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.
I'm not in a marketing place yet, but I've been learning what I don't want to do when the time comes. Self-promotion feels so self-centred, but there is both a necessity and a responsibility to share in the marketing effort. I like Lisa's comment about the pastor who recognized he was promoting God's work. If we keep it in that perspective we'll be less likely to be seen as blowing our own horns, even when we have to toot them a bit.
I'm jealous of the writing retreat!! I was supposed to take one in November!! Great post, good question! When I "talk" about myself I do so hoping others can relate, though I am trying to make my blog more other focused. I've learned people don't really care about YOU as much as they care about what YOU OFFER them. Sure, blogging is about building relationships, but the blogosphere is too big to simply ramble on about yourself and expect others to spend the time reading without getting anything in return. At least that's the way I see it!
A writing retreat?! What an awesome idea! Hope you're having lots of fun and inspiration!
And that brainstorming idea sounds familiar. 🙂 I think a selfless approach in self-promotion will come across if we live selflessly in everyday life. It has to permeate everything we do for it to be genuine to others.
I must remember your points…..
You're so sweet and kind that I don't think anyone can say you'd ever be inward focused only. 🙂
Enjoy your writing weekend!! I'm jealous!
I love this post and all of the comments! Katie, it's obvious that you're all about people. I'm sure you will do the promoting in your own special way. Just being your sweet and friendly self has me anxious to read your books! (May your writing retreat be super fun & fruitful.)
I'm at the hotel!!! So antsy for you to get here!
As to the marketing, I LOVE doing book signings with other authors whose work I enjoy. It's so much easier to talk about their books than about mine.
When your books come out, we'll have to do a book signing together. 😀
I've met several people like that I tend to lend an ear to easily to them. I have to remind myself to avoid them. The best way to keep a conversation going is not to focus on yourself.
Great reminder. It is easy to get marketing mixed up with too-much-me-talk.
Katie, you are a great people lover, which comes through in your posts and will, I feel certain, come through in your promotion efforts as well.
I hope you and Erica have a blast this weekend. Happy writing!
I LOVE these comments! I love my blog readers. Thanks for adding wisdom and insight into the discussion. You are all the best.
Cassandra, you said: How do I add value to their lives while sharing from my own? I'm thinking about my readers with every post, but is that communicated through what I write?
I think you just nailed it! Turn those questions into statements and that's exactly what makes me love certain blogs.
People who share from their own life experiences in hopes of adding values to other people's lives. If you're writing with the reader in mind, trust me – your readers will notice! That's the kind of heart I want. That I'm not writing or promoting just to get myself out there and promote myself, but to connect with and encourage others!
Katie, this is super advice. People can tell pretty quickly whether you're being sincere or not and a lot of that has to do with how much life is about YOU and how much is about everyone else. Life tends to be so much happier when it's not focused 100% on ourselves.
I'm still so happy for you and your contract with Waterbrook Multnomah. You do a great job at showing how much you care about others and I know everyone is going to be so happy to help you promote your work and get the word out when the time comes 🙂 Have a good weekend.
Great post! Elana is a master of sharing and supporting the good news of others, while humbly sharing her own.
I think blog posts like this are a great outward reach. I love to read about other people's lives and habits and advice – then I know it's not all about the book.
There is a real balance here that is tricky to achieve. There are some questions I still have about the whole issue:
Should I promote writers before I really know the body of work being produced? I have sometimes offered support and regretted it later. What we promote tells others much about who we are. And I don't want to promote things that aren't good for people spiritually.
Part of the point of blogging is to share from our lives. It's about getting to know people. Some of my readers want me to write personal posts all the time — that's what they want to read. They don't want to click over to my blog and find promotions of other people. They want my writer's voice, my personal experiences, a glimpse into the life of a friend. How do I satisfy that while not being too self-focused? How do I add value to their lives while sharing from my own? I'm thinking about my readers with every post, but is that communicated through what I write?
