Introduction

A foreword is an essential marketing tool for your nonfiction book. If it’s written correctly and with some understanding and foresight about its role in the success of your book, it can have a substantial impact on your book sales. And, of course, there are several ingredients that should go into a great prologue. But (1) establishing your credibility for the topic and (2) motivating people to buy your book are by far the most important ingredients of a very tasty foreword.

Ingredient 1. Establish your credibility

Here’s a quick overview of what it takes to establish your credibility with readers:

The person who is writing the foreword to your book needs to understand what needs to be said to show the reader why they have the proper credibility to write the book. Through the use of anecdotes, stories, and facts, the author of the foreword should show the reader his commitment to the topic, his reputation within the industry, his competence, integrity, values, likeability, etc. All this will show his credibility for this topic. This ‘third party’ endorsement of you is extremely powerful and can be very profitable for you. All this discussion about you will also help the reader make an emotional connection with you. The deeper this connection, the better chance you have of selling them a book.

Ingredient 2. Motivate people to read your book

Here’s a quick overview of what it takes to motivate readers to buy your book:

The person who is writing the foreword to your book needs to understand what needs to be said about your book to motivate the reader to buy it. This can be accomplished once it is understood that we are all basically motivated by (1) the need to avoid a loss and (2) the desire to gain a reward. This can be done by showing how your book will give the reader what they want. needsor as solve your problem (both avoiding a loss), or show you how you can make more moneyPrayed get what you want (both earning a bounty). Many readers already know that they have a need or a problem. But some don’t. Therefore, the foreword should explain the need or problem and show how your book will help them get what they need or solve their problem.

conclusion

This is what you should take away from this article:

1. As your credibility increases, so does the emotional connection the reader makes with you.

2. The more you can satisfy the reader’s desire to get what they need, solve their problem, show them how to make more money, or get more of what they want, the more motivated they will be to buy your book.

If you understand nothing else about book marketing, but intimately understand these two things and apply them to all of your writing, you will be successful. Being successful as an author means having readers (1) who want to listen to you and learn from you, and (2) read and buy your books.