Tips for the Shy Author-Marketer

by Linda Gilden @LindaGilden

Many writers feel that once they put the last period on their manuscripts their jobs are finished. All they have to do is email it to the publisher. 

But that is not quite the case. If you have written a book lately, you know that one of the sections on your proposal included how you were going to help market your book. Market your book? Isn’t that part of what the publisher does?

Publishers need your help on this one. Many publishers do not have publicists on staff. And even if they do, they have so many authors to take care of there are really not enough hours to go around. That leaves a huge gap in your book marketing.

So how can you help? 

For those writers who are extroverts, marketing their books is an invitation to plan a party, talk to their friends, and make themselves the center of attention. They can talk and talk and talk about their books to all their friends and even to people they don’t know. When a publisher signs an author who is an extrovert, he had a double blessing. They not only write the book but as soon as they turn it in, they get release teams activated and work hard to let their friends know it’s time to buy their personal copies of the book.

But what if you are an introvert? 

How can you possibly help sell your book? You may not be inclined to join the speaking circuit, schedule big book signings, or call your friends. But there are plenty of things an introvert, the shy marketer, can do to help spread the word about his or her new book.

Tips for the Shy Author-Marketer

• Set up a book signing at a place that is familiar to you. Your church may be a good choice or a local book store. Spread the word on social media and send personal invitations to those within driving distance. Having your first event among friends will give you experience and build your confidence.

• Create a blog tour. Search for blogs on the subject of your book. Look for the ones that have the most readers. Send them a quick email and ask if they accept guest bloggers. Let them know you’d like to be a guest blogger and send a list of blogs you have written or could write that would appeal to their readership and have some tie-in to their blog.

• Send a press release to local newspapers and magazines. Make sure you give your contact information so they can get in touch with you.

• Write an article that has a connection to your book. Your bio may be the only place that you mention your book. But if you have an issue, a health situation, or a family dilemma that you have solved in your book, write an article about that and pitch it to a health magazine.

• If you know someone who writes book reviews, ask them to review your book. You can return the favor when their next book comes out. This not only gets the word out about your book but also gives that person a writing credit.

• Since virtual meetings are key these days, offer to talk about your book to a writers group. You can “visit” groups all over the country. Offer to talk about your book for 30 minutes then answer questions about the book writing process.

Whatever your approach, remember that you are important not only as an author, but also as a publicist for your book. Even if you are a shy marketer, you can give a friendly smile and say a few words about your passion for writing and your latest book.

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Linda Gilden is an award-winning writer, speaker, editor, certified writing and speaking coach, and personality consultant. Linda is the author of 19 books and over 1000 magazine articles. She enjoys every meeting with editors and knowing we are all part of the same team. Linda’s favorite activity (other than eating folded potato chips) is floating in a pool with a good book surrounded by splashing grandchildren—a great source of writing material! www.lindagilden.com