Promises, Promises, Promises
Earlier I told you I didn’t make New Years’s resolutions, but I make promises to myself. Well, I did a book expo Saturday and must have met a ton of aspiring, new, and partly established writers. One thing I had decided I would do this year is more promotion and marketing of me and my writing capabilities. Dam! I should have locked out that thought when it first knocked on the door to my brain.
The reason being, I met new people, which meant I had to sell it. I had to sell me and my writing to new faces. Did I ever mention I hate being a saleswoman? When I think of sales, the first thing that always comes to mind is a 50's car salesman, pushy, obnoxious, annoying, irritating and a host of other things I don’t have time to list.
Here’s the problem. I am a writer. I love to write. But no one will ever know this if I don’t sell my writing. To sell it, I have to become an “in your face” type of person. I have to do it without becoming the car salesman I dislike. As I have never had any training in sales, it is one very difficult task for me. In my past life, I tried selling Avon, Amway, perfume, tupperware, and God knows how many other products with no success. I just don’t know how to hint at, suggest or convince someone to buy something they really don’t need or want but, I must make them think they do. In turn, someone hands me money and I put a book in a bag as I thank them profusely for believing in me.
There is another problem. I have read book after book on promotion that works, marketing that guarantees, and queries that convince to no avail. So I’ve been told and shown the tricks of the trade. What I haven’t learned is how to feel comfortable putting it all in practice. What am I to do when I’m suppose to talk about my work without sounding like a braggart? Yes, I know how to write and write well. What I don’t know, is how to tell the world to buy my books and anything else I put on paper to be read.
So here’s my plea. If you are reading this, pray for me. Pray that I find the courage and fortitude to do what I must. You see, if I don’t gather the strength, I’ll have to go back to a nine to five and I don’t think a job like that will give me anytime to write.
The reason being, I met new people, which meant I had to sell it. I had to sell me and my writing to new faces. Did I ever mention I hate being a saleswoman? When I think of sales, the first thing that always comes to mind is a 50's car salesman, pushy, obnoxious, annoying, irritating and a host of other things I don’t have time to list.
Here’s the problem. I am a writer. I love to write. But no one will ever know this if I don’t sell my writing. To sell it, I have to become an “in your face” type of person. I have to do it without becoming the car salesman I dislike. As I have never had any training in sales, it is one very difficult task for me. In my past life, I tried selling Avon, Amway, perfume, tupperware, and God knows how many other products with no success. I just don’t know how to hint at, suggest or convince someone to buy something they really don’t need or want but, I must make them think they do. In turn, someone hands me money and I put a book in a bag as I thank them profusely for believing in me.
There is another problem. I have read book after book on promotion that works, marketing that guarantees, and queries that convince to no avail. So I’ve been told and shown the tricks of the trade. What I haven’t learned is how to feel comfortable putting it all in practice. What am I to do when I’m suppose to talk about my work without sounding like a braggart? Yes, I know how to write and write well. What I don’t know, is how to tell the world to buy my books and anything else I put on paper to be read.
So here’s my plea. If you are reading this, pray for me. Pray that I find the courage and fortitude to do what I must. You see, if I don’t gather the strength, I’ll have to go back to a nine to five and I don’t think a job like that will give me anytime to write.
posted by Sylvia McClain at 5:57 AM
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