People buy books according to the value that is offered, better known as the question, “What’s in it for me?” But, sometimes authors ask me, “What if I’m trying to market my book, but I don’t know how to identify its value? I don’t know if my book creates results for people. I’ve never stopped to ask readers or analyze if my material was helpful to others when writing my manuscript. I just felt a desire to write a book, so I did it.”
If this situation describes you, then I suggest that you start asking readers for testimonials or put together some focus groups. You need honest feedback to know if your book provides information (nonfiction), entertainment (fiction), or inspiration (both) that people actually appreciate. Writing a book without understanding your value is like driving a car without ever putting it into forward gear. You’re stuck in neutral going nowhere.
On the other hand, maybe you’re unsure of your book’s value, but it happens to be selling reasonably well. That’s because the public figured out your value and responded to it. Yet, that’s not their responsibility – it’s the author’s job to get that message out. Imagine how many more books you would sell if you understood your value and proactively used it in all of your marketing materials. You could create momentum that leads to exponential growth.
Ignoring the need to clarify your value is like a new restaurant ignoring the need to taste-test its recipes. The owner hopes his food is good, but he never lets potential customers try it to see if they actually like it. A restaurant with that mentality wouldn’t stay in business for very long. Likewise, books usually struggle to sell when the author is clueless about its value. Do you know the value of your book?
