Writing a book can be one of the most difficult things in the world. While each author’s experience is very different, the process is almost always the same.
Winston Churchill, the author of many books as well as being one of the greatest world leaders in history, once summed it up by saying, “Writing a book is an adventure. First of all, it’s a toy and fun; then it becomes a lover.” , and then master, and then tyrant.The last phase is that just when you’re about to reconcile with your servitude, you kill the monster and throw it into the audience.
However, that last part is the problem. You don’t just release a book to the public. It has to be presented in a way that is representative of your message and resonates with the audience. In my 21+ years in this business, I’ve come across a wide variety of issues that have been problematic for authors and could have been avoided if the author had realized how it would get in the way of their marketing campaign.
So whether you’re writing a nonfiction book building your credibility as an expert in your field, or a fiction author writing novel after novel, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- the book cover– I’ve read some amazing books in my time that have been swept away by covers that weren’t up to scratch. The problem that led to those coverage disasters was a lack of professional guidance, causing some of the most basic rules to be violated. For example, a general rule of thumb in cover design dictates that the key graphic, headline, photo, or illustration that represents your message should be 2/3 the size of other elements, otherwise it creates tension in the design.
Just as most authors are considered experts on their subjects, good book designers and graphic artists are experts on theirs. They’re trained in the art of distilling your message and experience through the filter of what’s appealing to consumers to produce a cover image that’s powerful enough to grab attention.
But, the sticky part is those authors who become emotionally attached to an image that they imagine would be the perfect cover for their books, while the image lacks the professionalism necessary to convey its message. That emotional attachment can become the biggest hurdle in marketing a book without the author realizing that it’s the reason bookstores don’t have it on their shelves, or producers don’t book them as guest books, or journalists do not follow it. doing an interview.
My advice to authors who feel strongly about their creative choices, but are in conflict with the designer, is to survey the people you trust. Show the cover to your family, friends, and business associates whose opinions you respect and who you know are people who won’t just tell you what you want to hear.
And, if you’re still not sure, go to your local bookstore and look at the book covers on the shelf – look at trends in color, design, images and layout. See how your cover compares to the professionalism of those books that have hit the shelf.
- Interior design– This is also important and worth talking about. The layout and interior design should be aesthetically pleasing and the font type and size should be easy to read. Some important references you can use to decide on the look you want come from a study done many years ago by the Poynter Institute for Media Studies. They found that most people like classic serif type styles like Bodoni, Bookman, Century, Garamond, and even Times Roman for type in the 8- to 12-point ranges. When you get more than 12 points, most people like sans serif typefaces like Arial, Helvetica, and Verdana. If you have graphics or illustrations in your book, make sure they are produced with high contrast if they are in black and white. Halftone reproduction in books can be uneven if the original image does not have clear contrast and sharpness.
The guts of your book can and should be created in ways that enhance the readers’ experience. If done poorly, it can cost book buyers. If done right, it can win you customers and supporters.
- pseudonyms– Over the years, I have come across many authors who choose, for whatever reason, to use a pseudonym for their books. In some cases it is absolutely necessary, while in others it is not. For example, we recently represented a gentleman who went by the pseudonym Reza Kahlili. He wrote a book about the true story of how he served as a CIA double agent, posing as a member of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards. The book exposed dozens of human rights abuses and removed the public image of the Iranian government. Clearly, this is someone whose true identity needed to be protected.
But, in many other cases, some authors have used a pseudonym because they simply didn’t like their real names or thought it was difficult to spell or pronounce. One of the funniest examples of pseudonyms was told to me by my senior campaign strategist who worked for a legend in the comics industry, the founder of Marvel Comics and co-creator of Spider-Man, The X-Men, The Hulk and more: Stan. Read. . He said: “When Lee was a teenager just starting out in the comics business in the 1940s, it wasn’t a big deal. Comics were cheap, disposable entertainment for kids, and Stan, whose real name was Stanley Martin Lieber , didn’t want to waste using his real name in the comics. He was saving it for when he wrote the great American novel, which never happened. So, by his own admission, he came up with the dumbest pseudonym ever, Stan Lee, and the name stuck. To this day, he continues to claim it was the worst decision of his career.”
So the moral of the story is: don’t use a pseudonym if you don’t really have to. It can lower your credibility with the media and it can also come back to bite you one day.
And I hate to sound like Dear Abby, whose advice usually ends with “seek professional help,” but in this context, it’s actually true. Her book is representative of you, and particularly if it’s a marketing vehicle for your business, it’s even more important that it look as powerful as you and your message, and as professional as the products or services you’re selling.
I started with a quote from Churchill, so I’ll end with a quote from Abraham Lincoln: “He who represents himself has a fool for a client.”
