#PublishingReinvented 235 - Alignment: The A in Our New Era Model + A Zoom Call With Live Book Sales This Saturday!
In 2012 I was lucky enough to be published around the world by HarperCollins and translated into 11 languages.
I had been writing for 10 years until I decided to align my book with reader expectations. The book I deliberately did that for became a trad published thriller series which has now been sold to become a major TV series.
That success gave me the confidence to keep writing. I now also have three self published series on Amazon.
I say all this not to brag but to emphasize the impact aligning our writing with reader expectations can have.
It does not mean losing our vision.
It does mean making readers happy.
Its About The Art of Alignment: Matching Our Authorial Vision with Reader Expectations
The concept of alignment is crucial to building a successful career. Alignment means ensuring our content, book cover, description, and genre meet the expectations of our target readers while maintaining our artistic vision.
Striking the right balance will increase opportunities and royalties, enhance reader satisfaction, and build a loyal audience. This post explores practical advice for aligning and the mindset shift we need to achieve this.
1. Aligning Content: Delivering What Readers Expect
Readers come to a book with certain expectations based on its genre, subgenre, and marketing. If you're writing a cozy mystery, your readers anticipate an amateur sleuth, a quirky small-town setting, and minimal graphic content. Conversely, a gritty crime thriller requires edge, intensity, and twists.
Practical Alignment Steps:
Study Comparable Titles: Read successful books in your genre. Analyze their tone, pacing, and themes.
Reader-Centric Feedback: Share your manuscript with beta readers or an online community of genre enthusiasts.
Hit Key Tropes: Embrace the tropes readers expect, but find creative ways to make them feel fresh and personal.
Mentality Shift: Instead of viewing all this as constraints, see these as opportunities to engage creatively. Meeting expectations ensures our books find its intended audience, making deviations from the norm more impactful.
2. Crafting a Book Cover that Speaks the Reader’s Language
Our book cover is the first impression readers have. It must instantly communicate the genre and tone. A mismatched cover can confuse potential buyers, leading them to pass on your book. This is one of the key issues I see again and again when books are submitted to BooksGoSocial for promotion.
Practical Steps:
Invest in a Professional Cover Designer: A designer experienced in your genre will understand its visual language. Graphic design is not cover design. It’s a separate skill set.
Check Bestsellers: Browse Amazon or bookstore shelves in your category. Note common colors, fonts, tone, and imagery.
Test and Refine: Share a few cover options with genre readers for feedback.
Mentality Shift: Treat your book cover as a marketing tool rather than an artistic showcase. Its purpose is to attract readers who will enjoy your work.
3. Writing a Book Description that Converts
Your book description on Amazon is your pitch. It's not just a summary but an invitation that must stir curiosity and resonate with the emotions of your target readers.
Practical Steps:
Start with a Hook: The first line should grab attention, like a surprising statement or a tantalizing question.
Focus on Conflict or Benefits: Highlight the stakes and unique benefits of your book.
Include a Call to Action: End with a compelling reason to buy the book, such as "Perfect for fans of X [popular author]."
Mentality Shift: Think of your description as a promise. What will readers feel, experience, or learn? Deliver on that promise in your book. Take time to get this right. At BooksGoSocial we help authors with their book descriptions almost every day.
4. Aligning Genres for Maximum Visibility
Selecting the right genre and subgenre is critical for discoverability. Mislabeling your book can lead to disappointing sales and negative reviews from mismatched readers.
Practical Steps:
Understand Market Categories: Research genres on platforms like Amazon to find where your book fits best.
Choose Strategic Keywords: Use keywords that match what readers in your genre search for.
Adapt When Necessary: If your book spans multiple genres, focus on the one most likely to attract your core audience.
Mentality Shift: Remember, aligning with a genre isn’t about limiting creativity; it’s about placing your work in the hands of readers who will appreciate it most.
5. Balancing Artistic Vision with Reader Expectations
The tension between your artistic vision and what readers want is natural. Ignoring reader expectations can result in a niche product with limited appeal. Overemphasizing genre rules can stifle creativity. The goal is to find a harmonious balance.
Practical Steps:
Experiment within Limits: Use your artistic voice to elevate familiar elements of your genre.
Consider Reader Impact: Ask how your creative choices enhance or detract from the reader’s experience.
Learn from Feedback: Embrace constructive criticism to refine your work without losing authenticity.
Mentality Shift: Think of yourself as both artist and entrepreneur. By meeting reader expectations, you earn the freedom to innovate and surprise.
Alignment isn’t about compromise; it’s about connection. When our content, book cover, description, and genre align with reader expectations, we build trust and loyalty.
Alignment creates a strong foundation for consistent royalties and long-term success.
Authors who master this art understand that their vision and reader expectations can coexist.
This concludes our three part series which we hope will lead to a new ERA for your book sales. We will provide further support for this process, so please stay tuned.
For now we have the three elements to help you reach a new ERA:
E = Enthusiasm - described in this substack post.
R = Reputation - described in this substack post.
A = Alignment - described above.
Zoom Book Sales & ERA Exploration Call - 100% Free
This Saturday 25th January we will have a Zoom 1hr call at this time:
9AM Pacific = 11AM Central = Noon eastern = 5PM GMT
at this Zoom link.
There will be a short request for input on all this ERA stuff to help us expand this work.
Then authors will have one minute to pitch their book to the other authors present.
We sold quite a few books in December this way and want to keep testing this live way of selling books.
You will have one minute to pitch. Pitching is not required if you just want to watch.
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