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What's Your Biggest Challenge with Your Book?

I'd be interested to learn what authors/publishers on this network think their biggest challenges are with their book. I wonder if there's any common, pervasive challenge we all face.

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My biggest challenge?  Being patient.  Knowing that these things take time.  The networking, building and linking websites, facebook (things I wish I had done before publishing), getting reviews, getting feedback from others.  I wrote a non-fiction sports book and there are a million of them out there.  The key is finding a target audience with an attention span for reading it.  Finding something that the reader can relate to.  That seems to be the biggest challenge to me.  Fortunately, I knew this going in from hearing other authors at book seminars.  So I would tell any author if you really believe in your work stick with it.  Be patient.    

Timothy, similar to you, I wrote a book in a category that's clogged with piles of books: personal finance. But I wrote it for some niches and am enjoying marketing to those niches.

Have you found the top bloggers for various sports that you cover and asked if they'd like a copy for review? That's something that worked for me - contacting the top 200 personal finance blogs (via e-mail) and asking if they'd like to review it. Many did, my book sales went up, and it was fun as well.

No Steve I have not tried that.  How would I go about finding the top bloggers in my category?  Just google or is there a search that would have them?  And thanks for your reply. I'm sure it will be very helpful.  Good luck with your book.  

Technorati may be your best bet. Go here:

http://technorati.com/blogs/directory/

 

And see the top sports sites. It ranks according to "authority," - "Factors include linking behavior from blogs and posts in the same category, how well a blog's overall content matches the category in question, and other associated data." (a ranking of "1" is the best in a category.)

 

You can also search in Technorati's search box at the top of the site. Choose the "sites" option rather than the default "posts" (see to left of search box) and search things like "soccer history" or whatever you'd like.

 

I read up a bit on each site, like reading a post or two, seeing what categories they cover, and reading the "about us" pages. That way, I can decide if they're a good match for my book and I can personalize my e-mail to them a bit.

 

If it's a very popular blog, make sure your title and first sentence count, as some decide there whether or not to keep reading.

 

If you pursue that path, let us know how it goes. The good thing about a general interest book is that there are virtually infinite places to get the word out.

 

With my book on personal finance, I think about 45 out of 200 requested a copy (often someone wanted another copy for a giveaway). And 18 of the 50 came through with a review. But 18 reviews on busy blogs reaches a lot of people!

 

On the bottom of my press page you'll see my links to blog reviewers:

 

http://wisdomcreekpress.com/press_kits.html

 

J. Steve Miller
President, Legacy Educational Resources
Author of Enjoy Your Money! How to Make It, Save It, Invest It and Give It
"The money book for people who hate money books."

 

 

 

 



Thanks Steve.  I started on it tonight.  If I don't get hung up on reading them all I'll be fine.  And I will let everyone know how it goes. 
Hi again Michael. A lot of self-promoting going on in one of my LinkedIn discussions. Please give me your ratings for Entry Way and Perfect Publishers?

Good deal Carole keep up the work as tiring as it can be.

Entry Way Publishing: Not recommended. A vanity publisher.Note: this company acts like a literary agency, so it's also listed as one. It's claim to produce books is why it's also listed as that even though their own site states that they contract with other companies to print the books.BBB gives it a B with only one listed complaint.

My own personal research notes no major issues with them.They are not a scam but there are higher rated companies doing the same thing.I am still filling out my report on them. so far a C

I don't know anything of Perfect Publishers-do you have a link to them?

Marketing!  Continuously having to come up with new and fresh ideas so I don't get lost in the crowd of Tweets, FB or press releases.

I put something on my blog just for fun. Take a peek and let me hear opinions.

http://allonbooks-thekingdomofallon.blogspot.com/

Shawn,

Creative interview!

I considered doing a "deleted scenes" area on my blog for my money management book (which is in a story/movie script format). I'd put there all these conversations about topics that I wanted to talk about, but felt it would make the book too long. If I had unlimited time....

Thanks, Steve.

Actually, you gave me another idea or rather a twist on your "deleted scenes". "Edits that didn't make the book". Only make it sound like outtakes from a movie clip where the characters discuss why they suggested the deletion. :)

Yes, just might work!
I'm already developing a pattern with the 'a la Hollywood Insider' concept.  These would be random posts since I want to keep the thread I started.

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