“Why is Freakonomics so popular? Hint: it’s not because it is a spectacular and groundbreaking book.”
About Bestsellers…
Four of the books that I have ghostwritten have become New York Times bestsellers and have cumulatively spent over 32 weeks on the NYT best seller lists. Not only have they sold lots of copies, their authors have generated hundreds of thousands of dollars from consulting… which is the real gold mine behind your business book. In fact, while knowing that you have a bestseller under your belt satisfies your ego, it doesn’t do any more for your business than a well-marketed but less visible book will do.
I was talking to a prospective client the other day and he asked me (on the basis of our conversation plus a book outline): “Which book do you think that mine will resemble?” – I don’t think that he was happy with my response, “Hopefully, your book will be as unique as your service/product is and you should focus on that, rather than best-seller status because that is the only thing you can control.”
Freakonomics is a high profile book because it plays on the belief that there is a conspiracy behind the rise and fall of almost everyone… and people love conspiracy theories. In addition, it’s well-written, controversial, and brilliantly marketed. It helps that between the two authors it has both academic standing and journalistic flair.
The Secret Behind a Bestseller
It is often said (by marketers)… and frequently disputed (by business coaches and accountants)… that “effective marketing will solve most business problems”. The opposing view (almost exclusively held by copywriters marketing experts) is that effective marketing will help a poor product or service fail quickly, publicly, and often spectacularly!
However, it is beyond dispute that bestselling business books depend as much on effective marketing as they do on the quality of the book or the ideas on which is it based. Now, that’s no excuse for shoddy writing and sloppy thinking, but it is an antidote to the idea that bestsellers are definitively the ‘best books’ on a particular subject.
AND… The good news for you is that your book doesn’t have to be a bestseller to generate opportunities and income, but it does need to be persuasive and well-marketed. Taking a counter-cultural stand doesn’t hurt, either.
Marketing Your Business Book
Best-seller status can be distracting. I have worked with authors who were so focused on gaining the ‘bestseller’ ticket that they ignored the less exciting, but equally rewarding opportunity to attract ideal clients and deliver results. I’ve also worked with authors who achieved ‘bestseller status’ almost by accident as they focused on delivering value and pursuing their original goal for the book: attracting clients they could serve.
The fastest road to success for your business or your business book is really quite simple: define your primary target market and make it your goal to address their needs through your book, products, and services, then ensure that your marketing reaches those people.
Your Book Could be the Foundation of an Amazing Business Platform
You don’t have to have a bestselling book to build your profile and attract your ideal clients. In some cases, that level of popularity can even be a distraction from your core business potential.
BUT… You do need to optimise your book marketing funnels so that your ideas spread more quickly and your business and income grow with it.
For more information schedule an appointment using the following link: http://www.scheduleyou.in/aPy7Kmkuez
