Shameless Self Promotion

Well, revision is done, most people have agreed that I can use their first names in the book, and it is off to copyediting. The train has left the station, folks! I still can't believe I am getting two books published in less than two years. How did that even happen? 

I was thinking about self-promotion and when it turns ugly. It is a fine line to walk. You want to put your book out there, you want people to buy it, but you don't want to be annoying either. I have a few writer friends, bless their hearts, who aren't great about toeing that line. I get it, you need sales, but for myself, I plan to stay away from friends' personal email and posting every interview or award I've gotten on my personal FB page (I have an author page for that). It's really easy to get carried away and proclaim to the world that MY BOOK IS COMING OUT IN SEPTEMBER AND IT'S GOING TO BE HARDCOVER! But I do restrain myself because who has time for that? 

Luckily (I guess) I have a full-time job so I don't have the time to obsess or create social media blitzes. Instead, my friend is creating a book trailer for me (like a movie trailer but for books. It's the thing, I guess). It's challenging because we really need fire footage but we live in the soggy PNW and nothing is going to burn. We will figure it out. I am going to cold-email people for blurbs even though this is my least favorite thing (I am tasked with big name authors and I can't think of any. Well, I can, but they aren't doing blurbs).

I've never been a seek-the-spotlight person (I think few authors are) so promotion is challenging for me. I have to make myself do it. But generally, it turns out well and people are receptive. In turn, I am trying to pay it forward by encouraging other authors. (Maybe someday someone will want me to blurb?!)

 

 
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