How to Best Judge Your Book By Its Cover - BM376

Susan Friedmann                                                                           00:33

Welcome to book marketing mentors, The Weekly Podcast, where you learn proven strategies, tools, ideas, and tips from the masters.

Every week, I introduce you to a marketing master.

who will share their expertise to help you market and sell more books.

Well, today, your special guest is me, Susan Friedman, the Author Marketing Mentor and influencer.

And I'm joined in the studio by my dear friend and colleague Jane Maulucci, who is going to play my role as host interviewing me today so Jane.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           00:39

Welcome.

Thank you for always doing this with me.

I know we're gonna have fun.

What are we talking about today?

Jane Maulucci                                                                                00:51

We're talking about book covers.

Because, you know, that old adage of you don't judge a book by its cover?

I don't think that's really true.

What do you think?

Susan Friedmann                                                                           01:16

I totally agree with you.

You absolutely do judge a book by its cover because your cover is the gift wrapping.

If you think of your book as a gift, it's the wrapping, and people pay attention to the wrapping.

Something that I always tell my authors, Jane, is you have to be 110, 120% in love with your cover.

I've known authors who don't sell their book because they're embarrassed by the cover.

I totally remember one gentleman, and he's an expert in his industry.

And I said, do you have a book?

And he says, yes.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           01:52

I said, where is it?

Why aren't you using it to promote yourself?

He said, I just don't like the cover, and he felt so embarrassed by it.

And I tell authors this.

I said, if you don't like your cover, it's going to affect sales.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           01:58

Rule number 1.

Absolutely, fall in love with your cover.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                02:08

What are the pieces of that front cover of your book I mean, of course, you've got the title on there and but how do you know that you've got the right cover?

Susan Friedmann                                                                           02:21

First of all, as I said, you've gotta like it.

I would also test your cover with your target audience.

I test the title.

I test the subtitle.

I test the look and feel of the whole cover.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           02:38

with people, not your friends and family because they're all gonna tell you, oh, yes.

I love it.

Whatever you put in front of you.

Or they're not going to be as critical They're not your target audience.

So let's stick with people who are buyers or potential buyers of your book.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           03:13

So the color you use I mean, colors change.

At the moment, orange is a very in color for book covers.

anything bright, very bright, even if you just have a white cover or an off white cover, As I'm thinking of that, I'm thinking of James Clears, atomic habits.

I mean, you couldn't get much planar in terms of a cover.

It's this antique white cover and then big bold atomic habits.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           03:43

And then I can't remember what his subtitle is, but whatever it is.

Let's talk about their heading at the title and the subtitle too.

Lot of authors spend a lot of time and then try and come up with things that are they think they're being funny or There are things that don't necessarily you don't really understand what the title is, which is fine.

You can have one word, like Atomic Habits.

It's like, well, what is that exactly?

Susan Friedmann                                                                           04:01

So your title is the eye-catcher.

It creates curiosity about -- Mhmm.

-- whatever it is.

Enough that people will say, well, what's this about?

And that's where the subtitle is some kind of how to.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           04:39

And I'm talking about nonfiction here as our listeners know that I'm focused primarily on nonfiction books.

Fiction, that's a whole different area when you come to a tight but the subtitle has definitely got to be able to tell people exactly what the book is about and always love even if you don't actually have the words how to on the cover, at least it's implied.

So in my book, Riches In Niches, the subtitle is How to Make it BIG in a small Market.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                04:40

Mhmm.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           05:04

So that explains what the book is about if you didn't really know or understand, well, what does she mean by Riches in Niches?

because that could be applied to many different things.

But I'm talking about marketing, and it's how can you make a big impression Make it rich in a niche which is a small market.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                05:06

So your title is very important.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           05:28

Very important.

Because as I said, it's got to create curiosity, which is the title.

And then what the book is about, and that's where you get really granular with that.

How to do something.

As I said, either you actually use the words how to or it's implied.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                05:44

If you've written your book, When you write your book, you usually have a title in mind or, you know, a working title.

