Motivational
speakers often talk about owning your thoughts so you do not feel
trapped. What you say in your mind determines how you act and feel.
Often, it determines how successful you can be. For example, if your
car breaks down, you can look at the incident in a couple ways. You
can moan and complain that you have the worst luck and are
inconvenienced or you can see the bright spot in a mishap. When my
car broke down, I thought that I was bound to get more exercise
because I had to walk more places. I wouldn't let a situation I can't
control interfere with my attitude. You can do the same.
Authors
have to control their thoughts every day. If you write fiction, you
have to be in charge of the characters' thoughts and movements. If
you write nonfiction, your thoughts become the book. If want to be
successful, you have to keep out the negativity. People don't want to
read about your complaining unless it's humorous. Erma Bombeck was
successful doing this. I have met other authors that made complaining
into a humorous art form and was successful. But, for the most part,
nonfiction books are designed to offer advice and provide you
information. You don't want to write a negative book. Therefore, you
have to control your thoughts.
Previously,
I talked about researching
your topic.
This column is going to discuss what you want to say. If you are an
expert on motivational topics and you want to add a book to your
successful coaching business, you need to know what you want to say.
Every author has the same problem. How
do I make my book different from the millions already on the market?
Find
a Niche
To be successful and different, you need to develop a
niche for your book. Even if you are talking about owning your
thoughts, you need to ensure that your book will not rehash what
others talk about regarding owning your thoughts. I read several
motivational books. After awhile, they began to sound so similar that
I lost interest.
If I were to write a motivational book, I would play to
my strengths. I am good at motivating writers and schmoozing with
people. Therefore, I would not write a book on motivation topics in
general, but those ways that are specific to writers or how to talk
with people face to face in a happy hour setting. These two topics
are the ones I know the most. I wouldn't begin to advise people on
how to make money investing through motivating speeches because I
have never done that.
Therefore, figure out what are your strengths and write
to that. Make the topic narrow enough that you can focus your
information but broad enough that you can write a book.
Know
Your Market
When you have your niche, you are able to market your
book more easily. If you want to use your book as another marketing
tool or if you just want it to sell, you need to know your target
market. For my motivational book, my target market is budding
writers. For the networking book, my target market would be startups
and small businesses. I wouldn't waste my time trying to capture the
same people that financial advisers are trying to get with their
investment strategy books. I wouldn't waste my time trying to reach
the same audience as best-selling motivational speakers books.
Knowing
your market allows you to be careful where you spend your marketing
dollars, which would ensure greater success in selling your books. At
the same time, you will have to be open to marketing avenues that you
might not have considered. One of my clients has written a book on
being successful in marriages.
I suggested he try bridal shows as a marketing avenue.
Be
Positive
Remember
that best-selling books don't occur overnight. It takes time to build
a following and working your market. The key is getting reviews and
people to tell other people about the book. But, during the process,
you have to be positive and own your thoughts. Keep your thoughts organized
and make your book flow like a river
to produce the best book you can. That will ensure you have the best
start to your marketing.
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