This month’s edition of Reader’s Digest (Dec ’22 / Jan ’23) included a section near the back called To: Book Lovers, New releases on our wish list, which shared the title, cover image, and a short paragraph about each book.
Two were immediately added to my mental Wish List: The Space Shuttle: A Mission-by-Mission Celebration of NASA’s Extraordinary Spaceflight Program by Roland Miller, a mission-by-mission log of NASA’ space shuttle program, and Our America: A Photographic History by Ken Burns, a pictorial record covering 180 years of U. S. history.
Wow! Both titles intrigued me so! How to choose? Should I purchase one, both, or invest my funds elsewhere?
Your audience asks these same questions as they compare your book with other books and other non-book items. Sometimes they’re comparing apples to apples; sometimes apples to giraffes.
We compete with a bazillion products for our audience’s time.
How can your book get the attention it deserves?
Consider focusing on the quality of your writing, the title and sub-title of your book (as well as the back cover copy), and your marketing plan.
My expertise lies in the latter two categories.
Every author has scads of tasks, but these three rise to the top because they will–or won’t–attract your ideal target market.
Without interested readers, even a perfect book won’t gain traction.
You may wonder, “But what about my website, email, social media, Lead Magnets, and the other seemingly endless items everyone shouts for me to do?”
Yes, those items (and more!) need your regular attention. 🙁
But you’ll want to keep The Main Thing your primary focus. Christ first. Family second. Your ministry and book third. The other things next, listed in the order He identifies.
Beginning next month, we’ll dig deeper into ways to market your non-fiction book.
Let’s address one myth right now. The old, “My book is for everyone” myth. If you haven’t yet released that idea, let it go today…please.
God is the only One who can write a book that fits the needs and answers the questions of women in the armed forces, oncologists recently diagnosed with cancer, homeless veterans with school-age children, entrepreneurs and company CEOs, and so on.
No human being can address every potential issue in a single book.
God’s already done that flawlessly in the Holy Bible. He is the perfect Author. 🙂
I believe every non-fiction book’s audience must have a common thread with each other and for a Christian book, the author needs that same commonality. Our writing is more powerful and more effective when we’ve experienced the issues and/or goals of our audience. This is God’s way.
The experience, pain, challenges, and deliverance should be in our past. How can we guide our audience to a solution if we don’t know the path to freedom? How can we discover that path if we haven’t been on our version of their journey? And how can we assure them He is trustworthy if we haven’t yet been delivered ourselves?
God shapes us for His service tomorrow by applying His principles to our lives today.
Your book must stand out not only from other books on your topic, and not only from other books in general, but from other products whose makers cry for your audience’s attention. You’ll never know what those other products are, but you can make choosing YOUR book amongst all the options a no-brainer.
The good news? While it takes a long-term, focused approach, it can be done. Yay!
So, which of the two wildly divergent book(s) did I choose? In the end, wisdom prevailed. Since I’m not scientifically minded and unfamiliar with the language and concepts of space exploration, I removed The Space Shuttle from my list. While I would definitely enjoy digging into NASA’s mission logs, that book wouldn’t become a new treasure on my bookshelf.
But Ken Burns’ Our America would be an instant treasure. Why? I’m a history buff, particularly American history. I could picture myself getting lost for hours in that one!
It’s the same with your audience. They’re attracted to YOUR non-fiction book for several reasons: they share common traits with you, they enjoy your communication style, your personality, and your sense of humor, and the clear, results-oriented words you use to describe how your book will help them have a better life in ways that matter to them.
In the coming months, we’ll discover how to sharpen your focus, increase your clarity, and attract your ideal target market.
We have lots to do in 2023. Are you in? See you next month!
Patricia Durgin is an Online Marketing Coach and Facebook Live Expert. She trains Christian writers and speakers exclusively, helping them develop their messaging, marketing funnels, conversational emails, and Facebook Live programs. Patricia hosted 505 (60-minute) Facebook Live programs from 2018-2020. That program is on indefinite hiatus. She’s also a regular faculty member at Christian writers and speakers conferences around the country.
Website: marketersonamission.com
Facebook: MarketersOnAMission
