As an author, you want your book to be more than just a story that people read and forget.
You want people to connect with your characters, live through the highs and lows of the plot, and feel like they’ve experienced something meaningful.
In this episode of the Garlic Marketing Show book series, Mark Stern, the CEO of Rough Streak Digital, shared with us three things that will help turn your book into an experience for your readers.
Before we proceed, don’t forget that this episode is brought to you by videocasestory.com. Click here if you need help collecting, crafting, and delivering customer stories.
STEP 1: PUT A WELCOME NOTE IN YOUR BOOK
It’s always nice to feel welcome, and that’s especially true when you’re starting a new book.
Oftentimes, authors only give their readers the book and leave it at that.
But you can always put a little welcome note inside to make your readers feel their importance.
It doesn’t have to be anything big or fancy – just a quick note from the author saying how happy they are that the reader is there.
It’s a small gesture that can make a big difference in how someone feels about a book.
Plus, it’s a nice way to personalize the reading experience and let readers know that they’re appreciated.
STEP 2: GUIDE THE READERS THROUGH A PHYSICAL JOURNEY MAP
One way to turn your book into an experience is by guiding your readers through it.
Sometimes, they just don’t know how to consume the book.
Potentially using a physical journey map, would make a better experience for them.
A physical journey map is essentially a guide that tells the reader where to start and what to do next.
It’s like a treasure map, but for your book.
This physical journey map can be as simple or as complex as you desire.
The important thing is that it helps the reader to navigate through the book so that they can get the most out of it.
“We had three envelopes that had actionable items inside of them that corresponded to each of the parts of the book. The point why we love these rip and reveal envelopes that you open up at key junctions is you want to create excitement around: ‘Let me finish this piece.’
And as a result of finishing part one and going to part two, ‘I earned the right to break open another envelope,’ reveal the secret that starts to bring to life the book in a different capacity.”
If you’re not sure how to create a physical journey map, there are plenty of resources online that can help you out.
But once you have one, you’ll be well on your way to turning your book into an experience that your readers will love.
STEP 3: HAVE CALLS TO ACTION IN YOUR BOOK
As an author, you have the opportunity to not only share your knowledge with your audience, but to also encourage them to take action on what they’ve learned.
This is why calls to action are so important.
A call to action is simply an invitation for your reader to do something with the information they’ve just read.
It could be as simple as asking them to reflect on their own life and how they could apply the concepts in your book.
Or, you might ask them to take a specific action, such as reaching out to someone they know who is going through a tough time.
Whatever the call to action may be, it’s important that you include one in your book.
By doing so, you’ll increase the likelihood that your readers will actually use the knowledge they’ve acquired from reading your book.
Did you find this useful?
Mark talked about a lot more on his episode of the Garlic Marketing Show Book Series.
Watch the full episode, and make sure to leave any questions or comments you have about the episode.