10 Reasons Why Your Book Won't Be a Best Seller

The secret to selling books is not about the writing – it’s about the marketing. Yes, you must have a well-written, interesting and awesome book. But that’s not what people buy. They don’t know it’s well-written, interesting or awesome from looking at the cover.

All a potential reader can go by is the cover, the synopsis on the backcover, the endorsements and the author’s credentials.

I’ve been teaching my Branding Superstar Teleclasses over the last few weeks and it’s been a little frustrating. I am having these “live” classes because I believe people need to hear from an expert voice-to-voice. Not through email, not through an automated mastermind, not through video delivery or some impersonal membership club.

People want immediate, personal feedback and to ask those burning questions so they get those “AHA” moments. That’s what the Branding Superstar University is all about. Those that show up, do the work, go up.

What I’ve been frustrated about is that the questions I am asked about is information that’s on my blog or in my book, Synergy Energy.

Now, I don’t mind answering questions for new authors – but authors must do their homework. A “superstar” does not need to be spoon fed. A superstar has a hungry attitude. A superstar is willing to put in the extra time and study.

Here are Ten Reasons Why A Book Won’t Make it to the Best Seller List:

1. The target market has not been defined

2. The book marketing plan was done about a month before the book is released instead of a year

3. There are no “notable” endorsements

4. The cover is flat-out ugly, amateurish or too strange to understand

5. The interior layout looks uninteresting or is too hard on the eyes to read

6. The author doesn’t even know who their “competitors” are and what they are doing

7. There is no substantial email list built up to launch the book

8. The author did not engage in online advertising, blogging or social media marketing

9. The author has no media connections – and has never even been interviewed before (so they have no media training)

10. The author has no writing credentials – or anything professional credentials to prove that they know what they’re writing about.

pam perry book pr lady

I could go on but understand this, writing the book is only 10% of the work. Marketing and promotion is the other 90%!

So if you don’t know how to market – get a book, take a course or at the very least: write out some good questions to ask in the Branding Superstar University teleclasses.