Marketing Maven? Um, Not Quite...

It's time to come clean. I can't live with the pressure of having to conceal the truth any longer. You may want to sit down or fix yourself a drink though, 'cause this is a biggee.

I'm not sure all my readers are aware of it, but I've taught workshops to writers for a number of years on how to best/better market their books or themselves. Get out from behind your laptops, I urge. Show your face! Embrace public speaking. Set aside one day a week just for marketing. Or 1 hour a day. Small steps lead to big results. No one is going to do it for you. Being your own PR person is what it takes these days to be a successful author. That's right, no need to leap into a marketing school program to get your book to its audience.I could look out at a sea of faces and watch people scribble notes. 

But now, the truth. Ready? Here is it:

I. SUCK. AT. MARKETING.

Seriously, the whole marketing my book thing? I'm over it. I do not want to set up a blog tour, coordinate dates, write and distribute press releases, or research obscure cat holidays in our nation and attempt to somehow tie my book into them. I wrote that book. Now I just want to write my next book. Lemme alone. 

Alas, I know better. Sales for Who Moved My Mouse? have dipped since the holidays and that's partly because sales are naturally buoyant during the holidays but also partly because I became involved in my new writing project and backed off the promotion. 

It's not even that I mind so much making myself available for talks or interviews. I like that part. What I don't like is the leg work involved - finding the radio stations, sending the contact letter, confirming the date, or schlepping 20 pounds of books and material to a book signing.

I have no desire to be famous but I would like to be well-enough established so that I have people. You know, "people" who handle all the boring details of life for you? "Ms. Harris, the radio host for your 1:30 interview is on line two. Shall I put him through now?" Something like that. 

But since that's not happening just yet, I need to rifle through my workshop notes and take my own advice. One hour a day needs to be devoted to marketing. Baby steps. Doing something, anything, each day, will make a difference. One hour a day is not too much to ask, nor is dropping the bad attitude at the door. 

If you find any of those "people" for me though, let me know.

I'd really like to have some of them around. 

Cheers,

Dena