Is it smart to start to do some research on that to look and see if maybe there's another book that has your same title for instance?

Susan Friedmann                                                                           06:06

Yes.

I mean, I would say go and look.

I mean, Amazon, I'll see is the go-to for so many books out there now, but also just googling the name and seeing is there another title out there?

Now there are many books that have the same title, and then the differentiator is the subtitle.

Mhmm.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           06:15

So there are books that have the same title, but they differ.

And there could be in different markets.

a different subtitle.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                06:35

There you go.

Now when you're looking at the cover of the book aside from the title and the subtitle, Sometimes you'll have, you know, your colors, as you mentioned earlier.

Right now, orange is a big flashy color, but grass graphics seem to play a big important part on the covers as well for catching the reader's attention.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           06:59

Yes.

And you want your graphic to relate to what you're talking about.

Mhmm.

You don't necessarily want a sandy beach with palm trees.

if you're talking about leadership, let's say, unless it's about looking at retirement from leadership or something that implies that this is what the book might be about.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           07:27

Yeah.

Be careful with the graphics that you choose For the cover, you don't necessarily have to have graphics.

Sometimes, as I say, just having that big, bold, title that's sort of almost like in your face can be very attractive as well.

Some people like using original art, As you know, we've got some authors who have used original art.

They've created a cover from that.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           07:41

There are lots of stock photos.

but also be careful of not using the same stock photos that you see on a 100 other books.

You don't want that too.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                07:50

So you can even search your graphic to see where else it's been used and verify that it's fresh and new and has not been used in the same context.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           08:11

Yeah.

I mean, just go out there and be a little bit more cautious about what it is that's going to be on the cover.

Don't feel you have to have a graphic unless it really is meaningful.

As I said to help the sale of the book, let's say.

But you don't have to have one.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           08:32

Sometimes just plain color or some little bit of abstract art.

I mean, everything's acceptable.

I don't think there's anything you say don't do this.

Now I do put a caution on the fact that should you have your picture on the front cover.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                08:32

Mhmm.

And

Susan Friedmann                                                                           08:40

that's a question that I often get asked.

If you are a celebrity in your field,

Jane Maulucci                                                                                08:41

Mhmm.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           09:00

Having your picture there is recognizable, then yes.

Why not?

But if you're not, It's not gonna sell the book because it's like, who is this person?

Now, of course, you know, somebody like Michelle Obama, you've got her picture on the front that helps sell the book.

Right.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                09:00

But

Susan Friedmann                                                                           09:41

other than that, if you're not a celebrity in your own right, my recommendation would be not to put it on the book cover.

You could put it on the back and have a mini bio on the back cover, and you've got a smaller picture.

make sure that your picture, you're smiling, and you look inviting because everything about your book has to look inviting about this cover because people look at the cover front and back before they even get to open the book sometimes.

So if you think about how you are in a bookstore whenever you pick up a book.

It's like, I know I do.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           10:06

I just look at the front cover, I go and turn it over, and I might read, you know, a synopsis of what the book is about.

And then if you've got testimonials on the back, then I would read 1 or 2 of those.

I'm getting a sense of the book before I actually open it up.

and look at, let's say, the table of contents before I might purchase it.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                10:11

There you go.

So when's the best time to start working on the cover for your book?

Susan Friedmann                                                                           10:19

As soon as you can.

Once you have foamed up a title, Get that book cover designed.

Maybe not

Jane Maulucci                                                                                10:21

with that.

before you have the book done?

Susan Friedmann                                                                           10:38

Oh, absolutely.

There's no reason why not?

Because if you can tell people, oh, look, I've got this book coming out and you start using it, let's say, in your email signature, You've got a picture of your book.

It's upcoming.

It's available.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           10:55

You know, fall of 2022, winter of 2023.

Whenever.

I know somebody, by the way, who had the book cover done and was selling the book 2 years before that book was actually physically available.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                10:59

Wow.

Mhmm.

It's a great model to follow.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           11:26

Yes.

