I was just sitting here thinking about a social media friend of mine. She's a great person, and I enjoy reading her posts, but I was shocked to recently discover after years of being acquainted with her that she has written and published a book and did so a couple of years ago.
I had no idea.
I have never seen her post about the book, or share about her writing process, or absolutely anything writing or book related at all, and I was shocked!
I literally just happened to stumble upon the information myself and this made me wonder why.
Why would a person go through the trouble of writing and publishing a book (and all that happens in between) and not promote it?
I thought about it for a while, and I believe I havc the answer--or three answers, actually, why people, including you, don't promote their books. Here they are:
1. You think people won't like your book.
Well, let me put your mind at ease on this one.
There will absolutely be people who will not like your book.
As a matter of fact, the more popular your book is, the more likely it is to land in the hands of someone who doesn't like it.
And that's okay, because I can also assure you that there will be people who love it.
Remember, opinions are subjective. Just because a person dislikes a book doesn't mean it is not good. It simply means they didn't like it, not the whole world. Conversely, if someone loves a book, it doesn't mean it's the best book ever written... but it might be.
The thing to understand is, you will never know if you don't give people an opportunity to read it. What I mean by that is they can't read it if they don't even know it exists. And it's up to you to make sure they know it does.
Side note: Be sure you produce a book you can be proud to share; ie: choose a good, professional-looking cover and have your book properly edited and formatted so that you can share it with confidence.
2. You don't think you have the time to promote it.
This may very well be true if, like me when I first started out, you are working full time and have family or other obligations. My solution for you is this:
Make time.
I know, I know, that seems harsh and impossible, but it's not. Grab a calendar and mark down certain days and times of the day to promote. Use social media schedulers like Hootsuite to assist you with scheduling posts across social media platforms. If you have to, get up early or stay up late to get it done.
But do get it done.
A lot of people rely on word of mouth to sell their books, but if you aren't willing to spread the word yourself, how and why would you expect anyone else to?
3. You don't believe you should have to promote your book.
This train of thought most often stems from observing someone else who is successful and barely promotes their work. And for some people, it is true that they don't have to put much effort into promoting their work, This is most likely because they are established and have made a name for themselves. Or maybe they are just blessed enough to have a great readership that is excellent at spreading the word for them. Whichever the case, remember that everyone's journey is different. Don't expect to have the same exact experience as the next author. Commit to your book and yourself, and be willing to do what needs to be done to get your book in front of readers.
On the other hand, you might believe your book is so good it'll sell itself. Well, that is nearly impossible for most of us, and totally impossible if readers don't even know you wrote a book in the first place.
You have got to be willing to share your work if you want it to be read. And isn't that what writers want more than anything? I know it's what I've always wanted.
Well, that's all I have for today. Until later, be blessed, and check out my books via the links below!!
Kindle and paperback:
http://ow.ly/fxVXG
Kobo: http://ow.ly/fxW6V
Nook: http://ow.ly/fxW4y
Amazon UK: http://ow.ly/miFUU
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