I want people to read my book. I like my book. I enjoyed writing my book.
I also can’t abide the thought of anyone reading the book. I hate the book. I hate that I published the book.
As a result, self-promotion has been... difficult.
Considering how little I trust my own assessments of myself and my abilities, the entire concept behind promoting myself seems… Conceited. Haughty. Narcissistic. Bad. Wrong.
I also can’t abide the thought of anyone reading the book. I hate the book. I hate that I published the book.
As a result, self-promotion has been... difficult.
Considering how little I trust my own assessments of myself and my abilities, the entire concept behind promoting myself seems… Conceited. Haughty. Narcissistic. Bad. Wrong.
http://rickandmorty.wikia.com/wiki/Self-Congratulatory_Jerry
Whenever I discuss the book with friends, I usually refer to it as “my stupid book” or “the damned thing I wrote.”
I can’t usually muster up the bravery to call it “my book.”
Of course, I’m not being modest. I'm trying to protect myself from the icky, vulnerable feeling of people being able to purchase a chunk of my brain for $2.99.
I can’t usually muster up the bravery to call it “my book.”
Of course, I’m not being modest. I'm trying to protect myself from the icky, vulnerable feeling of people being able to purchase a chunk of my brain for $2.99.
This thing, that belonged only to me for so long, now belongs almost exclusively to other people. They get to walk around my world, bringing their own ideas and impressions and probing questions, and I’m absolutely terrified to know I can’t even SUPERVISE their safaris into my daydream.
It's hard to promote something if you kind of want to keep it to yourself, without admitting it's yours.
I also have trouble considering myself as a person who possesses knowledge and can impart that knowledge with any authority. And one major way of promoting writing is through sharing expertise in blog posts like this. Theoretically, an aspiring author will be searching desperately for advice on the Internet, find my blog posts, and—if I appear helpful—the aspiring author may purchase my novel.
Unfortunately, I’ve convinced myself that no one should give advice until it’s proven successful for them. I can’t do much more at this stage in my authorial career than regurgitate the information I’ve absorbed from my own Internet scavenger hunts.
But I refer you back to the first statement—I want people to read my book.
And if there’s one area where I can allow myself to claim expertise, it’s in navigating the self-destructive pessimism employed in the practice of sabotaging personal success.
So, I present to you:
It's hard to promote something if you kind of want to keep it to yourself, without admitting it's yours.
I also have trouble considering myself as a person who possesses knowledge and can impart that knowledge with any authority. And one major way of promoting writing is through sharing expertise in blog posts like this. Theoretically, an aspiring author will be searching desperately for advice on the Internet, find my blog posts, and—if I appear helpful—the aspiring author may purchase my novel.
Unfortunately, I’ve convinced myself that no one should give advice until it’s proven successful for them. I can’t do much more at this stage in my authorial career than regurgitate the information I’ve absorbed from my own Internet scavenger hunts.
But I refer you back to the first statement—I want people to read my book.
And if there’s one area where I can allow myself to claim expertise, it’s in navigating the self-destructive pessimism employed in the practice of sabotaging personal success.
So, I present to you:
7 Tips for Self-Promotion When Compliments Make You Queasy!
(1)
Learn to take ownership. Learn to be proud of your creation. Considering the amount of time you spent creating, fixing, researching, and wrangling, you have a right to smile about what you completed, even if you haven’t convinced yourself of the product’s worth just yet.
(2)
Stop downplaying what you’ve done. Stop using the word “just” when people are already showing enough interest to ASK you about what you’ve made.
How do you know what will be revolutionary for the person in front of you? And what gives you the right to say your creation isn’t “good-good,” when the requirements for “good-good” vary so widely? Try this instead:
If you can't withstand saying something kind about your book, rely on the compliments of other people as a stepping stone.
- "Oh, it’s just a dark fantasy novel, nothing serious, nothing revolutionary."
How do you know what will be revolutionary for the person in front of you? And what gives you the right to say your creation isn’t “good-good,” when the requirements for “good-good” vary so widely? Try this instead:
- "It's a dark fantasy novel! People really seem to like it!"
If you can't withstand saying something kind about your book, rely on the compliments of other people as a stepping stone.
(3)
Use the phrase, “I enjoyed making it,” especially when fielding compliments you can’t accept, questions you can’t answer, and critiques you can’t survive.
- "Your book was AMAZING!" "I enjoyed writing it!"
- "Is it any good?" "I enjoyed writing it!"
- "That was… interesting…" "Well, I enjoyed writing it!"
(4)
Embrace the idea that there’s an audience for everything. Browse the obscure genres of writing and music and film that really, actually exist. Remind yourself that you aren’t special enough to have made the worst thing ever, and everything gets hated on by somebody—even those famous things you had to study in school!
(5)
Believe the people who compliment what you’ve made. Stop rationalizing their kind words away.
These self-sabotaging thoughts make it impossible for anyone to have a productive conversation with you. And if anyone is trying to talk to you about your book, that's a great thing by itself!
- They only said that to be nice, to be polite.
- They just didn’t feel comfortable enough to tell me the truth.
- It’s more convenient for them to say they liked it.
These self-sabotaging thoughts make it impossible for anyone to have a productive conversation with you. And if anyone is trying to talk to you about your book, that's a great thing by itself!
(6)
Let other people be nice to you. Let them like the thing you made. Let them tell other people about it without constantly correcting them.
It's important to be honest, and it's important to give credit to others who deserve it. But if all you do is contradict your fans, then you are a crazy person, and you are alienating everyone attempting to help you!
- "She just published a book!" "SELF-published!"
- "It has a higher rating than John Grisham!" "I haven’t had enough exposure to get a low rating yet!"
- "She did it all on her own!" "That’s not true, I mean, I had an editor and beta readers and﹘"
- "Her book cover is gorgeous!" "Well, yes, but I didn’t make that."
It's important to be honest, and it's important to give credit to others who deserve it. But if all you do is contradict your fans, then you are a crazy person, and you are alienating everyone attempting to help you!
(7)
Breathe. Just breathe. There’s nothing intrinsically malicious about pride. You aren’t a kid anymore. You don’t have to hide the fact that you’re pretty awesome in order to survive recess. You want something—make it happen. Make it worth the anxiety you’re fighting through.
Let yourself be uncomfortable.
Let yourself be uncomfortable.
Obviously, this isn’t really a guide for other people—it’s a guide for myself. And as I prepare for my first attempt to promote my book in person, I’m relying on these tips to succeed.
Because, let’s face it—I’m too determined to protect myself to have published a book that does not make me proud.
Bless the Skies makes me proud.
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. =)
Because, let’s face it—I’m too determined to protect myself to have published a book that does not make me proud.
Bless the Skies makes me proud.
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. =)
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