Are Best-Selling Books Really Any Good?

BookMarketingBuzzBlog

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Are Best-Selling Books Really Any Good? Posted: 12 Jul 2017 07:28 AM PDT Many authors that I speak with, whether self-published or published by a leading publisher, regardless of genre, a writer’s credentials, or the marketing campaign behind their books, will ask about how they can become a best-selling author.  It is understandable that they’d want to make a list – they seek fame, fortune, and to be heard in a big way.  But do our best-seller lists really represent the best books out there? Best-seller lists are in today’s world a manipulated reward for those who know how to game the system.  Through pre-launch orders arranged by an author’s marketing team, family and friends, one can hit a best-seller list not because of the merits of the book but the proof that expensive and persistent marketing has a pay-off.  Nothing wrong there, but one should not be fooled into thinking that a best-seller is necessarily a great book.  Heck, it may not even be a good one. Once a book gets on a best-seller list it tends to beget more sales.  More people – reviewers, media, consumers – pay attention to these lists and further create a demand for a book they know little about. It’s a process similar to when people choose the brand item vs. the generic or unknown label simply because it seems familiar and recognized in an authoritative way. Then again, there’s almost a deliberate opposition to best-sellers by the literary snobbery.  Whether it’s jealousy or something else, the elitists may purposely damn a book because it is popular and on a list.  Everyone likes to knock a leader off his perch.  But that kind of prejudice seems uncalled for.  A best-seller can be a very good book.  But its selling status is not necessarily an indicator of the content quality, just as a beautiful person may be ugly on the inside.  No guarantees there. Best-seller lists used to be influenced by a number of factors, including traditional reviews by a respected handful, huge advertising campaigns, big publicity tours, and positive word-of-mouth.  Now a big player is pre-order shenanigans arranged by people who know how to process a certain amount of orders by reaching out to an author’s list of connections, including ones the author will underwrite book purchases for.  Further, social media is now dictating popularity and fueling book sales, but again, the buzz is not necessarily based on the book’s purity – just its author’s financial ability to get influencers to post on his behalf. Best-sellers are created and rarely just materialize organically.  It’s a crafted, controlled process that represents not so much the best of books but the best of book marketing.   What will it take to make these lists purified and truly representative of real consumers and their reading judgments?  We may never know.

Public Speaking Tips For Authors | BookDaily #AuthorTips

Public Speaking Tips For Authors | BookDaily #AuthorTips

TA SullivanJuly 5, 2017

BookDaily.com

When preparing for speaking engagements and presentations based on my non-fiction books, I always ensure that I include several anecdotes or observations. While some authors prefer to keep their personal life private, sharing snippets of yourself with your audience usually helps them relate to you and your story.

The most typical question that I’m asked during the Q&A period of my presentations is how the event affected me or my family. People want to know that not only have you overcome the tragedy or grown as a result of the incident, but they want some examples. Sometimes the examples I include are also in the book, but usually not. And sometimes I include a mix—some anecdotes from the book and some not. Letting attendees know that there is more anecdotal material in the book helps sway them to purchase the book because they know they’re not just getting a rehash of what they already heard during my presentation.

By sharing these snippets of insight into my life, it helps me and the audience connect, and not just as reader to author, but as caring individuals sharing a similar experience. After all, many people relate best to your story when they understand the person who wrote it. This is especially true of two of my books (Escorting the Dead and On Dreams and Dream Symbols). These two books also generate a great many questions and much discussion between me and my audience. Therefore, once I’ve read them a chapter or two or given my presentation, I regale them with one or two anecdotes. This usually spurs a spate of similar stories from the audience, which soon leads to some very lively discussions. Once people realize that other people have had similar experiences, thoughts, or questions, it’s easy to get them interested in learning more, which leads them to purchasing your books.

By bringing some of you to the presentation, you show your audience that you and they are not so very different. Perhaps you’re wondering just what to share with your audience. Think back to when you were writing the book:

• What prompted you to write about it?
• Why was the moment, incident, or event special or important?
• What about it did you think others might want or need to know?
• How did it change you or those you care about?
• What insights did it bring to your life?
• How did you grow from the incident or overcome the tragedy?

The answer to any of those questions should prompt an anecdote or memory that you can work into your presentation. So, select two or three different ones each time you do a presentation; this almost always guarantees you a lively discussion or question and answer session. Using different stories and anecdotes for each presentation also keeps your talks fresh.

You might even incorporate bits and pieces of your audience discussions as anecdotes (as long as you leave out names and other identifying information). It all helps the audience and potential readers identify with you and your topic. It helps them understand that other people also have similar ideas, thoughts, and questions. And it ultimately leads to book sales.