Ugh. Marketing. Just the word sends me running to the fridge for comfort food.
We authors are not built for marketing our books. We need to learn the business, and it’s not an easy one.
I do like interacting with readers online, and I especially love meeting them in person at readings and book signings. But figuring out how to stand out in a sea of millions of other hybrid (traditionally & self published) authors? Yikes. It gives me a migraine.
Yet, I try to spend at least an hour every working day marketing my work. I write every morning, then make business calls and compose or answer emails, and then I take at least one action towards marketing my latest two books. My earlier works? They take a back seat. I can’t do it all. I hope they’ll be discovered when I share a link to all my work online.
One tool that has helped me immensely in marketing my work online and creating printable posters for readings is CANVA.COM It’s so user friendly, and it’s fun! In the last few months, I have made a lot of promotional posts for Facebook, Twitter and even made my most recent book covers with it. It’s free to use your own photos and template. You pay a small amount ($1 each item) if you want to buy the rights to use certain photos and/or designs.
Made this in Canva today:
Yes, writers write, but we also need to learn to market what we produce, and not just for launch day. We need to speak up and help new readers discover our work. If we don’t (and we don’t happen to have a wealthy publicist who takes us out for a sushi lunch every week- yeah I’m not dreaming at all! ), who will?
Heather
Heather Grace Stewart 
You’re so right! We each need to be THE author-ity on our writing and books! And we have to keep promoting them!
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Love that play on words. Thanks for reading Sharon! 🙂
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I think you do pretty good Heath, indeed I think there is a lot you could teach about marketing to the uninitiated. I often compare my efforts in this field to urs, and I think you do pretty well actually. I like the facebook posters, and the book covers are always totally professional and of a very high standard. Obviously work of this standard is not going to be available to all, but I think U have certainly influenced many authors across the board in this respect, myself definitely included 🙂
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Thanks TLJ 🙂 I will try to teach authors about the cheapest but best methods out there – and Canva is definitely one of those, being free! Thanks for the compliments. I just want to share what I’ve learned with others who
might be struggling (as I often am).
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Thanks for the advice. I’ll check that site out.
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I’m always happy to answer questions (if I can!) about writing and publishing. Have fun on the site.
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