You can have postcards printed, It comes alive, and it gives you encouragement too to get the thing finished because sometimes you get dark, and it's like, oh, is this ever going to get this out?

But then you see this cover, and I'm like, yes.

And it gives you encouragement that it's going to be something real.

You can touch, and other people can touch and read and enjoy.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                11:35

I would also think that you've got some buzz going on the book, and you might get some insights into your topic from talking to people about this book coming out.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           11:55

Very much so.

Yeah.

But I remember too.

I I mean, I was doing some anthologies many years ago when I was in the trade show industry.

Anthologies are these compilations of 10, 12, 15, 20, sometimes different authors all appearing in one book.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           12:24

They're all writing about a certain topic.

When I was looking to recruit people to be part of this anthology, I had the hardest time because people didn't understand what this was.

But when I got the first one out and I looked to do a second edition with another set of authors.

I had the first one to show them, and they could see it.

And it was like, oh, yeah.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           12:34

I want to be in the second one.

That visual component is so critical when it comes to everything about the book.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                12:50

Susan, you mentioned some elements that are in the back cover you're talking about testimonials.

Now, if you haven't completely finished writing your book, and you're looking for testimonials, how do you arrange to get those so that you have them for your cover?

Susan Friedmann                                                                           13:17

That's a little haughta to actually get testimonials without being able to show people something.

Now I know that when authors ask me to write a testimonial.

I want to read the introduction because I find that if an introduction is well written, it really tells you most about what this book is about.

So that's really important.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           13:42

for people to be able to see that.

I want to see the table of contents, and I want to see the introduction.

I would love to be able to read every single book that crosses my desk, but that's an impossibility.

So for me, being able to read the introduction to the book is key.

Now that depends on the people who you ask to write a testimonial.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           14:14

Some people really might want to read the whole book.

Others, as I said, might be happy with the introduction.

Sometimes people just want to support you in the industry, and they'll write a testimonial for you Again, based on, let's say, the introduction and the items that you cover in the book, which they could see by that table of contents.

Now with the best will in the world, people will say, yes.

I will write you a testimonial.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           14:26

The next thing is to actually get it from them.

That's often the hardest part.

You send it out.

You make the request.

They may say yes.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           14:27

And then it's crickets.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                14:28

Mhmm.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           14:45

So a couple of things.

Number 1, give them a deadline for this.

And don't give them too long because the longer you give them, the longer it's gonna take, whatever that principle.

Is it Peter's principle or somebody's principle?

That the more time you give them, the longer it's going to take.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           15:16

Number 1.

Number 2 is you can actually write some testimonials for yourself, things that you would like people to say.

And offer, you know, let's say half a dozen of these to somebody and say, hey.

Would you like to pick one of these and have your name on it?

Or in fact, here's a sample and you could adapt it so you feel more comfortable with the wording that it sounds more like you.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           15:48

Those are a couple of really good tips that I find get things moving for you because people are busy.

And as I said, with the best bill in the world, they want to help you, they want us to support you.

But many times, People actually don't know how to write a testimonial.

Either it's not well written, and so you've gotta have it edited or it's too long -- Mhmm.

-- because they want to put everything in there and Can you notice it?

Jane Maulucci                                                                                15:50

aiming for what?

About 50 to 75 words.

Is

Susan Friedmann                                                                           15:59

that it?

Exactly.

The more concise it is, the better.

But, yeah, around 50 to 75 words is brilliant, which is about 2 sentences.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                16:00

Mhmm.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           16:40

Or it could be one long But, yeah, a couple of sentences is all you need just to show that he People have read it.

Now it's always nice to have people give you testimonials.

who can support you in the industry.

Let's say you're in health care or some aspect of health care, you want people in the health care environment to be writing you a testimonial.

Would it be nice to have somebody like myself best selling author, host of award winning podcast, yes.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           17:14

But if it doesn't relate necessarily to your industry, and it's going to affect sales in terms of encouraging people in your industry to buy the book.

then testimonial by me isn't necessarily going to help you per se, let's say, on the cover However, you can put umptied testimonials inside the book and take, you know, the people who've got multiple pages of testimonials.

