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Judy Cullins

Did you Make These Two Big Mistakes When you Wrote your Book?

If your book is not selling well, it may be because you didn’t do your marketing research before you wrote it.

What I know works for my book coaching clients, who chose me early on to write their book instead of trying to fix problems half way through the book, is that these mistakes are avoidable. When you know the business side of your book, you will have a solid chance to make it a financial success.

Here are my two tips:

Tip One. Write out your pre-marketing strategies before you write your book.

Incorporating my “Essential 9 Hot Selling Points” from Chapter 3 of my book first will save you from wasting valuable time taking the wrong path – the uneducated one. Check to see if a primary audience wants your book first, so it sells well after you invest all that time into it.

Many authors just start writing because they have the passion and a message to share. What they need to do BEFORE they write their books is to do some marketing research. They need to set up a business around the book or treat the book as a business.

This must include:

who is their primary audience ( to brand themselves and business)?
what is their targeted book title to that audience?
what are the 5-10 best benefits (not features) that will help sell it and them to that audience? R

Sorry, the reality is that not everyone will want to read your book.

Tip Two. Replicate the big shot authors’ ways they wrote the chapters of their books so they branded themselves and made thousands or millions of dollars.

It happens in the chapters. When you engage your readers by giving solutions to their challenges in your chapters, you have a fan for life.

Also think format. You can brand yourself exquisitely in your chapter titles, headings, author tip titles, stories, case studies, and sidebar titles with a little help.

The big mistake in your chapter writing? Telling what you know. Kind of like lecturing. No one wants to be told what to do. Your readers want to know you care about their specific problems, so you may want to think about using a chapter blueprint that does this. I just happen to be the author of “Write your eBook or Other Short Book Fast!” at Amazon and my site.

Educate yourself before you write your next book!

These tips come from Chapter 2 and 3 in my “Write your eBook or Other Short Book Fast!” If you have a question, just contact me at LinkedIn or Facebook, or ask me a question.

It’s a free service I give.

Want to make me get a big grin on my face? Just leave a comment or question. I’ll be grateful!

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About the Author, Judy Cullins

Book and Blog Coach Judy Cullins helps you gain confidence and transform your ideas into life-long money-making content. Author of 14 books for business people and authors include "Write your eBook or Other Short Book--Fast!"Judy offers free, up-to-the minute weekly publications on book and blog writing and online marketing at http://www.bookcoaching.com/help-writing-a-book.php

*You are welcome to reprint this article provided the above bio is included.


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  • http://www.christiandailyresources.com Deborah H. Bateman

    Thanks, Judy, for sharing these tips. I am in the process of getting my frist e-book ready for publishing, so it is great to have all the good imput

  • http://www.jdvludlow.co.uk Joe Ludlow

    Hi Judy

    Read your post with interested and agree totally with you, only wish you had posted it 4 years ago.

    I made all the possible mistakes a budding author could make and some more when I wrote my techno-thriller "Revenge".

    On my website I have posted a blog on "the story of the book " as a series of do's and don'ts plus my experiences.

    If you have the time have a look at it and let me know what you think.

    Kind Regards
    Joe

  • http://www.kathleengage.com Kathleen Gage

    Excellent insights Judy. Something else that amazes me is how many authors don't focus on ongoing marketing. They believe the book somehow sells itself. Hmmmm.

  • http://www.bookcoaching.com Judy Cullins

    Deborah, Wonder what your book title is? Wonder if you knew about my book, Write your ebook or Other Short Book Fast!–still sells well at Amazon and my site.

  • http://www.bookcoaching.com Judy Cullins

    Joe, That's why I wrote my signature book, "Write your ebook or Other Short Book Fast!"that still sells well at Amazon and my site. I lament that so many writers do it alone when they could invest $15.95 and prevent all those mistakes. Maybe for your next book?

  • http://www.GemmaBixley.com Joanne Victoria

    The hard one is not telling people what you know. How do! you tell what the solutions are without telling wht you know?

  • http://www.bookcoaching.com Judy Cullins

    Hi Victoria, Good to see you here. Two schools of thought on that give give give and know that your value is appreciated or not give and get only the ones who are committed.After years of giving, I'm not doing so much now–I'm playing more with friends,Bill and my family.

  • http://www.flandersfamily.info Jennifer Flanders

    Thanks, Victoria. Very helpful advice. I'm working on my third book now and will do my best to incorporate it.

  • http://dmscreative.webs.com D. M. Simpson

    Thanks for the advice, Judy. It's good to have foresight as opposed to hindsight, especially when it comes to writing a book.

  • http://www.InspireToWrite.co.uk David Mason

    Hi Judy
    Over here in the UK I am sitting at my computer and wondering about my new venture into eBooks. I have self published several poetry collections and novels for children already but I need to move into the digital world too and I know little or nothing about it. I am returning to your site regularly and thinking so hard that it hurts. I want the pain to turn into gain!
    Best wishes
    David Mason

  • http://www.kathryn-harris.com Kathryn

    Hi Judy,

    Thanks for your “9″ hot selling points. I was just drawing up another marketing chart when I ran across your article. I had been toying with targeting several audiences at once but your message convinced me to stick to the primary one first.

    I am especially like the engage your audience tips or give them five to ten benefits of your book. I can see how the action words would motivate a reader to buy my book.

    My primary audience is the military or veterans. I learned a lot about the culture while writing the book and doing the background research.

    I often get positive feedback from my title, “90 Percent: A Memoir of My Demise and Rise” although he book is a literary novel.

    Could you talk a little bit more about what you perceive as the military or veterans concerns and challenges. My character for example is challenged by PTSD and the stigma that goes with it as are a lot of veterans and military personnel. They, as my character, are afraid to get the help they need.

    Thanks for your reply.

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