Secrets to Author Promotion

Image courtesy of Makau

Being an introvert, there are few things worse than asking complete strangers to do me a favor. In fact, I hate even asking close friends or family members for favors, because I know how hectic and crazy life can be. Not to mention that days have deadlines. (I'd like to have a talk with whoever decided that 24 hours a day was enough to get everything done. Housework begs to differ.)

But, now more than ever, it's important for authors to get out there and promote their books. I shudder at this. Not because I don't believe in my book--believe me, I wouldn't be investing so many hours or so much of myself into it if I didn't--but because I'm asking people to go out and spend money on my book when they could use it for something else. Like pizza. Or that shiny book they've been eyeing for a while and saving up for.

So even though this is so far out of my comfort zone it's not even a minor planet (sorry, Pluto!) I've been looking around me and taking notes. I've watched how different authors have promoted their books and how the different approaches made me feel as a consumer.

And the one thing I learned that changed everything? Okay, there are a couple and they're all 100% my own opinion:

It's not about me.
Honest it's not. I don't have a book to promote, but I do have a blog, and the two aren't all that different. Instead of asking for money, I'm asking for your time--which is even more precious. People don't keep coming back to hear about me go on and on and on about myself or my stories. In fact, those are the very blogs I avoid, because that sort of thing is like nails to a chalkboard to me. Not saying a person should never talk about themselves, but there are ways to do it without turning people off. The best way I've seen this done is when people relax and just be themselves. No fancy glitter, perfume, or fireworks involved. And that's as it should be.

It's not all about what you can do for me.
It's not. If the first example is like nails on chalkboards, this is like rubbing salt into a fresh paper cut. Forget about being a consumer, looking at this from a purely human perspective, if the only time I hear from someone is when they want me to rush out and buy whatever it is they're selling, the Curmudgeon Within snorts in disbelief before hitting the delete button. (The only thing worse is when my name is on a long list of people that have been CC'ed the exact same email. That's salt AND lemon juice.) I've learned the importance of personalizing the email--even if it's just sending the same form email to people one person at a time rather than mass emailing--and only sending something like that to people I actually have a connection with. (This sounds a lot like querying. o.O) I love it when close friends let me know they have a book coming out, near strangers, not so much.

          

Which brings me to the second part of my point.

Good promotion really has more to do with what I can do for you, my audience.
Whether I'm asking for you to part with money or time, I need to have something of equal or greater value to give back to you. And hopefully it's greater. Equal value might have people coming back; greater value will up the chances significantly. So this means that I need to be listening and paying attention to what my potential audience wants from me. Will I be able to please everyone? No. But I can give my best. (And for fellow perfectionists, my 100% is going to vary day by day.) I think if someone is really doing their best, their sincerity will shine through. People like people to be authentic.

Sure, contests, prizes, and that kind of thing might make people aware of you, but I'm not sure they have the staying power on their own to keep people coming during the quiet times. Being your best, authentic self is what does that. Because good promotion isn't just looking at the short term, it's looking at getting people to come back over and over again. 

It's about participation. 
Getting my name out there so people can find it means getting myself out there. It means spending my time and money on people whether it's blogs or books. It means getting to know people and caring about them, helping them out when they need it. Not so I can get a shiny gold star sticker or more followers or comments, but because I really care and want to help. Because without those connections, having a book on the NYT Bestseller List would be a very cold comfort. How much better to celebrate among friends who are rooting for me and a big part of the reason I got there in the first place?

And if I had to condense everything I just said, it would be this:

Good, lasting promotion isn't about product at all. It's about seeing people as people, not as rungs of a ladder.

What's your take on good promotion?

Danyelle collects dragons, talking frogs, and fairy godmothers in her spare time. She is currently getting ready to query SLIPPERS OF PEARL, a YA fantasy. She also enjoys making new friends, and can be found at http://myth-takes.blogspot.com.