Buyers Buy; Sellers Don't Sell

As an author, did you write your book to sell hundreds or thousands of copies? How important are book sales to you? If selling your book is the primary reason you wrote it, stop reading this post now because the rest of it will offend you.

If you really want people to buy your book, stop selling it. You are not selling your BOOK you are selling yourSELF. You are an expert, sell that. Successful authors use their book as a tool to help them reach their ultimate goal, whether that is growing their business, demanding a higher retainer or hourly rate, being viewed as an expert, or achieving some other goal.

Compare positioning yourself as an author/expert to someone desiring to live a health lifestyle. The person who wants to be healthy for life has a greater chance of losing weight than someone who is simply trying to lose weight. Fewer pounds is a result and a benefit of a healthier lifestyle, which includes exercising consistently, eating nutritious foods, getting enough sleep, drinking plenty of water, and avoiding behaviors that could damage your health.

Similarly, selling books is a result and a benefit of positioning yourself as an author/expert, which includes doing speaking engagements, making media appearances, writing guest blog posts, developing strategic partnerships, creating unique systems and processes to help others, and engaging in online and offline branding efforts. These are the activities that AUTHORities focus on.

When you master these aspects of your business and branding, your books will sell. After all, did you write the book simply for the $24.99 sell, or did you write the book to build your business, upsell your assets, and advance your expertise? Think about it.

When your target readers know that you are the expert whose advice they seek, they will seek you and your book. Remember, buyers buy; sellers don't sell.