who knows—when the buzz starts, you just may hear from USA Today or Today!
What you need to hone is a “pitch” as in a 15 second time frame. Think of it as a one-liner that describes the movie of the week. It’s got to have the hook and the emotional tug to bring the listener in to buy you. When it’s the media—that listener is a producer, a reporter, editor or someone who is a gatekeeper to the decision maker that can get you on the air.
3. When asked, “Who are the leaders – the top influencers in your genre and who are your competitors?” they say:
“I don’t know.”
That response won’t cut it. You need to know who the “players” are … follow them in their social media … and then start following their followers. Why? Simply this: the odds are in your favor for them following you back. After all, because they follow your competitors—authors and experts who are similar to you—there is already something that you have in common. It’s time for you to do some espionage work—put on your spy hat and start sleuthing.
Google is your friend here—start with a Search: who are the top leaders / best experts / top influencers in ________ and see what pops up. Go to the websites—a potential gold mine of key word phrases that you can mimic (pay attention to the first two paragraphs of the Home page; note what they have on their Media or Speaking tabs). Note what social media formats they post in. Subscribe to their blogs. Start using those phrases in your own copy.
These three items are MUST HAVES … don’t leave your book and your success behind.
Judith Briles is a book publishing expert and coach. She empowers authors and is the Founder of Author U, a membership organization created for the serious author who wants to be seriously successful. She’s been writing 
about and conducting workshops on publishing since the 80s. Judith is the author of 35 books including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms (ForeWord IndieFab Book of the Year), Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers and a speaker at publishing conferences. Book #35 was published this summer: The How to Avoid 101 Book Publishing Blunders, Bloopers & Boo-Boos. Get your copy now.
Each summer, she holds Judith Briles Book Publishing Unplugged, a three day intensive limited to a small group of authors who want to be seriously successful. In 2017, the dates are June 22-24th. Her audio and workbook series, Creating Your Book and Author Platform is now available. Join Judith live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST for “AuthorU – Your Guide to Book Publishing” on the Toginet Network at bit.ly/PublishingShow .
Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU and Judith Briles – TheBookShepherd on Facebook. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact Judith at Judith@Briles.com.
Author U is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the author who wants to be seriously successful. Monthly education programs delivered face-to-face and online, The Author Resource ezine, BookCamps and the annual Author U Extravaganza are tools designed for authors pre, during and post publishing of their books. Join AuthorU.org today.
If you are looking for FREE author and book coaching … call in to Judith’s Author Monday Mornings at NOON Eastern each Monday. The number is 218-632-9854; Access Code 1239874444 … have your questions ready–there’s a full hour to ask and listen