Synopsis A foreword is an essential marketing tool for your non-fiction book. If it’s written properly, and with some understanding and forethought about its role in your book’s success, it can have a substantial impact on your book sales. In order to create this impact, there are two main ingredients that should be part of a great foreword.

What You Will Learn In This Post 1. You will learn the two main ingredients needed to create a powerful book foreword. 2. You will learn that a book foreword if planned out properly, can become a powerful marketing tool for your book. 3. You will learn that the foreword has two main goals: to establish your credibility, and to motivate readers to buy your book.

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Introduction A foreword is an essential marketing tool for your non-fiction book. If it’s written properly, and with some understanding and forethought about its role in your book’s success, it can have a substantial impact on your book sales. In order to create this impact, there are two main ingredients that should be part of a great foreword.

The first is establishing your credibility for the subject. The second is motivating people to buy your book. These two essential ingredients will give you a very tasty foreword.

Thank you to Joel Friedlander for linking to this article from his website Carnival Of The Indies #57Ingredient # 1. Establish Your Credibility Here is a quick overview of what it takes to establish your credibility with readers: The person that is writing your book’s foreword must understand what needs to be said in order to show the reader why you have the proper credibility to be writing the book. By using anecdotes, stories, and facts, the foreword’s author will show the reader your commitment to the subject, your reputation within the industry, your competence, integrity, values, likeability, and so on.

All of this will showcase your credibility for this subject. This ‘third-party’ endorsement of you is extremely powerful and can become very profitable for you. All of this discussion about you will also help the reader make an emotional connection with you. The deeper this connection becomes, the greater chances you have of selling them a book.

“The foreword has two main goals: to establish your credibility, and to motivate readers to buy your book.” (Tweet)

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 that’s writing your book’s foreword must also understand what needs to be said about your book in order to motivate the reader to buy your book. This can be accomplished once it’s understood that all people are basically motivated by (1) the need to avoid a loss, and (2) the desire to gain a reward. These motivations can be used to your advantage.

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 that they have a need or a problem. But some don’t. 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).

Linkedin - 2 Ingredients That Make A Book Foreword GreatConclusion Here is what you must take away from this article: 1. As your credibility increases, the reader begins to trust you more, which also increases the emotional connection the reader makes with you. 2. The more you can satisfy the reader’s desire to get what they need, or fix their problem, or show them how to make more money, or get more of what they want, the more they’ll be motivated to buy your book.

If you understand nothing else about book marketing, but intimately understand these two ingredients,