All of the previous columns and colleagues have offered wonderful and valuable tips for your next steps after completing the manuscript. My favorite tip is a simple one – the “elevator speech”. Whether you are a first-time publisher or a major house is publishing your book, every author needs an -“elevator speech”-. Think of this as the verbal business card for you and your book. What’s the first question you get when you sit down at a restaurant? “What would you like to drink?” What is the first question you get as an author by everyone you meet, “What is your book about?”
We refer to this pitch as an elevator speech because an elevator ride may be all the time you have to impress someone with your book. Because you wrote the book you are the expert. In fact you are the only one that can truly describe what you have written. Think of this speech as a 30 – second sound bite. While remaining true to your material, what concepts would motivate people to buy your book? People want to know what is in it for them, so what will they get by reading your book? Make these points simple and clear. While you are considering your options, imagine offering them coffee, tea, or water, instead of the whole juice bar. Write one or two sentences that capture the value your book offers. Initially forget trying to explain the finer points.
Jari Holland Buck, author of Hospital Stay Handbook: A Guide to Becoming a Patient Advocate for Your Loved Ones used the following as her elevator speech: “You and your loved ones deserve the best health care and to be treated right at hospitals. Hospital Stay Handbook offers practical suggestions and spiritual guidance to help you advocate for the health care you need.”www.hospitalstayhandbook.com
John English, author of The Little Book on Relationship used this for his elevator speech: “The Little Book shows us that when we grasp the dynamics of working with relationships we gain energy, become healthier, and more aligned with our soul’s purpose.” www.mydreamtimellc.com
Dorothy Atalla, author of (the soon to be released) Conversations with the Goddess: Encounter at Petra, Place of Power uses this: “Conversations is filled with hope for women and the men who love them. Conversations offers a feminine perspective on the Divine that includes a historical perspective that encourages modern women in their activism.” http://www.conversationswiththegoddess.net
Once you feel certain that you have a workable elevator speech, practice in front of a mirror, with your spouse, with friends. Are you having a hard time saying the lines you’ve chosen? Try simplifying them, or switching them around. Keep working with them until you can recite them and feel completely relaxed while getting your message across. Remember to smile as you offer your speech. The friendliness and openness you convey with your speech will help people remember you and later buy your book. Remember, you are just getting your foot in the door. When you start from a point of brevity and clarity, there is always the possibility to open the door further, and then you can then expound on your favorite topic.