The literary world, if you want to be a part of it, the conventional wisdom is—New York, New York. But you’re a rebel with the little town blues. The only people the big publishing houses truly promote are those who do not need promotion because their fans would buy their grocery list.
If that’s not you, read on. If it is you, what are you doing reading this blog?
Writing a book begins somewhere in the dark recesses of the mind. For some unknown reason, in an equally unfathomable fashion. an imaginative flint strikes on a will of stone creating a spark that kindles a fire. When the smoke clears, sometime later, there’s a book with your name on it. But no one knows it.
Spreading the news is no easy task. However, telling people about your book is every bit as important as telling them the story you just wrote. Promoting your work deserves as much attention as the work itself. Like writing, no one is going to do that for you.
I have told you before how I hate writing author bios. I know other authors who say the same. We don’t like talking about ourselves. That’s why we make up characters. But word of mouth—the salvation of those without a huge promo budget—begins at home.
It means engaging complete strangers in conversations with the message of how great you write, how wonderful your stories are, and why they should part with their money to read them. Author bio stress multiplied to the nth degree. Do the lion tamers who stick their heads in the beast’s mouth feel the same way?
It’s my job to promote not only my books but myself. Self-promotion goes against my raising and, for many years I believed, against my faith. I have since learned that a job well done (as unto the Lord) is both the plan for my life and a sound course for promoting my writing.
Those little town blues? Well, you are only as small as you make yourself.
Maranatha
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