Self Promotion Is More Than Just "Buy My Book!"

When we are finally shown an image of the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to find out that they are NOT THERE. Hahaha! Yeah... that would be a rude awakening.

Marketing is a very important part of a self published author's career. We should be experts in SELF PROMOTION. After all, not all authors have publicists, but we do want to sell our books.

However, self promotion has been taken to extremes. Yes, it is important to plug our books regularly and consistently, but that's not the way to gain an audience. You have to promote your reason for writing instead of just saying "Buy My Book". You need to have a reason that is bigger than just your own gain. This is especially true for Non-Fiction writers, but does not exempt those who write fiction.

What is the purpose of marketing if not to connect with people? In order to make a connection, you need to have a positive effect on others and not just concentrate on your own interests or talk about yourself. For people to connect with you they need to know your purpose. What are you about? Where are you coming from? Why should they read your work? What is your authority? Why are you writing?

All of these questions cannot be answered when all you say is "Buy My Book!" Instead, what you should do is promote the reason for your work. Do you want people to be happy, successful, rich? Do you want to entertain, help them with problems, make life easier?

If people see that you have a reason and that your reason is to entertain, enlighten, give solutions to their problems or improve the way they see the world and help them out in some way, they will start connecting with you and listening to you - and buying your books.

Don't get me wrong. I promote my books everywhere, but I also promote WHY I'm writing these books. I would be so happy if people bought them, but that's not my sole purpose. I'm an experience marketer. What I'm selling is my experience, and I blog about it and help other people with what I know. How else would people believe that I know what I'm talking about? That I'm legitimate and not just after their money without giving anything in return?

So, remember that it's not just about you. All writers write for a reason, and this reason is always something bigger than themselves. Promote that reason. Give VALUE. (Fiction Writers, entertaining people is a purpose, the moral lessons in your books are valuable - promote that.)

Every book worth reading is about SOMETHING.