You say your book has lists, how-tos, easy-to-read recipes? 124 pages? Do these features give your potential buyer enough of a reason to buy your book?

Probably not, unless they are your best friends. Instead, let your reader see and hear reasons to buy by placing "selling" words (benefits) with your features.

You need to answer your buyer's questions about how your book will make them richer, healthier, and make their life easier. You need to memorize these benefits and have them ready to spout when someone asks you what your book is about. Leave plot or story out. When you verbalize them, just stick to thirty second "tell and sell." Or, when you write, sprinkle those benefits around on your front and back cover, in your introduction, and in your table of contents.

Potential buyers read these essential "Hot Selling Points" first, before they open book to skim chapters.

Benefits are words that will bring your buyer running. Why? Because benefits are end result of satisfactory use of your product. For instance, one client's new book, Not on My Table: Protecting Your Children from Poisons in Our Food, wrote: Includes: "quick- scan shopping lists." Turning these features into reasons to buy, I suggested adding a benefit: "stop confusion with "quick-scan, time-saving shopping list."

Most authors say, "Everyone will want my book, and when I take it to Oprah, it will sell millions, and I'll make millions, too."

Not exactly true. If you are writing a book you need to know your specific audience. This gives your book its unique selling point. Writing for your target audience focuses your writing and gives your book a great advantage because you know and can communicate your unique selling point. (USP). Now, your book will stand out from crowd. Although everyone won't buy it, it will sell more copies because your buyers really want your message.

How do you know who your audience is?

The biggest mistake most authors make is that they don't write for their one preferred audience. If an audience is "everyone," book doesn't have an angle. Without a focus audience, it has too much competition among other popular authors. The "Dummy" books have done well because they have one particular focus-beginners.

Know your audience inside and out through "Audience Profile."

What do they look like? How old are they? Male? Female? Age? Baby boomers? Seniors? Entrepreneurial? Corporate? Are they middle or upper class? What kind of work do they do? What is their income? What do they spend discretionary time and money on? Where do they live? What books and magazines do they read? What values and attitudes are reflected by those books? What are their interests, hobbies, and values?