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1.) Write Your Book So Its Sticky Dont compromise your artistic integrity, but do ask yourself the hard question: how much will your story appeal to others? When a book is sticky, its easy to remember. The story stays with people and they want to talk about it and tell others to read it. Bridget Joness Diary is definitely sticky. So is practically everything that Stephen King ever wrote and all of the Harry Potter books. The topic doesnt have to be upbeat either. Truman Capotes In Cold Blood was a sensation when it was published despite its grim subject matter. Since I was writing about a family with a powerful father figure I knew a lot of people would connect and see themselves in the characters. What aspect of your book will draw people in? 2.) Be a Salesman Yes, be a salesman, but not in the way you might think. Im not talking about being in your face like the stereotype of a used car salesman. As Mr. Gladwell points out in his book, its the little things that can persuade others. For a writer, that little thing is confidence and a strong belief in ones work. I recently spoke to a writer having a hard time feeling confident about her work. Shes trying to get up the courage to submit a manuscript to agents and publishers but, as I said to her, How can someone get behind publishing your book if you cant get behind it yourself? People are attracted to a person who stands for something, who believes in what theyre doing. If you can be that person, people will want to buy your book. Theyll know you have something to say. If youre dealing with low confidence, know that working on improving it is just as important as improving your craft as a writer. After all, no one is going to champion your book the way that you can. 3.) Use Small Groups To Spark Your Big Epidemic In the fertile soil of small groups, word of mouth grows. Thats what happened with Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. It became a favorite for book groups, especially mother-daughter book groups. Those groups sparked a word of mouth wave that spread like wildfire. As Mr. Gladwell points out, small, close-knit groups have the power to magnify the epidemic potential of a message or idea. I explored this concept with some success by contacting book groups across the country and offering to visit them if they read my novel. What groups can you reach out to in order to harness the power of those circles? And how can you fan the flame of your message so it will spread? One Last Note: Why is all this important? Well, if youve gone through all the trouble to write and publish a book, your efforts wont stand up if you dont tell people the book is out there. And the concepts offered by Mr. Gladwell are so simple and organic that you may find the whole marketing pill easier to swallow. So take it--its good medicine. 2005 Sophfronia Scott |
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