For most authors, writing the book is the easy part. Marketing and promoting provides the greatest challenge!
I've read lots of articles and books about promoting, but
The Tricked-Out Toolbox, by
Tonya Kappes and
Melissa Bourbon Ramirez, is the only one I've seen that asks you to determine your personality type (introvert or extrovert), and then develop a plan based on what you're most comfortable doing. For example:
Introverts:
- blogging
- teaching an online class
- joining writing groups online
- social networking
- holding contests
- Kindle boards
Extroverts:
- book signings
- conferences
- teaching a class in person
- joining local writers groups
- social networking
- Kindle boards
Marketing is not a one size fits all endeavor.
The Tricked-Out Toolbox encourages you to work with your strengths in order to market your books for the greatest success!
Be sure to visit
Tonya Kappes's Blog for weekly tips that help authors market and promote their careers, and check out her latest release,
A Charming Crime!
If you enjoy promoting, do you have any tips you'd like to share? If you're not a fan of marketing, what have you found that works best for you?
Thanks for visiting!
11 comments:
Cool post and I like the tips for introverts and extroverts. I'm both because it depends whether I'm in the mood to be wearing my social hat or if I want to hide and write poems.
You're lucky to be both! I'm mostly introvert:).
I totally am awful at promoting anything - wanting to just hide under a rock and hope my story will sell itself!! LOL! It's totally not me to be an extrovert when it comes to my writing.
I worked with a lovely temp who was also a writer. She was only 25 years old, had an MA in Creative Writing, was on her second unpublished novel and had one short story accepted and the only reason I know all these was that on her first day, she told everyone - from the boss to the part-time staff and all in between all about her writerly ambitions and dreams. I could only watch and listen in gobsmacked awe. Only 2 people at work know of my writing and very close friends and family (and of course bloggy friends!) and I still keep all my writerly things very close to my heart. But here was this sweet young thing - who didn't know the meaning of discretion! She was just out there. Amazing.
Take care
x
That temp knows how to toot her own horn--she'll be a whiz at promoting!
But I'm with you! I wish our books could just sell themselves;)!
Thank you so much, Maria! I have to admit that I pull this book out every day and I wrote it! I'm always going back to it and think, "wow, I did do all of this." AND it inspires me to keep going. Thank you so much for sharing it with the world.
Tonya, you're so welcome! THANK YOU for writing such a great book to help us all!
Maria--thank you for posting this! All authors, no matter what their experience level, can learn from this book. I came to self-publishing after having published 14 books through conventional publishers and thought I had all the answers. I did...but to the wrong questions!
You're welcome, Norma! There's so much to learn about the marketing of self publishing. But it sounds like new traditionally published authors have to do a lot of their own promoting too!
Nice to see you blogging again.
Cheers.
Thanks for posting this, Maria!
I'm a mix of introvert and extrovert. Depends on the specific circumstances.
@Happy Whisk: Thanks, Ivy! NIce to be back;).
@William: You're welcome, William! I can put on the extrovert hat as long as I have a lot of quiet time to decompress later:).
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