Alright, we’ve talked about not marketing your novel… instead, marketing yourself. How do you do that? By being nice.
(Check out the last few Friday posts if you’re just jumping in.)
Okay, so it’s all well and good doing this over the internet… but what about those public appearances?
We can all be nice, that’s not too hard. Getting out there in front of people… that is hard. But when you do, just remember that you don’t need to shove your novel in people’s faces.
Just smile pretty. Answer questions. Be yourself.
If you are a scared, timid writer, invent a new character who is outgoing and friendly… and be that person for a little while. (It’s called acting).
In the end, the connections you make will sell your work. The connections you make will lead to “word of mouth”. And you never know when you will be nice to someone, and they will help you out.
Remember Ed Griffis? After my post on his novel, dozens of my followers re-tweeted it. It’s the Twitter snowball effect. His Kindle rating jumped. Pretty cool, huh? I’m not saying that is all because of my post. Maybe it was just a coincidence. (There is a lot that goes into your Amazon rating. It not only has to do with your sales, but everyone else’s too.) But if you guys did all run out and buy his book, that’s great… and you found out about it because the author was “nice” to me for a little while.
Easy self-promotion, right?
Market yourself. Not your novel.
Smile pretty at everyone.
You never know who you might meet.
By the way… thanks for stopping by.
It’s great to meet you! 🙂
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Jennifer M Eaton 
I have 2 television interviews in November to promote my writing group and Wild at Heart. I speak in front of groups all the time when I do trainings but this feels different. Thinking about it makes my mouth go dry.
I’m actually on a chatroom with a multi published author right now. He was just asked this question, and this was his response:
[Tim Marquitz] Promotion is constant. You have to take every opportunity to put yourself out there, using social networking, hand out business cards, author chats, talk to students. You have to have thick skin to do all this because you’re going to have folks crap on it
[Tim Marquitz] I think that’s the hardest part. You have to be you, but you have to scale back some things so you don’t piss folks off. I think you need to follow the path of folks Like Lincoln Crisler, in here today. Put yourself out there and make a connection with…
[Tim Marquitz] your readers. Interact with folks, don’t just sell. Let them get to know you as a person first, author second. Done.
How’d you get the TV spots?
I suppose YOU are your book therefore promote YOU. Makes a certain kind of sense…
I can be nice…for a little while. 🙂
Ha! There comes in the acting!
Come on, you’re nice at heart and you know it.
You’re right…I pull it off every year…on christmas day.
Ha! Stop blogging and go do a hundred crunches.
You’re not the boss of me! 😛
Great advice…especially the acting part. Hmmm? Who should I pretend to be?
Hmmmmm. I think I’m just going to be a more confident version of myself.
Nice answer. I was thinking more along the lines of Zorro or Mrs. Incredible.
As someone who has made a few public appearances as a writer, I still gets those queazy butterflies in the stomach, especially getting up in front of a lot of other writers. I always hope they will appreciate the wisdom in my words and not criticize if I make a mistake. So far, all things considered, the times I’ve stood up in front of students and other writers have all been fairly positive experiences. I only hope I’ve managed to put forth a good face so that it reflects well in the way of book sales. (I haven’t been brave enough to follow my Amazon stats, so have no idea whether I’ve sold any books at all in the last little while!)
Ha! I think I’d watch my stats every day. I’m hyper- competitive, even with myself.
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