The Marketing Power of Short Books

Fast highly-targeted marketing tools

Short books have emerged as a powerful marketing tool.


While traditional publishers have been reluctant to take on such projects, they are finally realising the power and effectiveness of short books.


Short books are quickly gaining popularity for a number of reasons: they convey the same information and knowledge as longer works, but without all the fluff; they are easy to read and consume in one sitting; their short length makes them more appealing to busy readers who find it hard to commit hours at a time to reading; and, finally, they allow for more variety in content, which increases the number of titles that people can read.


While shorter books may be the latest trend, their popularity is nothing new.


Writing a book is no easy task, and it's even more difficult to write a short one. Never fear-here are some tips on how to author your short book!


A lot of people will give you tips on how to write a long book-and that's great if you can. You might even get lucky and write a full-length novel or nonfiction book. But what if writing longer is just not your thing? What do you do then?


To begin with, remember that your book is just one part of a bigger picture. It's meant to be read in conjunction with a lot of other material on the topic you're writing about-that includes articles, blog posts, and videos. Some people do create eBooks or short books because they want to provide a brief summary of what they teach in their courses or workshops, and that's just fine.


If you're looking to author a short book, here are some tips:

  • Think in terms of short blog posts or articles first. They'll give you a good sense of what the finished product will be like, and they'll be used as building blocks for your book.


  • Use a writing prompt to help you get started. It's easy to lose steam when you're working on your own, so try something like this: Every other week, write 1,000 words (or about three double-spaced pages). For example, if it's Monday and you have to do your writing exercise for the week, decide on a topic and title for that day's post. Think about what you're going to talk about-and then start writing.


  • Keep these exercises in mind when you're writing your book. Before you do anything else, focus on having a clear idea of what you want to write about and who the audience is. Also pay attention to the length, keeping it as short as possible. Then use one of the writing prompts if you need help steaming up your efforts.


  • Make sure you have a strong introduction and good lessons that flow from one to the other. These are what will encourage people to keep reading on your topic, and they'll also serve as a way for you to organise your book's content. You don't want people getting confused and thinking there's something missing when there isn't. Organise your book well and make people want to read it.


  • Make sure your book is complete before you publish it. Be clear on how the book is organised (i.e., lessons, chapters), and make sure that there aren't any missing pieces-or extra ones! If you've written a series of exercises or articles, make sure they flow together and build on one another.


Once you've published, it's time to promote your book. It could be through your email list, or social media, or blogging, or a pitch to the editor of a well-known website or blog that gets a lot of visitors every month.


The market for short books is vast and growing all the time!