The Book That Went Back to Amazon

I love books, even when they are not perfect.  However, I had to break down and return a book to Amazon this week.

Let this article be a cautionary tale of what NOT to do with your book.

The book I purchased for $19.95 received glowing reviews on Amazon.  The topic was excellent and the title catchy.  It promised the solution to a thorny business problem I had so I ordered it with great anticipation.

When the book arrived, I was a little worried.  The cover didn’t look very impressive and the book was tiny—just 101 pages.

Yet, I was eager to read it because I wanted the information it promised. 

I cracked open the first page and found five pages of glowing testimonials, which made me feel better about my purchase.

The book layout was well done and easy to read, another positive impression.  There was a glowing foreword by someone with an impressive title.

Then, I started to read the book and was under-whelmed by the content.

The material was confusing.  There were terms used that were unfamiliar but they were not defined so I felt stupid.  No reader likes that!

I kept turning the page, waiting to get to the good stuff, only to find I’d reached the end of the book.  I never learned the answer to my problem and felt ripped off by the end of the book.

The basic problem with this book was that it did not keep its promise.  There was not enough information presented to make it a worthwhile purchase.  I felt like I’d been invited to a banquet and only given a lettuce leaf.

The publisher tried to disguise the lack of information with numerous graphics, testimonials at the end of every chapter, and many extra pages at the back with ‘additional resources’.  I wasn’t fooled.
What’s the moral of this story?

There are several extremely useful ones:

• Give your readers your best information. 
• Ensure that you fulfill the promises you’ve made on your back cover and in your advertising materials.
• Avoid teasing readers with a partial answer to their problem and an offer for a coaching group to get the rest of the story.
• Create enough material so that readers feel like they got a great return on their buying investment.  If you don’t have enough material yet, write some more and wait to publish.

Your book is creates your reputation in the world.  When you work hard to write the best book you possibly can, your efforts will be well worth it.

And I promise to never return your book!

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Facebook for Authors?

I am addicted to a new free social networking site for authors. I just discovered it this week and have spent way too much time there already.

Book Marketing Network, founded by John Kremer, has a fun mix of publishing insiders, new authors, and cool folks. It's a place to share, a place to give, a place to pass it on. For book authors, self-publishers, book publishers, publicists, marketers, and others involved in writing, publishing, and marketing books.

I found some wonderful marketing information there already.

Just watch out, it can be a big time drain if you are not careful. I was amazed at how long I stayed on the site, reading and learning.

You may have to set a timer!

What if your book will make people angry?

I got a very thoughtful email today from a writer who is writing a book on an extremely controversial topic, one that is sure to make people upset and angry, yet a topic that is important to discuss.

She wondered what she could do to avoid negative reactions to her topic.

Here's my reply:

I'm afraid with a topic like yours, there is no avoiding controversy and negative reactions. It is a highly charged topic and sure to invoke a lot of emotions, both pro and con.

I would be careful to make sure that you are not slandering anyone- printing anything that is untrue- and that you carefully disguise the names, places, and situations in your book. You can also put a disclaimer in the front about the names and details being changed to protect the identity of the innocent.

Then, just prepare yourself for the controversy. The good thing is that is might get you lots of attention from the media. The downside is that it could be quite stressful.

I'd also suggest that you work with a media coach to help you have prepared answers to mean-spirited questions so that you can handle them professionally.

***end email***
There is no doubt that controversial books sell. People love the dark side of life. We can't help but be attracted to celebrity gossip or the tales of sin and corruption. Just look at the all time we spend on people like Brittany Spears. We still don't know what happened to John-Benet Ramesy, but ten years later, her case still makes international headlines.

However, if you are writing a controversial book, you have to be ready, professionally and emotionally, for people's reaction. Being an author takes courage and it takes extreme courage to write about a topic that will will stir up strong emotions.

If you are working on a controversial book, my caution is to go slowly, write the very best book you can, get an attorney to review it for you, and then work with media coaches and a PR firm to use that controvery to your advantage.

If people are going to be talking about your book, make sure they are buying it too!