A BLArticle® Miniseries
Part 2
“Something For Everyone?”
Do you know the kind of book that publishers tend to run away from? Books that are for everyone. It’s instinctive to want to create something for everyone, but it isn’t logical. To begin with, how would you market a product for everyone?
I learned this the hard way when I wrote the book, The Way of the Road Warrior. I told everyone that this was a book for each and every one of them! It was a travel book, a motivational book, and a business book all rolled up into one. Brilliant! When it came to finding a publisher, I was asked this basic question almost immediately: “Where would we find this book of yours in a bookstore?” I answered, “Gee, uh, everywhere?” Every publisher ran for the hills. It took me almost two years to sell that book to a publisher, and the first thing my editor did was to insist I make up my mind about the kind of book I wanted it to be, and who was my audience.
When you have a product for everyone, you have a product for no one.
Since that time, in both my business and my books, I’ve always tried to find a specific audience, develop a more precise niche, and create value in that space. That goes for this new book, Why People Don’t Believe You. For some, the simple act of being believed, although natural, can always be improved. For others, it can represent a lifetime struggle, and the repercussions can be life altering. One of the biggest reasons for this struggle is our focus on words. We seem to always be searching for the right words to get people to believe us. The problem is, only seven percent of the emotional impact of our message comes from our words… the impact comes from the way you say the words. Are you saying your words with passion and believability?
It’s not the Words… it’s the Tune” that adds the human element to how we communicate and makes us truly believable.
For the past six years, I have actively mentored and coached countless people who battle with long-term unemployment. They struggle with a lack of believability. I have since moved beyond the unemployed, and on to those who simply struggle to be believed. Why People Don’t Believe You is not just a title; it’s a process that has the potential to help so many. But as I learned the hard way, I have tried to be careful not to create a book for everyone, and you’ll find it in the general business culture section of the bookstore!
Are you trying to create something for everyone? I know it’s tempting but in the end you’ll soon realize that something for everyone becomes a product for no one.
Even though the book comes out on October 2nd, you can pre-order your copy on Amazon today!
Excellent. Lesson One.