How to Promote Your Work Without Feeling Gross About It
The article in Vox this week about how authors and artists in this day and age need to self-promote (and how we all feel conflicted or downright angry about this) was well-timed as I had also just watched a replay of Jane Friedman's conversation with author branding expert Andrea Guevara. (⬅️ Highly recommended!)
I have some key takeaways and ideas for you to noodle, but first, some definitions: Your brand is the public version of yourself--and big or small, we all have one whether we've consciously created it or not. Your platform is the measure (or best guess measure) of your marketing activities.
Branding and promotion are different arms of the same beast, and there is a ton to say about each that certainly won't fit in a single blog post. However, I wanted to give you some resources and things to think about as you move forward on your own writing journey--and as you consider about how your writing will meet the world.
You may be thinking, "But Rachelle! I'm just trying to get this thing written. I can't think of crass stuff like branding and promotion."
And to this I say, yes, definitely write the thing! But also: if you want your writing to reach an audience outside your immediate friends and family, it's wise to think of writing not just as a product or work of art but as a career. And it isn't too soon to start thinking about it.
As a first step, get really intentional about your goals. Do you want to be a bestselling author? Do you want support yourself financially with your writing? Do you want to get your books in the world and build a readership along the way? Then be honest with yourself about the work it will take to achieve these things.
Careers involve planning and strategy and implementation. As one writer put it on Threads:
This is a salty take some people won’t like but: There are parts of every job that are not your favorite. Being a writer is a job. The mythic time when you didn’t have to do anything but sit in your garret artily and wait for the accolades and royalties to roll up to your door never existed. I think of social media and promotion as another chance to show my work and my readers matter to me—and part of this calling/gig I feel very lucky have. @gwendabond
You might be getting a little panicked about this, imagining how you'll have to go viral on some godforsaken social platform in order to gain any kind of self-respecting platform at all. Good news: this isn't the case. Going viral is an example we think of often because those rare moments can be so successful in launching a book or writing career. But viral moments aren't the only way--or even the main way--to build a career.
More good news: Social media doesn't have to be part of your platform/brand-building if you absolutely detest it. There are other ways to develop a readership. Among them:
Build genuine relationships with other writers. This might be my personal favorite because it feels natural to me and unforced. Simply by living life (granted, some of this life I've lived "very online"), I've managed to connect with a number of writers, some of whom have become quite successful. I promote their work both online and to others in person, applaud their successes, and connect with them genuinely--and perhaps one day they'll do the same for me. (But honestly that has never been my first thought! There's nothing that sours a relationship faster than one that's built on a transactional expection.)
Be active in your literary community. Get to know the booksellers at your local independent bookstores. Join the local writers association or group. Attend local author events and conferences. I'm an introvert so I definitely do not overextend myself in this area, but even a small investment of time and energy pays off.
Look for opportunities to partner with other entities or artists. Think bookstores, libraries, schools, or non-profit organizations. Maybe it's as simple as interviewing another author on your blog or highlighting them on your social media platform. Or maybe you co-host a writing retreat or podcast with that person. There are endless ways to do this! By combining your audience with another's, you extend your reach.
Decide what feels most genuine for you, be it a social media platform, newsletter, podcast, blog, or some other medium. And don't let initial fears keep you from experimenting and trying new things. Anything new is bound to be uncomfortable! If you think about it, aren't the best things/people in your life there because of risks you took?
Yes, luck (a viral social post or a publisher that invest a lot of money in your book) can send a book and its author into the stratosphere just as a someone can win the lottery, but is counting on a lottery win a smart financial strategy?
💎 This scratches the surface on a very big topic, but I hope it is useful and gets ideas flowing! If you want to further brainstorm how you can develop your brand and platform in a way that feels natural to you, I'd love to support you. An hour strategy session is a great place to start.
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