Yes, You Have to Do Your Own PR

In my nearly three decades in the publishing industry, the most persistent and heartbreaking belief I encounter among new authors is that finishing the manuscript is the finish line. They imagine that once the book exists, beautifully written and properly listed on Amazon, readers will somehow find their way to them, drawn by the gravitational pull of good prose.

So I really loved a recent post on Brooke Warner's Substack titled What Actually Sells Books. A genuine veteran of this business, a former executive editor at Seal Press and co-founder of She Writes Press, she says she walked away from traditional publishing in part because she grew weary of the industry's lack of honesty with authors about what it actually does, and does not do, to sell their books. The bottom line is that the marketing and publicity truly falls on you.

Brooke also emphasizes that there is no single formula for why one book takes off and another, although equally gorgeous, sinks without a trace. She describes instead a recipe, a combination of ingredients that have to come together in the right proportions to make your book sell well.

What matters?

• Good writing
• A hook: A strong, engaging opening story or premise
• A clear and compelling reason for a stranger to pick up your book over the thousands of others competing for their attention
• Timing and cultural relevance, which can lift a book or bury it
• Solid positioning: Alluring title, cover and entire package
• Publicity, like popular podcasts, Substacks and blogs
• Strong author presence: You already have a sizeable following and bring your audience with you

Still, there is simply no guarantee that your book will be a bestseller. 

I know that might sound discouraging, but I find it strangely freeing. Because if there were a formula, the big publishers would have cracked it long ago and the rest of us would be locked out forever. The absence of a formula is precisely what leaves the door open for an unknown writer with an extraordinary story to slip through. 

And it is also why I need to once again bring up AI. AI can absolutely help sharpen a hook, tighten a pitch, organize a marketing calendar, generate promotional graphics, and more. But it can’t spark a connection between a human writer and a human reader.

Subscribe to Brooke’s Substack. Then hit Reply and tell me about your book. I read every message that lands in this inbox, and I always write back.

Aloha, MeiMei

TIP OF THE WEEK:

Pass the One-Sentence Test

Define your book in one sentence.

This forces you to sharpen your message to a fine point. It also makes it easier for you to repeat it over and over again.

Want to know more about the next cohort of my 6-week online program and other offerings from Your Bestselling Book? 

Learn More Here!

Quote of the Week

“You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”

~Maya Angelou