Building Author Profiles That Surpass Selling To Friends and Family
How does an author go about convincing a reader to buy a book, even though it doesn’t carry the Big Publishers stamp of approval? How does a self-published author convince readers that the book may be an independent brand, but the content is just as good (if not better) than what is dished out by Big Publishers?
How does the author dig himself out of the trap of sympathy selling (sales dependent only on friends and family) to becoming a brand that is recognised and sought outside his circle?
One of American comedian Chris Rocks memorable jokes was how his mother always bought no-name brands not Tastic Rice. The packaging simply says Rice. Not Lucky Star, the tin simply says Fish. The no-name brands are cheaper, and that was what the comedian’s mom always looked for each time she went grocery-shopping. She was getting the same product, at a fraction of the price.
Unfortunately, in the literary world, brand recognition is everything. The packaging is just as important as the contents.
What is this packaging? It is the name of the publisher, which tells the reader he is buying a quality product, as well as the name of the author – the recognisable name of the author. These are the two things every reader looks for when purchasing a book. Is it published by a reputable publishing house with a track record of releasing great literary works, and is the author a name the reader recognises. Often, the reader will still buy the book even if they don’t recognise an author’s name, provided the publisher is reputable.
So how does an author go about convincing a reader to buy a book, even though it doesn’t carry the ‘Big Publishers stamp of approval? How does a self-published author convince readers that the book may be an independent brand, but the content is just as good (if not better) than what is dished out by name brand publishers?
PATIENCE: After typing ‘The End’ on a manuscript, most aspiring writers immediately start thinking of self-publishing, without first taking the time to ascertain if the masterpiece has the potential to get traditional publishers to put their names on. Traditional publishers’ turnaround times are between four to six months, a turn-off for most writers who are convinced they will be awaiting rejection letters anyway. But the answer can also be a big YES, which can be accompanied by a sizeable advance cheque.
The downside to rushing to self-publish is that the author, most of the time, had not done the marketing groundwork other than posting excerpts of the manuscript on Facebook and twisting the arms of friends and family (sympathy buying) to buy the book. The momentum dies down after selling less than 50 copies.
REQUEST READER REPORTS: Traditional publishers, when they reject a manuscript, often rely on Reader Reports. Readers are experts in various fields, or specifically, in the field or genre you have written the book. They look for facts, if the research is spot-on, plausibility issues etc, and then write a report on your manuscript for the publisher. Of course, some manuscripts don’t make it through the slushpile. Either way, request the report if it had not been supplied along with the rejection letter. The Reader’s name will be omitted before it is forwarded to you. Mole through it not just to better the current manuscript, but also for future reference.
GET MANUSCRIPT EDITED: Having worked as a journalist for 16 years, a decade of that as a regional editor for South Africa’s biggest daily, I chest-thumpingly believed I could pen a book at the drop of a hat. Until I finally had to do it, and it was a rude-awakening to discover that as much as my prose, puns and crafty adjectives might turn the Queen of England green with envy, literature was a completely different ball game. I was a relative expert in my field, but I had to grudgingly accept that literature has its own experts, and I didnt measure up at the time.
AUTHOR PROFILE: Who is the author of this work? Does he have enough authority and credibility on the subject? Whether your work is self-published or you went the traditional route, it is important that your name be synonymous with literature, with writing or at the very least, be a name readers will recognise. Of course, there are newbie writers who have knocked the ball out of the park at the first swing of the bat, but for most of us, we have to pull up our sleeves and work hard at it.
Author Mark Twain once said, “Write without pay until someone offers to pay”. A majority of literary magazines do not pay writers for their work; the reward is the exposure that it grants the writer, and there are a number of success stories. Some magazines do compensate writers. It is the responsibility of every writer to seek them out, and submit according to submission guidelines.
LITERARY CONTESTS: Enter as many literary contests as you possibly can, especially those with a publishing contract as part of the prizes. Winning these contests boost a writer’s author profile, and so is getting shortlisted. Also remember that judges of these contests are often associated to various publishing houses, and chances are one of them might notice the bright spark in your work that a publisher has been searching for and would not hesitate to nurture.
BE MODEST: Every writer thinks that their work deserve to go global, or worthy of the Pulitzer Prize. Kirsten Miller, the winner of the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Contest for 2016, probably one of the biggest international writing contests, should have had publishers pounding and jostling each other at her door with publishing contracts. Instead, she was the one who still had to go knocking at publishers doors, manuscript in hand.
Instant success and fame is rare in writing, and building an author profile that will have publishers lining up to take a patent on your brain even harder. Thousands of manuscripts are rejected the world over each year. Amazon has also confirmed only 40 of every 100 authors who publish with them see any success with their work. It is not always because the books are badly written, but because the author had not invested as much time to building an author profile as he did penning his masterpiece.
Last but not least, do not be afraid of putting yourself out there. Every advert you see on TV is not meant for you to immediately leave your couch at 10pm to make the purchase of the product that has been advertised. The idea is to ensure that the product is in your face so many times, when you finally go shopping, your mind will only recognise that particular brand, and you won’t even know it is happening. The same goes with putting yourself out there. Be unashamed.
However, continuously piling your Facebook page with posts of your book will not drive people to buy it. On the contrary, they will eventually scroll past because you have become more of a pest on their timelines. Be creative; post snippets of various chapters, latch on current events that relate to the subject matter of your book and ask fellow authors to promote your work on their timelines. As they say, my client could be on your timeline.
A good author profile sells books. It cannot be bought. Every author has to work hard at building it, and it takes time and patience. Readers do not miraculously descend on your doorstep just because you have published a book.
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