What’s in it for Me?
The #1 Question Every Reader Is Asking
I hope you’ve been enjoying this email series on book messaging. I know here at Author Coaching, we love helping authors like you with this. If you are just joining us, you can check out the first two parts here and here.
This last one, Benefits, is where the magic happens. You’ve already set everything up with the felt need and the promise. Now it’s time to take it home with the most important question your book must answer: What’s in it for me?
Readers are selfish—and they should be. They want to know what’s in it for them. That’s where your benefits come in.
This is where your message becomes laser-sharp. In 3–4 bullets, explain exactly what your reader will walk away with after reading your book. For example:
- Learn a simple three-step process to find financial agreement in your marriage.
- Identify what kind of emotional reactor you are—and how to change it.
- Discover five common obstacles to intimacy with God—and how to overcome each one.
- Watch how Bonhoeffer followed God’s call under unimaginable pressure.
Benefits answer the question your reader is really asking: “Why should I care?”
If your benefits are clear and specific, your book will sell itself.
Okay, here’s where you can really take advantage of your benefits: Apply them to your marketing copy. Whether it’s a product page on Amazon or Barnes & Noble – or my favorite place, the back cover – the benefits you outlined here are the perfect place to begin shaping your consumer copy.
Once you’ve completed your book messaging, incorporate it into your book proposal. I think that often writers feel like they need to act like a magician – don’t. It’s good to be direct with what you are trying to do, especially at this stage. By doing this, you’ll help get more people excited about your book faster.
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In your corner,
