2 Essential Ingredients That Make a Book Foreword Great

The Business of Self-Publishing

Updated December 4, 2022 Subtitle A well-crafted foreword can substantially improve your book sales Synopsis A foreword is an essential marketing tool for your non-fiction book. If written correctly and with some understanding and forethought about its role in your book’s success, it can substantially impact your book sales. To create this impact, two primary ingredients should be part of an excellent foreword. What You Will Learn 1. You will learn the two main ingredients needed to create a powerful book foreword. 2. You will learn how and why a book foreword can become a powerful marketing tool for your book. 3. You will learn what the foreword's main goals need to achieve. Introduction A foreword is an essential marketing tool for your non-fiction book. If written correctly and with some understanding and forethought about its role in your book’s success, it can substantially impact your book sales. To create this impact, two primary ingredients should be part of an excellent foreword: 1. The first is establishing your credibility for the subject. 2. The second is motivating people to buy your book. These two essential ingredients will give you a very tasty foreword. Ingredient # 1. Establish Your Credibility Here is a quick overview of what it takes to establish your credibility with readers: The person writing your book’s foreword must understand what needs to be said to show the reader why you have the proper credentials to write the book. Using anecdotes, stories, and facts, the foreword’s author will show the reader your commitment to the subject, your industry reputation, competence, integrity, values, likeability, and so on. All of this will showcase your credibility for this subject. This ‘third-party’ endorsement of you is compelling and can become very profitable for you. All this discussion about you will also help the reader connect emotionally with you. The deeper this connection becomes, the greater your chances of selling them a book. Ingredient # 2. Motivate People To Read Your Book Here is a quick overview of what it takes to motivate readers to buy your book: The person writing your book’s foreword must also understand what needs to be said about your book to motivate the reader to purchase. You must realize that everyone is motivated by (1) the need to avoid a loss and (2) the desire to gain a reward. You do this by showing how your book will give the reader what he needs, or how to solve his problem (both avoiding a loss). Or, show her how she can make more money or get what she wants (both gaining a reward). Many readers already know they have a need or a problem. But some do not. Therefore, the foreword must explain the need or problem and show how your book will help get them what they need or fix their problem (both motivations). Conclusion Here is what you must take away from this article: 1. As your credibility increases, the reader begins to trust you more, increasing the emotional connection the reader makes with you. 2. The more you can satisfy the reader’s desire to get what they need, fix their problem, show them how to make more money or get more of what they want, the more they will be motivated to buy your book. If you understand nothing else about book marketing but intimately understand these two ingredients and apply them to your writing, you’ll be successful as an author. Thriving as an author means having readers (1) wanting to listen and learn from you and (2) reading and buying your books. Questions to Think About 1. What specific methods have you used to build credibility with your audience? 2. What of your audience’s motivations draw them to you?