Now that the flurry of Kindle book sales has died down to a reasonable number, I need to think about other ways to market BEYOND ALL PRICE. I have several appearances coming up,mostly involved with my trip to Pittsburgh to celebrate the book's nomination as "Best Biography" from the Military Writers Society of America. I'll be meeting all new people, doing at least one book signing,as well as a radio interview or two. It's time to get my "elevator speech" whipped into shape. As I work on it, I am guided in part by the following article by Judy Cullins.
Why Would I Buy Your Book? Six Steps to Your Tell and Sell – Part 1 Source: http://adzines.com/Book-Marketing-Articles/Why-Would-I-Buy-Your-Book-Six-Steps-to-Your-Tell-and-Sell-Part-1/6461 How would you like to have countless people clamoring for your book and willing to visit your Web site to buy them? How would you even like to presell your self-published book before they are finished? Most authors and entrepreneurs wait until their Web site is designed before they think about marketing their products on it. What a shame! Let’s say someone expresses an interest in your book. You get all excited and say, “My book is about?.” You mention the features such as tips in a book. You tell your fiction plot or story. If the person is kind, he may hear a bit, but most people today including your agent, reader, publisher, bookseller or organization you want to speak for – all want concise reasons why they would buy your book. Remember they are thinking, “So what? Why should I buy your book?” You don’t want to bore your prospective readers or turn them off with too much detail. What they want is a quick billboard visual of your book – your 30-60 second “tell and sell.” Without your 30 Second “Tell and Sell” that strongly states the book title, audience, main benefit, and what makes your book unique, you will bore your visitor and lose that attention you need to entice him or her to take out their wallets and pay you on the spot. Your “Tell and Sell” gives your book audience a reason to buy. The “Tell and Sell” is the shortest sales letter you will write. You can also use this one to two-sentence blurb at any business meeting or appointment where you only have a few seconds to impress. Speakers refer to it as an “elevator speech.” Coaches refer to it as your “defining statement.” It’s Not the Book, It’s the Hook! It’s best to know your sizzling title, unique selling points, preferred audience and benefits before you even write your book. But, even if your book is already out, you can still motivate endless book sales with your “Tell and Sell.” Author tip: Be prepared to write five to seven versions until the best one emerges. Contact your friends and associates to vote on your best version. And, remember your “tell and sell” must be clear, compact, compelling, and commercial. Steps to Build your Book’s Bullet Proof “Tell and Sell” 1. List your title. Example: “Beyond All Price" 2. Add your major audience after you say the title. Example: “Beyond All Price" gives people interested in the Civil War a clearer understanding of what life was like for a real-life army nurse during that tumultuous period.. 3. Add the one to three major benefits of your book Example: Nellie Chase's experiences expose her to some of the major issues of the war: the limitations of medical knowledge, the on-going problem of what to do with slaves once they have been freed, and the limitations placed on a woman by 19th-century social customs. Knowing benefits sell books, you now can be ready when you meet anyone anywhere with your book’s “tell and sell.” I'd like to know what you think. Would these two sentences make you want to buy the book? Whaat would you add or subtract to make the statements more effective? |
