It seems to me most people make the mistake of never building a following where they are considered a resource to their fan base so when they do release the book there will be somebody there to buy it.
I think it's easy to get a book in a bookstore. I think it's just damn near impossible to get a book out of a bookstore.
You can't write a book and just expect it to sell itself, you know. We're not building that better mousetrap and waiting for the world to beat a path to our dear. You've got to build a market for your book.
I think you have to read a lot. I think if you're going to write about something you better have read at least 100 books on that topic.
I've read over 4,000 books in the last 20+ years. I don't know anybody who's read more books than I have. I read all the time. I read very, very fast. People say, "Larry, it's statistically impossible for you to have read that many books."
When I'm writing a book - say I'm going to write a parenting book. I'll go out and buy the 100 top parenting books and I will read those, not so I can copy them for sure.
I think one of the mistakes typically with authors is they have written more books than they've read.
I have discovered that enemies will buy your books as much as your fans buy your books because they're looking for something new to hate you for.
My brand was always going to be based on my personality. I didn't want people hiring me for what I said. I wanted them hiring me for who I am.
If you're selling information - and I have a lot of friends who write a lot of bestselling books and they're selling information. They don't need to have a picture on the cover at all because they are not important. They're secondary to their information. To me, the information is secondary to me.
I understand what my brand is. My brand is not my information. My brand is me and what I say is secondary to who I am.
I've been very, very successful at building probably the most recognizable, physically recognizable brand in personal development.
I think shorter books are going to become more and more of the trend. So I don't think you have to write big, big, long books.
I think it's more helpful to keep your books sort of a singular focus. Get it said, get it said well, fascinate people with your words and then write another book.
People don't give a damn about you and they don't give a damn about your story and they don't give a damn about your content. They only give a damn that you, your content, your story can bring value to them.
I think that people have to have a story. When you tell a story, most people are not good storytellers because they think it's about them. You have to make your story, whatever story it is you're telling, their story. So you have to get good at telling a story so they can identify themselves in your story.
No matter what I'm talking about, I can involve you into the story where you think it's you doing it. You're living it. I can remind you of things that went on in your life so you go, man I had that happen to me. I've been there. I've done that.
Don't educate people; touch them emotionally. Remember that people want to be scared or they want to be made happy or they want to be made sad.
There are four basic emotions - mad, sad, glad and scared. And if you touch those emotions then you can grab your audience, your reader.
The premise, to me, is the most important thing that you have to know going in. It's the problem as you see it. So I write down the problem as I see it. That is the premise for my book.
I'm not so good at just throwing out facts and figures and education and all that. I tell stories to captivate, that give people... that touch people emotionally.
I looked at the fact that people were in such financial trouble I said well people are broke because they want to be.
I've been very fortunate at having good titles but I just think in terms of titles. I'm doing a workshop now where people write books and they come and I name their books for them. I'm good with titles.
I look at what's going on in our society and what's pissing me off at the moment and I just get my basic gut reaction to that and that gut reaction usually becomes the title of the book.
Most of the stats say that 90% of people who buy a book or check one out of a library would never get past the first chapter. To me, the title better say everything there is to say about the book.
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