Stop Trying to Be Everywhere: 4 Deep Marketing Truths Most Authors Ignore
Aug 28, 2025
Everyone repeats the same lazy script to authors: Reach more people. Crank out more content. Chase followers. Shout into the void and hope something sticks.
It’s lazy advice. And it doesn’t work.
If you’re writing nonfiction, a scalpel works better than a megaphone. Visibility for its own sake is noise. You want a signal. You want sharp, strategic hits that cut through the clutter. That’s how you build real authority. That’s how you sell books.
Here are four strategies most authors never use because they’re too busy playing the volume game.
- Shrink Your Audience
Trying to appeal to everyone is the fastest route to irrelevance. When you write for the masses, you write for no one. Your message is vanilla. Bland. Ordinary. Forgettable.
The smartest authors go narrow (niche). Ruthlessly narrow (micro niche). They pick an audience they can picture in detail. Not demographics. Not age, income, or where they live. Real problems. Real stakes. Real urgency.
If you can’t describe your reader in one sentence, you don’t have an audience. You have a vague wish.
Wrong: “This book is for ambitious professionals.”
Right: “This book is for mid-career engineers stuck in middle management who want to lead teams without becoming corporate clones.”
Example: Jason, a career coach, wrote a book for “anyone wanting to get ahead.” Sales were dead. He rewrote his pitch: “This is for introverted tech workers who want promotions without self-promotion.” Suddenly, podcast hosts in the engineering world lined up to talk to him.
- Stop Pitching. Start Connecting.
Authors love cold emails. They send mass pitches to podcast hosts, conference organizers, and influencers. Then wonder why no one replies.
Because no one cares. Because you didn’t.
People don’t want your book. They want to know if you get their people. If you understand their world. If you bring value without asking for attention, like a toddler with a drum.
Instead, build real relationships. Start with one person.
Find 20 people with real pull in your niche. Read what they’ve written. Listen to their shows. Comment on their work. Then reach out with something real. Something tailored. Something that shows you gave a damn before hitting send.
Example: Priya, a wellness author, sent a note to a podcast host saying, “Your last guest talked about burnout, but skipped recovery habits that actually stick. My book offers five that even parents with no free time can use. Interested?” She got booked.
- Sell the Shift, Not the Stuff
People don’t buy books. They buy what they think the book will do for them.
Your clever title won’t move units. Your witty subtitle won’t close the deal. What matters is the transformation. What life looks like on the other side.
Your book is a bridge. Show the gap. Show the struggle. Emphasize the change.
Right: “I help burned-out teachers turn their classroom into a launchpad for creative work they actually care about.”
Wrong: “My book helps educators embrace innovation.”
Test your transformation pitch on real people. Watch their faces. If their eyes glaze over, start again. If they lean in, you’re close. And if they say, “tell me more,” you’ve nailed it!
Your book isn’t the product. The new life/transformation is what people want.
Example: Dan wrote about personal finance. No one cared. He changed his pitch to, “This book helps freelancers stop panicking every tax season by building a buffer without a budget.” He began appearing in creator newsletters, Slack threads, and YouTube interviews.
- Make It Stick. Make It Spread.
Authors write decent books that no one talks about. Because they don’t give readers anything to remember, or share.
You need sticky moments. Phrases that punch. Stories that sting. Insights that start fights.
Find five lines in your book that stop people mid-scroll. Drop one into a post. Say one on a call. Pitch one in an email. See what sticks.
You’re not writing for the page. You’re mining for the gold that people remember to use over and over again.
If a line makes someone laugh, nod, or argue — keep using it. Turn it into a keynote. A reel. An “X” thread. Make it a mantra to reuse wherever possible.
Example: Andrea wrote a book on parenting, but couldn’t gain traction. One day, she posted a line from Chapter 3: “Your job isn’t to raise a happy child. It’s to raise a resilient adult.” It got shared 40,000 times. That line became her tagline, her podcast title, and the core of her brand.
The Point Isn’t Popularity. It’s Precision.
This isn’t a popularity contest. You’re here to make a mark. That means reaching the right people, not chasing the crowd.
Quit chasing the algorithm. Pick your people. Earn their trust. Sell the shift. Say something worth quoting.
Forget the crowd. Own your niche!
That’s how nonfiction books help to move mountains.
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