Imagine you share a huge penny jar with each of your potential readers. Every interaction with a reader either adds or subtracts pennies from the jar. When readers need your info (non-fiction) or entertainment (fiction), they will trade the jar for your book, but only if the jar is full. Overflow the penny jar, and your reader will buy nearly everything you write.

Notice there are two conditions for exchanging the jar for your book. First, the jar has to be full enough. Your reader has to believe that you will either answer a burning question for them or entertain them enough to trade in their jar. Second, your timing has to correspond perfectly with their needs.

FILLING THE JAR

So how do you fill the jar? Satisfy a need or answer a question for your reader. Let me give you a few examples:

-- Answer my question on a discussion list, add a few pennies.
-- Publish a weekly ezine, and provide me with info I