Conquering Book Marketing Fear: Seven Tips for the Introverted Author by Duolit

It's Tuesday and that means it's time to invite an expert to the blog to share tips and tricks with you. Today, we have Duolit, the book marketing team of Shannon and Toni who helps authors market their books. If you are an introverted author, then you won't want to miss today's post.

On a personal note, I have not been active on this blog for the past few days. I have been fighting high fever and what I learned yesterday was a viral infection. Yep, my wife finally made me go to the doctor. This is a long lasting bug so the doctor tried to prepare me that the symptoms may come back in a couple of days. We will cross our fingers.

Now, on to our post for today.


Conquering Book Marketing Fear: Seven Tips for the Introverted Author
By Duolit- Shannon and Toni

What if say the wrong thing?
What if my writing isn’t good enough?
What if no one buys my book?

We’ve all been there. Marketing anxiety is something the vast majority of authors have to deal with and is a commonly given reason for shrugging off book marketing. Forgoing book marketing, however, can seriously hurt your book’s chances for success.

How do we work up the courage to put ourselves (and our book) out there? As Ambrose Redmoon says,

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”

In this case, selling more copies of your book is a pretty compelling reason to conquer that fear!

The process of conquering book marketing fear doesn't mean you have to get up on stage at your Barnes and Noble to discuss the finer points of writing and take questions from your local version of Comic Book Guy.  Start small -- utilize the seven tips below to move past marketing fear and sell more books!

1. Jump on the social media bandwagon. Whether the more personal nature of Facebook or the fast-paced world of Twitter is right for you, social media allows you to reach new and diverse audiences – while being able to hide behind the virtual comfort of the computer screen. Even if social media doesn’t reach your book’s target market, it’s a great way to connect with other authors going through the same trials and tribulations as you!

2. Launch a website or blog. This feels far less personal than in-person appearances but give readers a chance to get to know you. Plus, if you run into someone on the street who wants to know more about your book – you have somewhere to quickly refer them.

3. Write your web content in third person. Many of us feel awkward talking about ourselves. Writing your content from an outsider’s perspective (“Shannon’s book…” vs. “My book…”) allows you to feel less like you’re gloating while still being able to connect with visitors.

4. Make lists. To gain confidence about yourself and your work, make a few lists: 5 Reasons Why People Should Want to Read Your Book; 5 Reasons People Should Be Interested in You as an Author; and 5 Reasons You're All-Around Awesome. When you’re feeling down, take a look at these to regain your mojo.

5. Start small. When you’re ready to get more personal with your marketing, start small. Try appearances first with gatherings of friends and family, or choose to do a written interview with a blog. These small steps will give you the confidence to move on to bigger venues.

6. Clear your head. Let’s face it; our mind is often our worst enemy. When you begin to feel panicked, take a deep breath and think to yourself "what's the worst that could happen?” This reality check could be just the ticket to clear your head of self-doubting mumbo jumbo.

7. Have fun – you’re promoting your very own book! Savor every compliment and book sale and use them as motivation to keep on selling.  We’re all human – every author has stumbled, said the wrong thing in an interview or received a bad review. Take the good, forget the bad and relish in the opportunity to share your passion!

Remember – no one can sell your book better than you. Using your personality, passion and the tips above you’ll conquer book marketing fear and (hopefully) watch the books fly off the shelves!

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Duolit is Shannon and Toni, two gals who help authors sell books by providing professional and personal resources for all things related to self-publishing, author branding, book design, and marketing. They offer full-service self-publishing packages and a la carte services as well as free tools, podcasts and posts to help authors succeed.