Ever wonder how trends get started? As much as we'd like to think that all trends come from Madison Avenue and are spread by the media, a movement is often started by the actions of a small number of people. Then it gets around by word of mouth. In his book "The Tipping Point" from 2000, Malcolm Gladwell talks about this. In one chapter, he talks about how this kind of movement by a few groups led to the surprising success of "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood," a book by Rebecca Wells that came out in 1996. When I read that, it made me sit up and pay attention. I realised that I could market my first book, "All I Need to Get By," with the same ideas. You too can! This is how.
- Make sure your book is "sticky."
Don't give up your artistic integrity, but do ask yourself the tough question: how much will people like your story? "Sticky" means that a book is easy to remember. People remember the story and want to talk about it and recommend it to others. "Bridget Jones's Diary" is sticky, no doubt about it. All of the Harry Potter books are too, and so is almost everything Stephen King has ever written. The subject doesn't even have to be happy. Even though it was about murder, "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote was a big hit when it came out. I knew that a lot of people would connect with the characters because I was writing about a family with a strong father figure. What about your book will make people want to read it?
- ) Be a Salesman
Yes, you should be a salesman, but not in the way you might think. I don't mean to be "in your face" like a used car salesman, which is a common stereotype. In his book, Malcolm Gladwell says that it's the small things that can make people agree with you. That "little thing" for a writer is confidence and a strong belief in their work. I recently talked to a writer who was having trouble being sure of her work. She's trying to get the courage to send a manuscript to agents and publishers, but I told her, "No one will want to publish your book if you don't want to publish it yourself."
People like people who have something to stand for and believe in what they are doing. People will want to buy your book if you can be that person. They'll know you're going to say something. If you have low confidence, you should know that working on it is just as important as improving your writing skills. After all, no one else can promote your book like you can.
- ) Start your big "epidemic" with small groups.
Small groups are a good place for word of mouth to grow. "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" turned out to be like this. It became a favourite in book clubs, especially those for moms and daughters. These groups started a wave of word-of-mouth that spread quickly. "Small, close-knit groups have the power to make a message or idea more likely to spread," says Mr. Gladwell. I tried this idea out with some success by contacting book groups all over the country and offering to visit them if they read my novel. How can you get in touch with groups to use the power of those circles? And how can you spread your message by making it grow?
One last thing: why does this matter? Well, if you've gone to all the trouble to write and publish a book, your hard work will be for nothing if you don't tell people about it. And the ideas Mr. Gladwell gives are so simple and natural that you may find it easier to take the marketing pill as a whole. So take it, because it will help.
(c) 2005 Sophronia Scott
