Top 10 Things Every Bestselling Book Should Have

If you talk to any author, they will tell you that writing their book was the easiest part, compared to marketing it and getting people to buy it!

You can go to any bookstore and get a book on how to publish your book or do a Google search on book publishing. (I recommend Dan Poynter’s Handbook of Desktop Publishing; he’s been called the desktop publishing guru.) You can even get a good editor to help you with the draft of the manuscript. If you really don’t want to do so much work and want to publish your book quickly, you can go to “iuniverse” or “lulu” and have the books you need produced. This is called Print-On-Demand (POD) – great for first-time authors; they take your Word document and turn it into a book. FedEx Kinkos is even in the book production game.

The production of a book is now quite common. That’s why we see so many people making books.

But are the books selling? Once the books return from the printer/publisher, the real work begins. It’s time to promote and sell your book. You just opened a business. Like any new business, you need a business plan as well as extensive knowledge of the field you’re in and good advisors. A standard statistic to know according to book industry sources: More than 150,000 new books are published each year. And usually, we see the same list of authors on the New York Times Best Seller list.

As a book publisher for over ten years in the Christian literary field, I see what flies and what fizzles. Before you embark on this expensive adventure (be prepared to spend at least $2,500 up to $10,000 on editing, production, and promotion), I’d like to share with you what I’ve learned about what makes a bestseller:

one. Title – Is it exciting, interesting? Would one know what it is without reading anything else?

2. coverPeople judge a book by its cover. Make sure it’s strong enough to stand out on the shelves among thousands of other books. Is it clean, neat and crisp, but interesting? Hire a professional!

3. endorsements – What others say about you is key. Who these people are is even more important. Gather the “best words from the best people.” It will sell your book before you even open your mouth.

Four. writer credentials – Do you have anything else with your signature? Do you have a blog? Do you have an audience that really likes what you write?

5. Market Knowledge will hit the book – and the author’s reputation in that market. The author must create a market for himself by really addressing the needs of that market, knowing that market, and communicating the right message to that market.

6. Synchronization – in relation to other events that happen in the world/society. Are there movies, songs, or talk shows that mention the topic you’ve discussed in your book? Do you read the newspaper regularly and respond with opinion editorials when they are discussing “your” platform/issue?

7. Advertising – target the right message to the right media at the right time. Consequently!

8. media coverage – advertising. The icing on the cake. Get on the radio, television and in newspapers and magazines and ezines. Consistently (with advertising too).

9. Distribution – If you want to be a best-seller you must have your book available. Be sure to sign up with a distributor or wholesaler to make it accessible to bookstores. (Amazon is not national distribution… it’s a website) Best-sellers are sold in real bookstores and only ask distributors or wholesalers. (See Sally Stuart’s Christian Writers Marketplace Guide for distributors to approach. Note: You must have a solid press kit and marketing plan to be considered.).

10 word of mouth – The best publicity. The more “buzz” you have about your book, the better. How do you get people talking about your book? Getting involved in their culture and creating messages in their media. Be relentless in your goal of being a “bestseller,” and it will happen if you commit to the advertising process and pray for favors.