I’m usually the first person to tell myself I’m good at writing. I’ve been writing since I could hold a pencil, and I still have a mountain of notebooks from middle and high school full of barely-legible stories that no one else has ever read.
To be honest, not sure if I could even read them anymore. My hand writing was atrocious.
I’ve grown as a writer and a person since then, and I’ve gotten more confident with it. I write for the paper daily, and I’ve published three books.
But self-promotion is my kryptonite.
In the age of social media, I’ve been told it’s important to promote myself as an author and my books. And it is probably the worst thing I have to do as an author. It’s not that I don’t think I’m good, but I hate talking about myself and my books.
I love my books. I wouldn’t change a thing about them. But when people ask me what they’re about, I have no clue how to respond. It’s easier for me to tell them to read the back of the book for the blurb instead of telling anyone what they’re about.
There’s this notion that I should be on Twitter and Instagram and Facebook and TikTok promoting myself and my book because that’s how authors market nowadays. It feels like standing on a stage being the center of attention while everyone waits for me to talk about myself.
But I’m comfortable with my skill-level, I know I’m good at what I do, so why do I struggle so much relaying that through my creative writing?
I think writing books still feels really personal for me. It’s still my story told through characters I created and fell in love with, characters that felt real and alive and part of me. It almost feels like promoting myself twice, as an author and as a book.
My favorite method of promotion is still word of mouth. Like my colleague Emily Casewell (Check out Building Brands this week too), I know testimonials are important. I have some really wonderful readers who recommend my books to others and who support me, and I appreciate that more than I can ever put into words. But I need to get better at promoting myself.
So that’s what I’m doing, I suppose. I’ll be at events in Downtown Ortonville for May and June, so come hang out. Even if you’re not interested in my books, there are plenty of other small businesses and vendors that are participating in the Ladies Night Out on May 13, the Spring Garden Market on May 20, and Abigail’s Pride festival on June 3 that would love the support.