I don't want my blog to just be there to promote a writing venture. Believe it or not, I'm grateful that I have no books out, or any being queried and that this has been the case for 2 years. Because I want my little virtual cafe to have a life and a story all its own, for it to be one of the things I do, for it to be a place where others can find community and refreshment, and if I write books then that will be something else I do — but I'm a friend and fellow traveler first. Is it possible to actually do it this way? Does everything have to be focused on getting my brand out there? Is this a valid approach?
Finally, I have decided I was worrying about it too much. The publishing world is in upheaval and things are rapidly changing. When someone is successful, people study what they did to see why and recommend it as a way to succeed. But I suspect that success is more complicated than we think. And I suspect that I'll do my best work when I define success as simply living the life I sense God calling me to, moment by moment. But how would an agent respond to THAT?
And now I've left a blog post here. See, how good your blog is?!
I agree that when authors market themselves too much it's a turn off. Elana Johnson said that for every time she mentions her book, she does two posts talking about other books or other things.
This is awesome, Katie. I am 100% completely miserable when I'm focused on myself (when will I remember that FOR GOOD??). And sooooo much happier when I'm focused on others. And you're right–it's magic. The promotion often takes care of itself while I'm busy worrying about others. LOVE.
It's a balance. I haven't yet heard from anyone who doesn't struggle to walk the fine line of putting your book in front of people without shoving it down their throats. For me, I feel comfortable doing blog interviews and asking people to do reviews, and that seems to be working well. I'll post where I'm being featured on Twitter and my facebook author page. If people are interested, they'll read it, if they're not, oh well. I don't ever want to come across as being all about me and my work. I've had to curtail my enthusiasm some on my blog, because I don't want people to get sick of hearing about the book before they've even had a chance to read it. So I have no tips for you, Katie, I'm just trying to muddle through and hope I get out alive!!
What a fun weekend planned! Hope you guys take time to eat and laugh too! :O)
How exciting for you and Erica!! Have fun!
I do get turned off when authors only self-promote. It comes off as though they could really care about the reader and I have dropped many blogs for that reason.
Many times when people talk so much about themselves, they're struggling with esteem issues and trying to build themselves up in others' eyes. I think their plan backfires.
With my first book coming out this fall, I'm trying to find that balance between promoting my novel and making sure it's not all about me.
A pastor friend sold a non-fiction book recently and struggled with promotion. He said something that stayed with me–God used him to write the book, so he's not promoting himself–he's promoting God's work.
By saying that, he took the focus off himself and put it where it belonged–on God.
Great post, Katie. I'll be sure to do the 3 @ on Twitter and Facebook. 🙂
Whew, sure glad I DM'ed you about B-man last night and not about me. 😉
When God convicts me of this self-focused thinking I often find He opens a door to pour out to others. I felt sort of wrapped up in myself and then an opp. came up for me to coordinator a walk to help stop sex trafficking in Cambodia. Sign me up, Scottie.
I love EVERYTHING about this post. Another reason why I love you, too–because you know this and live it!
Have fun w/ Erica! Laugh hard and pretend I'm with you. Pat a chair and say, "Oh, that Wendy." 😀 😀 😀
~ Wendy
Such good advice. It took me a while to figure this out. Not because I'm all that vain, just because (like you said) it seems counter productive. But not only does it benefit our marketing, it just makes us feel good inside! 🙂
I love how the Roeckers did it for Liar Society. Their friends gave away their books last week while they gave away other new releases! They were constantly putting others first on their blog and letting others promote for them. Def. a great example.
Katie! Cute post. I love people like that. not.
WHen I pick up my daughter there's another mom that doesn't even know me, you know what I mean? We're more of a "Hi" kind of thing. But everytime I see her she slips in how much money she just dropped on a new car. How awesome she is at beading. That she just got back from a cruise. I'm like, oh wow.
But enough about me. : )
Good luck on your writing retreat. You will have so much fun!
Tell Erica the same.