Can you have too many?

No.

I don't think so.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           17:22

But how many of people actually going to physically read is?

10, 2020 is already probably a lot.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                17:43

Yeah.

That's a lot to round up and get into the book besides Yeah, but that's great.

And then you mentioned the synopsis of the book as well.

I think of the synopsis sort of as an enticement because know, you flip the book over and you say, okay, so why do I really wanna read this?

They caught me with the title, but now tell me some more.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           18:03

Yes.

I mean, this is with literally, and and you may need to have someone help you write this because it's gotta be very pithy and at the same time exciting.

It's like, what's the most exciting thing?

What am I gonna get out of this book?

There's sort of this element of curiosity as well.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           18:21

People want to know exactly as you said.

Why should I buy this book?

What am I gonna get?

after reading this book.

Now that, again, has to be short, sweet, and to the point, and we're looking at probably what, a hundred words there, if that.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                18:21

Yeah.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           18:39

So it's condensing everything that you have to offer in your 200 page book or more into, you know, a 100 words that is going to entice people.

The sizzle, as they call it in advertising that's going to sell the stake.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                18:41

There you go.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           19:20

I'd go and read other people's.

I'd go and look at other people's books and I mean, even on Amazon, you see the back cover, read what people are saying about their own books and get ideas and see whether the ones that you read excite you, and let's say the verbs that they use, the action verbs, because there are several action words that you can use to get people really excited.

And I've got lists of words if people need action words just Drop me an email and susanatavivapubs.com.

I'd be more than happy to share this with you.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                19:35

Now the last thing you mentioned was the author's photo on the back, and I've seen those as thumbnails and little brief biographies.

Is that necessary needed or wanted?

What's your thoughts on that?

Susan Friedmann                                                                           20:18

Again, if you're not known necessarily, Then yes.

Just put a little brief bio again.

You're looking at a 100 words.

And rightly, as you said, That picture is a thumbnail of you.

Now if you've got a hardcover book and you've got flaps, because you've got the dust cover, then you don't need to put it on the back cover because one of the flaps And it's usually the back flap then, which is your right hand flap, is the one that would have your -- biography, that short biography of you and a larger picture.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           20:33

And then the front flap would have what the book's about.

Let's say, if it's the 7 ways you're going to share about a process, you might give what the 7 ways are.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                20:40

More of that enticement to get them to say, okay.

This is a book that needs to be in my collection.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           20:59

Exactly.

I mean, the whole thing about the cover in its entirety whether you have a hard cover or a soft cover This is the advertising for your book because you're enticing people.

You want people to buy this.

You want people to get excited about having this book.

It's like, oh my goodness.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           21:12

I've gotta have this book.

I'm not gonna be able to live up.

I don't have this book and I read it.

Now reading it is another thing, but getting people at least to buy it is one thing.

People reading less and less these days.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                21:17

That's okay.

They're listening though.

That's another whole thing.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           21:19

That's a whole another air of expertise.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                21:38

There you go.

So from what you've just told me, Susan, I could get my cover out before my book is done, and I probably should get it out so that I can start my marketing camp pain, give me some of the ways that I can use that cover to support and promote this upcoming book.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           21:43

First of all, as I said, you can have it in your email signature.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                21:44

Mhmm.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           22:04

That is free real estate listeners.

an area that most people don't utilize.

So make sure that you utilize it.

You put cover of your book.

you can, as I said, say it'll be available, spring, drought, winter, whatever, of whatever year.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           22:24

Nobody's gonna hold you to that.

Say you say it's the fall of 2023, and in fact, it doesn't come out until the winter of 2023.

Nobody's gonna hold you to that.

Just put something there, you know, an approximation of when it's going to be released.

That's one.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           22:50

Another is having postcards printed and sharing that, let's say, you do speaking engagements.

You can be sharing that.

that postcard could be a presale opportunity.

