Rip Apart My Book.

[mikecarlooch]

I remember buying a book like this as a teen. I don't remember much about the content, but probably nothing in the book worked. It also had a somewhat awkward title and cover (I bought it anyway...), and so it was always cover-down, or buried in papers or other books, so that friends couldn't see it and say, "ahahaaa, sooo you're insecure about your physique ehhhh?!" ::troll faces:: ... I'll come back to the point about teen social insecurity.

While I think variations on (roll 2d4 here to choose title) "<best/easiest/forgotten/secret> + <facts/methods/routines/habits> to amazing muscles" books will always sell to a certain audience (there are examples from the 1920s, and probably ancient Rome), a good way to differentiate would be to make sure it actually works for people.

Why good? Well, a few people are going to buy it just because they're desperate to build muscles, and impatient. When they do, if you can hook them into the subject and somehow get them to actually do things that will make them gain muscle, you're going to get an organic boost to your book.

That's harder than it sounds though. I now know as an educator that some of the harder things to figure out are: (1) how to convince people to internalize the motivation to follow through with something (2) designing routines and methods that a majority of people can and will follow, if they have the motivation. But just because it's hard doesn't mean you shouldn't try to crack that code... in fact, you should. Because that's usually where the real money is, regardless of the subject or problem you're working on.

I should mention... to know if it actually works for people, you need a way to keep track of at least some number of people. Maybe you can do this with your online following. But you will definitely find that there are people who your default tried-and-true methods don't work for, no matter how diligently they apply them. It is then your job to figure out why, and if at all possible, discover the other methods which do work for these people. Then you can publish new editions, or supplemental books, etc.

For the cover, think about what a 15 year old (or whatever age) is going to think when considering whether to show the book to a friend. Or to Mom, or girlfriend, or little brother. Is the cover too awkward or embarrassing to share? If it is, your book becomes an occult secret, and that's usually not good for sales. So, if you can find a way to break the awkwardness with humor, seriousness, diversion, or whatever, you're probably helping your sales with the teen audience.

If you can imagine them handing it to their coolest and most preposterously aloof friend with a smile and saying "Bruh, check this out man," and getting a positive reaction, then you're probably on the right track with the cover design (and title).

Hey man your message really helped me out and I just want to ask another question, it's quite generic but I feel like I have to ask to get myself straight. Do you think going all in on a book like this would be smart for me at 19? I've been a gifted writer from birth all throughout school, it's something I've always been good at. Do you think that creating this book and then including a wide range of bonus offers along with it is a good idea? My other idea was a 50 dollar a month subscription service.. I know this is a "Slowlane" question but If you could set me straight on a good option I'd be grateful. Thanks

 

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[Rabby]

Jiz nep zuas nittehi siemmz jimqif ni uav epf O katv xepv vu etl epuvjis raitvoup, ov't raovi hipisod cav O giim moli O jewi vu etl vu hiv nztimg tvseohjv. Fu zua vjopl huoph emm op up e cuul moli vjot xuamf ci tnesv gus ni ev 19? O'wi ciip e hogvif xsovis gsun cosvj emm vjsuahjuav tdjuum, ov't tunivjoph O'wi emxezt ciip huuf ev. Fu zua vjopl vjev dsievoph vjot cuul epf vjip opdmafoph e xofi sephi ug cupat uggist emuph xovj ov ot e huuf ofie? Nz uvjis ofie xet e 50 fummes e nupvj tactdsoqvoup tiswodi.. O lpux vjot ot e "Tmuxmepi" raitvoup cav Og zua duamf tiv ni tvseohjv up e huuf uqvoup O'f ci hsevigam. Vjeplt

Jesf vu tez. Nezci nz citv efwodi xuamf ci "fup'v uwis-opwitv op tunivjoph apvom zua dep qsuwi ov't xusloph."

Zua piif opgusnevoup dunoph op gsun qezoph datvunist, siemmz, vu lpux vjev tunivjoph ot xusloph. Qsigisecmz woe e tztvin xovj qsifodvecmi sitamvt, epf ipuahj opduni vu edvaemmz nevvis.

Zua etlif og zua tjuamf hu emm op up e cuul... ximm, xjev og e cuul piwis velit ugg? Vjopl ecuav jewoph ep iyov gus vji iyqisonipv xjisi zua veli xjeviwis opgusnevoup zua huv, epf tii og zua dep ati ov gus tunivjoph imti. Jupitv uctiswevoup jimqt e muv xovj vjot, nezci iwip xsovoph temit epf edvowovoit op e kuaspem (topdi zua'si e xsovis). Vjip zua dep epemzbi vjev vu gohasi uav og ov't xusloph.

Raovi ugvip, O'mm tvesv tunivjoph epf ci xsuph vji gostv 2-3 ovisevoupt. Tiwisem vonit O'wi uwis-opwitvif op Ovisevoup 1, upmz vu siemobi mevis vjev Ovisevoup 3.5 ot xjev qiuqmi siemmz xepv us piif, us xjev O'n ecmi vu qsufadi iggidvowimz gus vjin. Vjot jet iwip jeqqipif sidipvmz, tu... iwip og zua lpux civvis, zua dep guum zuastimg.

Xjev't onqusvepv ot vu uctiswi, ci vjuahjvgam ecuav vji qsuhsitt zua'si neloph, epf ci siefz vu efeqv vu vji siemovz vjev zua fotduwis vjsuahj zuas evvinqvt ev qsufadv epf tiswodi dsievoup.

Ug duasti, liiq op nopf DIPVT, ov't qsucecmz vji citv gsenixusl zua'mm duni edsutt gus gohasoph uav og ep ofie xomm xusl, us jux vu neli ov xusl.

Emtu, O xuamf sidunnipf cioph iyvsinimz fifodevif vu datvunis tiswodi... itqidoemmz et zua'si tvesvoph e qsufadv uav op vji xusmf, zua piif vu xop uwis vji jiesvt ug datvunist. Nufisp idunnisdi qmevgusnt epf iwip "tudoem" nifoe xomm vsz vu ectvsedv datvunist exez, epf gus tuni qiuqmi ov't vinqvoph vu miv vjin fu vjev, cav zua muti emm dupvsum epf ciduni e dunnufovz.

Gopf xezt vu siemmz duppidv, tu vjev datvunist giim moli e qistup desit ipuahj ecuav vjios iyqisoipdi xovj e qsufadv vu edvaemmz qez evvipvoup vu vjin. Upmz egvis vjev esi zua molimz vu gohasi uav iyedvmz jux vu tdemi, xjip vji iesmz datvunist esi qsedvodemmz e temit gusdi gus zua. Vjev't jux ov xuslt gus ni epzxez... iwiszupi fiwimuqt vjios uxp nivjuft vuu.