Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 20, 2016

Instead of focusing on the people who have always purchased (or could purchase) your books, think about the people who do not buy their products, and why they don't. Look back to 2006 when Sony introduced its ebook reader (the Portable Reader System). Their goal was to open the e-reader market to a broader base. They researched e-reader customers who were dissatisfied with the size and display quality of the existing selection. Sony introduced a thin device with an easy-to-read screen. Yet, Sony lost the battle to Amazon's Kindle because it failed to understand why people were not buying e-readers – the shortage of worthwhile books to read. Amazon understood this and offered four times the selection available from Sony's reader, and captured the market.