We hear a lot of talk about the importance of marketing and self-promotion. Especially if we want to make it in this business.
But in the same breath, we know too much turns people off.
Which leads to the question I’ve been thinking about now that I’ve signed my first book deal:
How do we market ourselves without coming across as self-centered or narcissistic?
In a post titled Social Networking Rules, YA author, Elana Johnson, shares some simple, yet brilliant guidelines she lives by.
One such guideline?
If she tweets about her life, she scrolls through her twitter feed and @-messages three others who’ve said something about theirs. Elana says, “This creates a new conversation between me and them.” And she doesn’t feel like she’s hogging the twitter feed.
This reminded me of some advice I got before going to my first writing conference two years ago.
Be outward focused.
Marketing 101. Simple, yet profound.
Don’t focus on you. Focus on the people around you.
Talk up such-and-such author’s new book while at the bookstore. Pray with a friend or roommate before they pitch their novel. Take time out from a workshop to brainstorm with a fellow writer. Mentor a newbie.
I took this advice when I went to my first conference in 2009, and again in 2010, and had two amazing experiences. The weekend stopped being about me, and became about us. It helped me understand that we can all work together to promote each other.
After reading Elana’s blog post, something clicked. I can embrace that same bit of advice as I travel down this new, exciting, and slightly intimidating path with Waterbrook Multnomah.
I can be outward focused.
I can remember that it’s not about me. It’s about the writing friends I get to encourage and promote along the way. The readers I get to entertain and connect with along the way. The professionals I get to learn from along the way.
The minute I forget that, is the minute someone needs to kindly kick me in the head.
Let’s Talk: Are you talking too much about yourself? How do you keep your focus outward? Any self-promotion tips for a gal who’s not quite sure how to handle it?
On a fun note: I’m meeting my critique partner and friend, Erica Vetsch, this weekend for our own personal writing retreat. We’re locking ourselves away so we can write, write, write! Ah. Sweet bliss.