Hi Peter,
I know I don’t need to say this: Whatever you write, you need to be extremely sensitive, given the subject matter. This makes your task harder than other ebook authors attempting to promote themselves on forums.
Having said that, I think the best way you can initiate discussion, under the circumstances, is to begin with a question: How has your miscarriage affected your partner? How has your miscarriage affected your relationship with your partner? Or something to that effect.
Your question should spark some interesting answers. You could wait for those or you could follow your question with some facts and anecdotes from your book. Remember, by interviewing and documenting the lives of those dozen men, you are effectively establishing yourself as an objective commentator on this issue and some may even see you as an expert. I would think that women, having undergone such a traumatic event, would be interested to know how it has affected other families’ lives ~ and, most importantly, what tips you can offer them on how they and their partner can handle this tragedy.
This, as you can see, is not blatant advertising; it is offering genuine advice and information which can help people. And it’s a win-win for everyone.
Every day, authors are interviewed in print and on air, discussing their book and, in cases like yours, offering insights into people’s lives. We both know why they have agreed to be interviewed ~ and the results speak for themselves.
Also, I would suggest you have a URL link to a page with more info on the ebook rather than a ‘click here to order the book’ link. That info page should, of course, have a link to purchase the book.
Oh, and one more thing: Have another think about your title. As you know, people do judge a book by its cover ~ and that starts with the title. With due respect, the first time I read your title ~ 'Miscarriages Hurt Men Too' ~ it sounded confrontational. That may have been on purpose, to elicit interest. But for me, as a male, initially I didn't like the sound of it. I realize you have two broad target markets: males affected by miscarriages and also females who will buy the book to help their partner cope or to gain some insight into the male psyche. I would think, however, that a good portion of females may find the title offensive. Just something to chew on, Peter. Thankfully it's early days. I'd suggest you brainstorm for some other titles (even simply adding a ‘how to help’ subtitle will soften the original impact). Then poll friends, family and colleagues ~ and see what they think. I did the same when I wrote The Enterprising Writer. I came up with maybe two dozen or more titles and that was the one that most people preferred and, coincidentally, so did I!
I hope this helps, and good luck.
Regards
Michael
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Michael Meanwell
michael@michaelmeanwell.com
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