The New Author’s Guide to Writing a Bestseller
Write the book your readers are BEGGING to buy
Every writer wants his name on a bestselling book.
It’s what we all live for. The bestseller tells the world the author is an expert, an authority.
The sales figures prove it.
That’s powerful — and real.
You’re reading this because maybe you haven’t done that yet. But you want to. I fully understand.
You’ve got a book inside that needs to come out. You want to make a difference with your words. In this post, you’ll learn what makes a book sell thousands of copies — or fall flat on its face in the marketplace.
Don’t Skip This Part
What do you need to write a book people will buy?
Is it passion?
Sure, you need that. Lots of it. Writing a book is a hard, long process. While passion is necessary to finish creating your book, it’s not enough to make your book sell.
Do I need fantastic writing ability or God-given talent?
It’s great if you have these. A flair for writing will make your book a lot easier to read and edit. But still, you need more.
Do I need to write on something trendy and sell my soul? Is that it?
Relax.
I heartily recommend you not do this. Why? Because riding a trend is like riding waves when the tide comes in at the beach. It’s great for a while, but it won’t last. Soon the excitement dies down, the waves stop coming, and you’re left standing with your toes in the sand.
That cover the misconceptions. Now let’s get to what really matters, shall we?
What really matters is whether people are interested in what you’re writing.
Okay, great.
How do you find that out?
You’re about to - if you keep reading.
8 Simple Ways Any Author Can Create a Bestseller
Join a social media group in your niche.
Want to know what people are saying, thinking, and wondering about?
Social media groups are a goldmine for that kind of information.
Chances are a group already exists. Just put a relevant word or phrase in the Facebook search bar . Something will come up — and you can easily take a glance at the available groups and submit a request to join.
Interact with the people in these groups.
You’re not James Bond.
Sure, you can join a group to do research. But you’ll only get a surface knowledge of what people are thinking. Why not go a step further and participate in the threads?
Here are a few ways you can make the most of your time in a group:
- Participate in the activities the group provides.
- Answer member questions when you can help get someone get unstuck.
- Add your thoughts to discussions.
- Have sidebar conversations with people who are interested in going deeper.
- Be willing to lead if you’re asked.
What does this have to do with writing a bestselling book?
Everything.
The best market research comes from talking to real people with real problems and real challenges.
One more way you can find out what people are talking about is to visit the website Answer the Public. Combine the information you get there with conversations and you’ll have plenty of raw material for your bestseller.
One caveat: Make sure the hot topics you find are as evergreen as possible.
Remember what everyone really cares about.
Want to know what people care about more than anything?
Is it family?
Lots of people will fight to the death to protect their families. And if you want your family to stay together, you should. But there’s something even more important in people’s hearts than that.
People care more about themselves than anyone or anything else in the universe.
Remember that when you want to make friends and influence people. This is because of three inner needs we all have:
- We all want to feel others need us.
- We want to know what we think and do is right.
- We want to have a sense of power.
Satisfy those needs and you’ll have all the friends you’ll ever want.
You’ll also have plenty of people buying your books!
Write a book that fills a gap.
If you want to make it in the book marketplace, you’ve got to do more than just add another book to the shelf.
Strive to be remarkable. Take what you’ve learned from talking to people and package it into a book. Fill it with actionable insights readers can use right away.
What if you’re a storyteller? You won’t be writing a how-to book, will you?
Not exactly.
What you can do is give the hero a big struggle to overcome — one that people can imagine themselves facing. Then show them how to get past it through the power of story.
Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, you’ve got to take the next step, which is…
Make an emotional connection with the reader.
My favorite movie of all time is It’s a Wonderful Life.
Why?
First, I can relate to the main character. George Bailey feels trapped in a job he hates and dreams of a bigger, better future. Yet, after repeated efforts, he comes up short again and again.
Second, the hero faces great, even impossible challenges. We feel George’s excitement when he dreams about traveling the world. We feel his pain when his hopes are dashed by World War 2, the Great Depression, and the fact that people see him as the icon of the Building and Loan he hates.
Third, the story is filled with cliffhangers that beg us to keep watching. Will the Building and Loan survive the banking system collapse? Will George die in the snow? Will Bedford Falls stay Pottersville forever? We stick around because we’ve just got to know.
The emotional connection you make with your reader is so important that if you fail to make it, you fail completely.
People are more eager to buy when they’re hungry.
They say the worst time to go grocery shopping is before dinner.
When you’re hungry, you see lots of stuff that would be good to eat this week. So you load up your cart, roll down every aisle just to be sure you didn’t miss something, and then pull out your credit card to pay for it all.
Store owners know this. And they arrange their products so you’ll naturally add stuff to your list.
Your readers are hungry, too. What are they hungry for? If you’ve been active in groups or forums, you’ll know exactly what will fill them up.
Writing a book is only half the work you’ll do.
When I published my first book, I spent a year writing it.
By the time I was done creating it, I was too tired to market it.
I sold 12 copies.
Want to know something that will transform the way you write your next book?
Marketing is at least half of what makes a book a bestseller.
If you don’t market your book, it will be dead on arrival. Don’t make the mistake I did. Start with marketing, then write a book that fills a gap.
Start your own Facebook group to create a movement.
Last May, I saw a gap that needed filling.
The writing groups I’m in have a sharing thread every Friday. This is every member’s chance to post a link to their latest blog post. The hope is that you’ll share others’ posts as well as your own.
The problem I saw was that Fridays became a “drop and run” day. So I asked the members of the group to join me in an experiment.
“What if we commit to like, share, and comment on at least five posts this Friday? Who’s with me?”
At least 30 people said, “Yes, that sounds great!”
Then the wheels in my brain started spinning.
I went back to the group. “What if there were a place where we could do this every day? Would you be interested?”
40 hungry people said they were.
The Tribe Builder’s Network was born the next week.
You don’t have to wait for someone else to go first. If there’s a need in the marketplace you can fill with your genius, do it now.
Now Go Research and Write Your Bestseller
You’ve just learned a powerful set of tools that will help make your next book a bestseller.
You know how to find out what your audience is hungry for. So put on your chef’s hat and serve it up in your own style. Do that and you’ll make more money, earn more credibility, and see more open doors than ever before!
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Want more? Come over to www.frankmckinleyauthor.com for tips on how to engage readers, sell your ideas, and build your tribe!
If you’d like help with your book, I’m available for a consultation. Contact me at https://www.frankmckinleyauthor.com/contact/ for more details!
