Could My Book Become a Best-Seller?
Could My Book Become a Best-Seller?
Could My Book Become a Best-Seller?
If it's your first book, then probably not. The truth is that becoming a bestselling "anything" takes building momentum. In other words, this means developing a following of people before anything is even formally produced. Think about high school, where the popular kids could sell flat tires and just about everyone would buy them. The same holds true for people who have long since graduated or left high school. Popular people can sell just about anything. This is why marketers use celebrities and other public figures to endorse their products. This also brings me to another principle: selling the idea comes before selling the product. In the book business, you need to become popular or at least known by people who affect sales within the book industry. This includes book reviewers, distributors, retailers, etc.
So, is it possible for an average Joe to become a bestselling author? No, it's not impossible, but this author had better prepare him or herself to learn best-sellers' marketing tactics (PR, promotion, packaging, etc.), including spending a good amount of money. Just for discussion, selling 100,000 books is considered as a best-seller. Therefore, if you know 10,000 people who each know at least 10 people who are all willing to buy your book, then you may have a best-seller. If not, you'll have to knock on lots of doors and kiss lots of babies. Kidding aside, being a bestselling author is what happens when you write a great book and have great marketing.
Writing a great book means hiring or typically working with demonstrated professionals, not people who simply claim to be. If you're self-publishing, this means hiring a professional book editor, talented graphic artist, and a seasoned marketing or public relations specialist. These three individuals will be key to mastering the factors you can control. The factors that are beyond your control include how well the marketing works. Marketing can only influence buying decisions; it cannot guarantee a sale. Effective marketing does, however, increase the likelihood of a sale up 80 percent in some cases.
Best-selling authors such as Greg Godek suggest that having a "bestselling career" is a more admirable aim. He advocates that a book merely underscores a career as a speaker, consultant or coach, which can earn lots more money. This approach works if you are writing a book as an expert on given topics, and you are reasonably good speaker. This will likely not be the case for those who have written autobiographies, memoirs, romance novels, and so forth. Thus, they have to write a great book and have great marketing.
All authors should be involved in their marketing campaigns. For instance, authors can themselves call and/or write letters to bookstores, publications, wholesalers, etc. They can set up their own speaking tours and media interviews. The more smart people involved who believe in the book the better. Here are some things authors who want bestsellers should never do themselves unless they have been formally trained:
Book Cover
Book Editing
Book Layout
Press Release
Press Kit
I have worked with authors who have had great books, but they didn't want to spend money on marketing or thought they could do some of the technical work themselves. I say to them what I now say to you: "You're competing with people who have great books and great marketing, so expect to lose."
My advice to authors who endeavor to become a best-seller: Try to sell anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 copies of your first book and keep trying to double that amount as readers become more acquainted with you in your subsequent books. Remember, some authors, such as John Grisham, didn't get a best-seller until after their first book. You'll get there if you are patient and focus on making the factors that you can control, GREAT!
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