Creative Friend,
One of the best ways to make money on
your book is to sell it in person. The best way to sell a book in person is to
NOT talk about your book! How do I know? I learned from the Knox County Library
many years ago. I asked the library manager if I could do a book signing. She
kindly agreed and coached me on how to have good attendance.
She said, “Don’t talk about the book.”
What?
She said, “Talk about something that
will interest anyone who may come.”
We discussed my experience, and she
loved that I taught myself how to publish books. She said, “Let’s call the
program ‘Adventures in Self-Publishing.’”
My first book, the one I wanted to
sell at the library event, is about domestic infant adoption.
I followed the librarian's advice,
wrote up a short, engaging talk about the process of publishing today, and our
collaborative marketing efforts (her email list and flyers and my social media
posts and my social media posts) got me a decent turnout of around 20 people. I
think I sold about 10 copies of the book, which was GREAT! The audience loved
the topic and asks LOTS of questions, which made my work much easier and their
experience better.
I challenge you to brainstorm ideas for topics that are NOT about your book. To demonstrate, I set a timer for 10 minutes and opened up my website to look at the Bookstore. There, I scanned my clients’ book covers and jotted down as many ideas as I could for topics they can use for podcasts, guest blogs, speaking gigs, and freelance articles. Here's my list.
RANDOM, BRAINSTORM RESULTS - POTENTIAL SPEAKING/WRITING TOPICS
How to Change a Law
Traditional vs.
Modern-Day Adoption
Finding Christ Late
in Life
How to Cope When a
Loved One is in Addiction
Foster Parenting 101
Writing in
Retirement
How to Write About
Your Life
Cross-Country Moves:
What I Learned
What Happens When a
City-Slicker Moves to a Ranch
Answering God’s Call
to Share Your Story
Tips for Parents and
Teachers
What Parents Need to
Know About Education Today
Surviving and
Thriving Post-Divorce
How to Get Business
Using Facebook
Book Marketing
Basics
How to Write a Book
When You Work Full-Time
Fantasy Writing
Basics
What I Learned While
Writing my First Book
How to Incorporate
Christian Values Into Characters and Stories
The Most Creative
Age? 80+!
Cathartic Artistry –
Writing to Heal and Help Others
Lesson from the
Greatest Writers
How to Hear God
Ways to Pray and Why
The Gifts of
Gratitude Journaling
Brainstorming Basics
How to Be Funny on
Paper
What I Learned as a
Foodie Lawyer
Whew! I didn’t even
make it to the children’s books section.
Happy thinking outside the book!
Xoxoxo
Jody
