How To Sell Your Book

By The Author’s Writer, August 18, 2022

Do you want to make a lot of money and be famous, or do you want to help the world?

Of course, it is a loaded question. The “either-or” presupposition suggests that there are only two types of authors: authors who want money and fame and authors that are philanthropists. There are the authors who relish in receiving awards, getting on bestseller lists, or being guests on TV, radio, or the news. They love the celebrity status! When you go to their websites, you will see the listing of these awards and accolades. The website is all about them.

Then, there are those authors who say, “If my book can help just one person. I don’t care about sales.” These types of author-philanthropists want to help the world and change it with their message.

So, which type of author is best? Again, another loaded question that cannot truly be answered.

First of all, don’t get me wrong. It feels good to receive recognition for the hard work you put in writing your book. You want to see ROI (return on investment) for the time and money you put into it. It is a business transaction of money out and money in.  You want to see book sales soaring and lots of followers on your social media. But fame and riches can only take you so far in life. There must be some kind of meaning and essence to your book’s message.

That is called legacy.

In fact, many famous authors that we know today were not even recognized for their works.

They were discovered after their passing.

People that love writing write from the heart. They are passionate about their subject matter. It has great meaning to them. They first must discover and understand the magnitude of their message for themselves before they share that message with the world.

Is your story like a message in a bottle? Time to break the bottle and share the message with the world.

Can they become famous because of that message? Sure, they can.

Can they sell a lot of books because of that message? Sure, they can.

When I was back in college, I met a lot of kids who said, “I am going to become an engineer or a doctor, so I can make lots of money.”

I asked them, “What about happiness?”

They did not think about their personal happiness and self-fulfillment because they thought money could buy them happiness. Did it? I doubt it.

This is because true happiness comes from within. True happiness exists whether you have money, or you don’t have money. Whether you are famous or whether you are not famous.

Those are all exterior things. And, they have nothing to do with happiness.

I meet a lot of authors who say things like, “Writing my book was hard work. Promoting it is even harder.” They are frustrated and overwhelmed because they think that promoting their book means selling. They do not know how to sell. They do not like selling. They are not entrepreneurs (well, they are but they don’t know it yet), they are creative artists. They are writers.

They think that promoting their book means paying for advertising, hiring a publicist, creating blogs and newsletters, being a guest on podcasts, getting into the paper or on T.V., and my favorite, making silly videos to post on their social media platforms. Some of these postings may embarrass us later in life, or they may not. I’m not a fan of these.

This is because the thrill does not last. Things change. Things are always changing.

What is timeless is the message, no matter what time we live in.

Meaningful messages come from the heart.

Why are certain books from long ago are still being read and recommended today?  What about those classic movies that you still have to rent or buy to stream them online?

Something in the message of these books and movies is resonating with the readers or the viewers. The message is timeless. It is for all ages.

So, you can be an author who lives in the moment and just write something faddish that will sell for a while. Or you can write a timeless message that comes from your unique experiences in your heart.

Just remember that the sales you garner will always be an indication of the impact you are having on others.

Even if you get one sale, know that you have impacted one person and that is a start.

Which is only just a beginning.

Do you want to sell your book or promote it?

Publish it and they will buy! While modern-day authors wish SELLING AND PROMOTING A BOOK was easy, this is rarely the case. BOOK SALES AND PROMOTIONS have less to do with where and how books are published and more about the BOOK’S MESSAGE and HOW VALUABLE a reader deems that message to be. In other words, your book’s message will promote itself via the AUTHOR INFRASTRUCTURE you create as well as the WEB OF VALUABLE CONTACTS you establish not only BEFORE YOU LAUNCH YOUR BOOK, but also for YEARS TO COME!