This will make Selling Your Book a Million Times Easier

You’ve come so far with your manuscript, and now it’s time to test it with readers. Before you get too nervous, let me make your job a million times easier. You don’t have to test this by releasing your book to the masses. Instead, find a handful of like-minded readers and ask them specific questions to get quality feedback.

In order for your book to be successful, you must have a profound understanding of your category, i.e. niche, i.e. micro-genre. Who are the people you want to draw into your literary conversation? What kinds of books matter to you?

Within the publishing industry I like to call this mandala economics.  Every major genre or category is a slice of the mandala, and the more we (as individuals) read, write and contribute to that category the more beautiful and intricate that particular piece of the mandala becomes.

For instance, there are a lot of books about the chakras. Charka books are a micro-genre within the piece of the literary mandala that is spiritual self-help. Anodea Judith’s book “Wheels of Life” is a classic about the chakras that weaves together philosophical and ancient wisdom. Joe Dispenza’s book, “Becoming Supernatural” talks about the chakras through a neuroscientific lens. I could never write either of those books but I loved reading them. In fact, I’ve purchased more work by those authors because I’ve been writing my own self-help book about the chakras.

This is true of every genre. When I was working on short stories, I bought a lot of literary magazines and anthologies. When I work with a client on any given project, we devour those kinds of books. A rising tide lifts all boats. When people take up their own writing practice, they not only grow in their own knowledge and craft, they also contribute to that slice of the mandala economy which blossoms with new little paisleys a curly ques.

So, if one day you find yourself in a writing workshop and you feel like the only way you can survive in a competitive market is by skewering your neighbor, take a moment to pause and breathe. Remember, the publishing industry operates by mandala economics. Everybody reads more books than they write and when they enjoy one book they seek out other similar books. You thrive when you form great relationships with other authors and help them thrive.  

Which brings us to the best advice I can offer for becoming a bestseller: build connections with other authors so you can get quality feedback from people who understand what you want to achieve.

Having coached a spectrum of genres for years, people often tell me:

“I asked my sister to read it and she said it was good. That’s all she said.”

“A friend read it and told me there were grammar mistakes, nothing about the plot.”

“My parents read it and freaked out. So now what?”

The big lesson here is, don’t let randos read your book. Join supportive communities like The Writer’s Block Facebook Group and choose partners who are dedicated to learning and improving.