Writers write. And SELL. Unfortunately, writers who don’t understand that are in big trouble. For many years it was possible to let others handle the marketing of your writing. It’s not possible these days.
I know three writers with huge, glittering writing talents who’ve been dropped by their publishers this year because their books just didn’t make their numbers, so no more publishing contracts for them. They’re publishing orphans, and they cling to their day jobs, bemoaning the lousy talents of their agents who can’t find homes for their new books.
Yes, their agents. Feel free to join me in rolling your eyes at this mindset. They’ve got a real “peel me a grape” entitlement attitude. Marketing sucks, so they want their agents to do it.
Unfortunately this immature mindset is prevalent in writing. Alina Tugend in the article “Putting Yourself Out There on a Shelf to Buy” exemplifies it when she says: “I became a journalist rather than a salesperson because I do not like selling anything — including myself. And selling myself as a brand seems even less appealing than selling myself as, well, me.”
Yes, right…
Luckily she redeems herself by explaining why ALL writers need to brand themselves and market their writing these days.
In her article Shortcuts – Putting Yourself Out There on a Shelf to Buy – NYTimes.com she gives you some tips:
“He espouses a four-step process — discover, create, communicate, maintain. That translates into: discover your passion and put it together with your expertise; create a ‘personal branding tool kit’ (which may include a résumé, online profile, blog and portfolio of your work) that consistently reflects your brand; pitch your brand online and offline; and update and monitor any conversations about your brand. (Try Google Alert, so that every time your name comes up, you’re notified.)”
Good advice. Follow it, and you’ll succeed as a writer, because you’re taking your life, and your writing career, into your own hands, where it belongs.
Yes, you need to MARKET YOUR WRITING.
Initially it may not be pleasant, until you start to see it as completely essential, and as a way to freedom. Why shouldn’t you market your writing? Who else has your interests so much at heart?
Marketing your writing may indeed suck, but get over it and build your brand. The results, I promise you, will exceed your expectations.
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