Why isn’t your book successful?

My good friend Joan Stewart spoke on a publishing seminar on a cruise ship seminar hosted by my other good friend Judith Briles.

Joan reported two major reasons why books don’t sell:

  1. No platform.
  2. Giving up too soon.

Let’s look at these.

If you call one more reporter, respond to one more PR LEAD, or send out one more press release – that could make all the difference between failure and success.

Publicity helps you build your platform.

I’d also like to suggest a new tactic.

Let’s assume the main reason speakers, authors, coaches and consultants write books is to – drum roll, please – get more jobs at higher fees.

The thinking is that if you have a book, you must be better than the competitor who doesn’t have a book.

And if you are an expert, then you can charge more.

To me, that means you need to get your book into the hands of your key prospects.

What’s the easiest way to do that?

Send them the book!

Consider this marketing approach:

  1. Write your book.
  2. Make sure it reads and looks great (or work with a ghostwriter who knows the deal).
  3. Publicize the book to increase your visibility and credibility.
  4. Send the book to the people who you want to hire you and to people that can hire you.
  5. Ask them to hire you.
  6. Cash the checks.

In other words, getting to know your FedEx courier might be a wise investment.

As my friend Rick Frishman says, “You don’t make money with a book. You make money from the book.”

Write your book and send it to your key prospects.

It could be the biggest and best business card you ever handed to a prospect.

And, as Winston Churchill said, “Never, never, never give up!”