Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – April 8, 2018

Do you play not to lose or play to win? Those who play not to lose (vs. play to win) in the book-marketing game sell books where everyone else does (only in bookstores). They are more risk averse and like to maintain the status quo. A bad review may evoke a rebuke of the reviewer, which is like blaming the scale if it reports a weight gain. They are prevention-focused, promoting through more conventional means such as book-signing events. Press-release headlines are written to "not rock the boat" and thereby lose their attention-getting qualities. These "play-not-to-losers" are more likely to publish through print-on-demand. While not wrong, its high unit cost and lack of return-ability reduce or eliminate the potential for sales, revenue and profits through retailers.