Why do
people buy non-fiction books? Most readers buy books to solve
problems or help with fulfilling a need. For example, when I
started speaking for a fee I went out and bought a couple of
popular books about speaking. Browsing in the bookstore, I was
attracted to Lilyan Wilder's book "7 Steps to Fearless
Speaking" I read the back cover. I noticed she could help
with 7 easy steps. I skimmed the table of contents, read a few
lines and immediately liked her easy to read style. It went
in my purchase basket.
Because I
wanted to hear from several authorities on the subject, I picked
up another book by Nido R. Qubein, "How to Be a Great Communicator:
In Person on Paper, and on the Podium." His cover design
was white with clean lines and a personable picture of him on
the front. His style of writing was not as easy to read but it
still went in my purchase basket as well. Which brings us back
to my original point; people buy non-fiction books to solve problems.
To identify your targeted market, pinpoint a problem they have
and the solution of course.
Problems come in all shapes and sizes. Usually a general category
problem applies to all types of markets.
• Hobbies. Is your tennis game, golf
game, bridge game as good as you'd like? Are you considering
taking up horse-back riding? Want to improve your computer skills?
What ever the case may be, your desire to improve or change
your level of performance is considered the problem.
• Health. The first thing you do when
your doctor diagnose your cholesterol is high and you need to
lose 20 pounds. You go look for a book that will walk you through
step by step to lose weight or lower cholesterol. You turn to
someone that has solved the problem to learn from their experience.
• Mental State. Are you feeling stressful
about the economy? Are you noticing unexplained physical symptoms
possibly related to stress? Once again, you have a problem and
you are looking for a solution in book form. Someone who has
outlined easy steps or ways to de-stress in our society.
• Personal Finance. Worried about lay-offs,
down-sizing, retirement? Books that offer financial solutions
to economic problems during shaky times are guaranteed to succeed.
•
Marketing. We live in a competitive society. Small
business owners and managers everywhere need a growing database
of customers and clients. Therefore, they seek out how to books
that offers solutions on improving their advertising copy, improving
their business image or their website.
Each of
the problem categories describes a problem and a need for a
solution. The main goal of your marketing plan is to identify
the problem your book solves and then present the solution.
The more intense the problem and the easier you can make your
solution, the more readers will seek out your book.
Your task
becomes to re-structure your knowledge into bite-size reader
solutions. Appeal to the masses, by letting them know what's
in it for them and how easy the solution is with your book.
For example, let's consider the book title I mentioned earlier
about speaking. The title could have been: "How to Overcome
Your Fear of Speaking" instead of "7 Steps to Fearless
Speaking" The latter is more appealing because it alludes
to only 7 steps to my solution.
Don’t
put it off any longer. If you wait, you can be this time next
year without fulfilling your dream of writing a successful book.
You have the solution. Now write it down. While you're at use
the tips above and write a book that sells well. Make it different.
Make it count. Make it yours.
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More
Book Writing Tips
| About The Author
© Earma Brown, 11 year author, business owner, web
developer
helps service business owners, professionals and writers
who want to write their best book now! Earma mentors other
writers and business professionals through her bi-monthly
ezine iScribe Send any email to iscribe@writetowin.org
for free 7 lesson mini-course Jumpstart Writing Your Best
Book Now or visit her at Write
a Book to Sell for more book writing tips.
|
This article was posted on August 24, 2006 |
