Bookpal Team.

Another item of interest -

Hi Jim.,

I just returned from a trip to China and Taiwan, having done some consultancy work for a Frankfurt Stock Exchange Public listed investment company. For two weeks we evaluated many companies that approached us with products and ideas. Some of them had breakthrough technologies such as a hydrogen-powered generator that can generate clean energy for factories. We also met many other companies with ideas and passion, but sadly, with no market potential. Many of them tended to mask their deficiencies with a lot of talk but no concrete evidence to back up what they said.

So as a publisher, why am I telling you all this?

Firstly, I’m sharing this to emphasise the power of being a bestselling author. One of the reasons I was invited and paid to be on this panel was because I hit the bestseller list on Amazon and that placed me ahead of other candidates for this stint. So pardon me, if I’m sounding like a broken record here for re-emphasising the importance of hitting the bestseller list.

Secondly, investment firms and book buyers share many similarities. Business pitches that are long-winded and have no substance will lose the interest of the investment firm. Similarly, books that are not revised or concise will lose the interest of the reader. So remember, less is often better. For my book, “Your Book Your Profits” I actually revised it three times and used two editors to further help me sharpen it. I wouldn’t call it perfect but at least I believe it is not full of fluff, which is one of the reasons my book reached #83 on the bestseller list in a very competitive category.

Finally, evaluating a business and a book are similar in many ways...a unique business which addresses a real market need has a good chance of getting investment capital. A book that is written in a way that is appealing to the target audience will have a good chance of getting picked up by readers. Ask yourself: Is my book addressing their needs? Is it written in the correct lingo for my audience? Is it written in a way that will engage their interest and attention?

When I wrote my first book on marketing that was published by a large education publisher, we had to write the book using academic language as it was for university students. 

My second book on self-publishing was written to suit the budding author, so I tried to make it an easy and informative read so it would not overwhelm the reader. 

My third book was written for business owners and consultants, so I used a lot of examples and case studies so they could learn and apply lessons from real life scenarios.

As they say, horses for courses...remember that when you are writing your next book!

Terence

The Bookpal Team