So I made a big mistake with my most recent non-fiction book.
I wrote the book to explain to people a problem they didn’t know they had.
I still believe in the content of my book. I think it can be very helpful! That’s why I wrote it! But as my first traditionally published mass-market book, I think I made some fundamental mistakes.
When it comes down to it, I wrote a book that people might need but don’t know they need. That makes it difficult for someone to pick up the book and buy it.
Let me explain.
My book Who We Are: Seven Christian Identities to Shape Your Life was built on the premise that Christians have a hard time formulating a Christian identity and instead put on false identities adopted from the world. All that is good. The main problem with this premise is that most people don’t go walking around thinking, “Ah man, I don’t have a Christian identity. I need to get help with that.”
I mean some people might see the book and think it looks good, but by and large, it’s not a widely recognized problem. Now, I do think it is a widespread problem that people put on the wrong identities—but it’s not a problem most people recognize. I’m diagnosing a disease few know they have. But if they don’t know they have a problem, why would they think they need a book to solve the problem?
What I recommend to you and what I plan to do with my future books is to solve a recognized problem. Maybe the solution is unconventional and unexpected. Maybe you can show the deeper levels of the problem which most people don’t see. That’s good—but that’s not how you start. If I want people to pick up my book, they need to know what problem is being solved and care enough about the problem to pay 13.99 plus shipping.
One thing I’ve noticed with the non-fiction books that get the most buzz is that they are extremely relevant to the time period and cultural conversation. Books about racism, politics and sexual abuse have been popular because that’s what the culture is wrestling with right now. People know the problem, they want answers, so they are going to pick up a book that explains the situation and provides a better way forward.
You might have heard the phrase “write to market” which is close to what I’m trying to say. Writing to market (usually used in the fiction space) in its simplest terms means you are writing a book in a popular genre with the tropes that people come to expect. They know, mostly, what they are getting. People don’t like to pick up books that are so far outside of their normal experience. If you want to make money, you write to market—you write what people generally expect but with your own unique flavor.
I’m advocating something similar. But maybe I should say “write to felt needs” or “write to the cultural conversation.” I get it, we want to write what God has placed on our hearts, but if no one ever reads our book, then we can’t do our ministry.
Let’s look at some examples of Christian books that address a specific problem, taken from my recent reading pile.
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer - It directly addresses the problem of feeling anxious and busy and stressed out (very relevant to our world). It starts with a recognizable problem that Comer then digs into, leading to him offering solutions.
Posting Peace by Doug Bursch - This book addresses the problem of Christian anger and outrage online. The problem of people being divisive and angry online is recognizable—and Bursch offers solutions.
How to Enjoy Reading Your Bible by Keith Ferrin - The title says it all—you clearly know what problem it’s addressing! If you have trouble enjoying reading your Bible, you’ll be compelled to pick up the book to get answers.
Do you see what I mean? People have to first realize there is a problem so that you can provide a book with answers. I mean, yeah, you can always spend your marketing time and budget telling people there’s a problem that you can fix, but it’s just going to be a lot easier to write a book that addresses a known problem already.
Your book might be about prayer but you should frame it as a resource in helping people prayer more and/or better (a widespread issue). Your book might be a commentary on Hebrews, but market it as a solution to the problem “Hebrews is hard for me to understand.” For my book, I wish I positioned the problem as something like “having a hard time feeling close to God” or “how do I grow closer to God in my 20s” and then used that as the jumping-off point for my discussion of Chrisitan identity.
In short: good marketing starts with writing a book that addresses a specific problem. That’s how you get people to pick up a book. And it just makes the whole world better off.
Do you agree?
Yes, proof of concept is essential to sales. Thanks for sharing. Maybe you can relaunch your book, maybe repackage and promote it using what you’ve realized.
Thanks. Your article is just in time. I am about to launch my first book which targets 10 major problems that women face, but I definitely need to rename it. Making a mistake, accepting it and then warning others about it, you have generous heart. Maybe your next book can be addressed to upcoming authors.