What's Your Comfort Zone about Promoting Your Book? Thoughts on the Tricky Line We Authors Walk

When I began publishing, back in the 1980s, there wasn't much required from authors to make their books successful--other than the writing itself.

Sounds dreamy these days, doesn't it.

On my first books, the publisher assigned a publicist who set up gigs and I just showed up (talks, panels, interviews). Any paid advertising happened behind the scenes and brought sales. One of my early books even won an award, and I only found out after the fact.

Clueless? Yes. Blame it on the times, too. We authors moved in a kind of laissez-faire where the publisher and editor took care of the nasty business of promotion. We were the talent, the ones responsible for creating, not selling.

That dream is long gone for most of us. I do know a few authors who are buoyed by friendly publicity departments and hefty budgets for their first books, but these gifts are rare. Nowadays, if you want to publish traditionally (using an agent, a trad publisher, and even if you go with certain small presses), you come as a package. The business folk in the publisher's house will study you for your ability to sell your own book. Colleagues who publish with the big five are asked, before the book is released: Who do you know who might give a blurb or help promote? What's your social media savvy and how can you use it for sales? How's your website?

We become promoters as well as authors, and if this isn't your comfort zone, it becomes a difficult road to travel. Enough to put off many first-time authors, who have already put heart and soul into just producing a decent book. Now we have to sell it too?

In case I doubt this, I have recent proof: My third novel is just starting the rounds of publishers and my agent sends me regular updates. A few early rejections, pretty much expected in this process, are coming in now. I was startled--but not--when I read the notes of one editor at a Big Five publisher. She declined the manuscript because they already had one in the works that was very similar, and her rejection was one I'll keep because she was regretful. She liked the story and said, "This author's bio is impressive."

Translated, that means: This author knows people, she'd generate sales, she'd get good blurbs.

I am a realist about publishing, after many decades immersed in it. I really don't enjoy the idea that the sales potential of the author counts more than the quality of the book. But I also know this editor would have to sell my manuscript to her sales team, and they would focus more on the numbers than the story.

It's all business, after all.

So, if it's in our lap to self-promote, how does one do that in a way that's not soul-scouring? How do we keep our integrity as we share the wonder of our books with others on Facebook or elsewhere? I'm on many mailing lists from past students and colleagues who have published, and I pay close attention to how I feel when I receive their promotional material. I find there's a tricky line to walk. Emails that push, push me away. Emails that offer something, or try to build community, attract me.

Here's an example. Two published authors who are past students are doing quite well with their books. They post book news on Facebook with a tone of excitement, sharing the joy of what's happened, and they also offer something about writing, reading, or literature to their friends and followers. It's not only an effort to sell friends their book, it brings a feeling of building community. One shares great books she's read. Another hosts book chats. I see them more as people who are generous and love books, so when I get their emails that say, "Celebrate with me, this cool thing has happened," I want to join in. I'm glad to celebrate, to buy their books, because they are part of my community.

Another has gone the book club route to get her book noticed: she offers to speak for groups and charities and anyone else who is interested, all via Zoom, and she hosts a regular give-away for her book on social media. That's offering something, which is part of building community, and that makes all the difference to me. I get behind this approach 100 percent.

Not all authors want or can do this. That's OK--we each do whatever we feel is right when it comes to sharing the great news. I've done it all sorts of ways myself, but in the end, I believe the community of writers and readers is the golden key. We support each other.

To me, it's all about the balance between making art, which is why most of us write, and getting that art to its audience.

Writing and performing, in a sense.

I came across a wonderful article many years ago, and I want to share it again here. It talks about the ongoing dilemma: making commerce versus making art. It's written by a first-time author who was encountering these big questions as she promoted her new book. Check it out here and maybe take some time this week to explore where you are on the continuum. (If the link doesn't work, go to Beacon Broadside's website and search for author Christine Byl.)