Positioning

Your book is competing with so many other books for shelf space and the reader’s dollar. Your “position” is how your book compares with what else is out there and what makes it special to your readers.

By identifying your audience and their needs and knowing what their other choices are in the book marketplace, you can decide how you want readers to see your book. Then you must create one that fits the market position you want to occupy. For instance:

•   Do you offer a broader or a more in-depth approach to your subject? •   Are you easy to read or designed for the subject matter expert? •   Is your price point higher or lower than other books of this type? •   Who are you versus other authors? What is your level of experience and breadth of experience vis-à-vis other authors? •   What does your book offer compared with other books? Do you have exercises, resources, Web interactivity, and the like?

Design the book to fit the needs of your audience and be sure to communicate your positioning with your title and back cover copy and in your sales information. Don’t make your customer work hard to discover you’ve written just the book they are looking for.

Tanyab 08:36, 5 December 2008 (UTC) | www.publishing-store.com