You can have it on your website, whether you have a book website or an author website You have a page that you can direct people to to purchase the book.

Yeah.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           23:18

I mean, that's an opportunity to make sales beforehand.

If you're doing that, decide whether you're going to sell it at a special price as a presale.

And then remember that shipping, you don't want to forget the fact that you're going to have to ship these either it includes free shipping or you add your 5 extra dollars or whatever for shipping.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                23:39

Wow, so there's so much that this cover does for you.

It's attracting your reader, it's informing your reader, it's getting them excited about your book, It's letting them know that your book is coming.

As you mentioned earlier, it's the wrapping.

The cover is the gift wrapping for your book and it does make people get excited.

I mean, who doesn't get excited when they see a wrapped package?

Susan Friedmann                                                                           23:49

Yes.

It's like people want to know what's inside.

That's really what you're doing.

You wanna entice people to want to look inside.

I mean, hey.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           23:53

That's why Amazon's are brilliantly put up, you know, look in side --

Jane Maulucci                                                                                23:54

Mhmm.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           24:41

-- because people do want to look inside.

I get very upset when I click on a book that I'm interested in, and I can't look inside because I want to know what's the table of contents because I'm not gonna buy a book until I really know and understand.

Is there something in there that I really am going to be interested in so that whole look inside feature on Amazon or even on your own website, you can put that feature up, or you can put, you know, click here to see the table of contents or click here to read of chapter get the first chapter free.

I mean, all of that helps encourage entice people to buy the book beforehand.

You can even do an audio of the book.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           24:54

You can put up a book trailer All of these things are always in which you can get people excited about the book before it actually comes up.

Think about movies.

Mhmm.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                24:54

You

Susan Friedmann                                                                           25:27

know, movies, you've got trailers.

You know about a film before it comes out.

Sometimes months, sometimes a year before it comes out.

I know you we're talking about Harry Potter or Star Wars or something like that, but Maybe yours isn't quite in that genre yet.

The fact is you can do things, you know, several months as I said, this one gentleman did 2 years before, which that was the longest I've ever known.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           25:45

And I was already shopping at a bit because I wanted that book.

I'd already ordered it, and I didn't get it for longer than I really wanted.

That was a little too long for me, but it happens.

People do that.

So the main thing is the book is coming.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                25:52

And that book cover is the billboard that says it's on its way.

Pay attention.

This is something you want to read.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           25:53

Exactly.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                26:03

That's super.

So, Susan, you always ask for a golden nugget, so I am going to have the honor of asking you for your golden nugget on book covers today.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           26:35

My golden nugget is simply that you absolutely have to beat totally in love with your cover.

If there's anything you don't like, if you don't like the font, if you don't like the graphic.

If you don't like anything about it, get it redone so that you do like it.

I mean, I'm working with an author at the moment who published a book a couple of years ago, and hates the cover.

We're redoing the cover.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           26:53

She's maybe adding some new things into the book, but the fact is it was cover that she didn't like and because she didn't like it.

The book didn't sell.

Yes.

Absolutely.

Love that cover to pieces.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                26:57

Love your cover.

That's your golden nugget.

Thank you, Sixty.

Yes.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           26:59

Thank you.

Jane Maulucci                                                                                27:11

It's always a pleasure to do this with you, I always learn so much whenever we talk, and always have a great time too, but that's beside the point.

So thanks, Susan.

I'm so grateful that we got this chance to chat today.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           27:45

Thank you.

I appreciate you helping me out by interviewing me.

I always find that so much easier when I do these so thank you.

And listeners, by the way, if your book isn't selling the way you want or expect it to, Let's you and I jump on a quick call together to brainstorm ways to ramp up those sales because you've invested a whole lot of time, money, and energy and it's time you got the return you were hoping for.

So go to BrainstormwithSusan.com to schedule your free call.

Susan Friedmann                                                                           27:45

In the meantime, I hope this powerful interview sparked some ideas you can use to sell more books.

Until next week, he's wishing you much book and author marketing success.