“Unlock the Secret to Author Success: Why Selling Your Story Matters More Than Selling Your Book!”
That reason is you, not your book.
If a prospective buyer likes you—finds you friendly, humorous, or engaging, they’re more likely to be interested in seeing what your book is about than if you just tried to push your book on them. It’s a lesson I learned long ago. My first novel had been recently published by a traditional small press. I was excited, having a table at the largest book festival in my area, one attended by hundreds of book-buying readers.
Surrounded by so much competition, my approach was simple: I smiled at people as they walked by and tried to engage them in conversation about everyday things. At one point, one of the festival coordinators stopped by to see how I was doing. I greeted her with a big smile, asking how her day was going. We had a short, pleasant chat. She moved on, pausing a few tables away where another author sat, an author I’ll call Dan. Dan looked like he belonged in a Hell’s Angels gang: rough-looking, stern-faced with a dark beard, and clad in a black leather jacket. The coordinator suggested Dan should smile. “You’re kind of intimidating,” she said. Then she pointed to me. “Look at him. He’s friendly. I’d buy a book from him!”
