Promoting “The Arcadian”
Brothers and sisters, with your permission I’m gonna take the next few weeks in this space to promote THE ARCADIAN.
But first, I have a question for you. (Please respond in the Comments).
Would you be interested in me describing, here on Writing Wednesdays, my efforts at marketing the book? Or would that be boring and self-serving?
We—my partner Diana and I—actually have a plan.
It involves podcasts, social media, signed copies, various giveaways, etc. Including an option to get a one-on-one Zoom call with me.
I’m happy to write about the details as the program unfolds.
Lemme know if you’d like to hear. If not, I’ll keep my mouth shut.
THE ARCADIAN is a follow-up to A MAN AT ARMS (2021). It’s the same hero … the solitary mercenary of the ancient world, Telamon of Arcadia. The tale is of Telamon’s further ordeals on his odyssey of self-redemption.
The book is available for pre-order now on Amazon, B&N, and others. It’ll be in bookstores May 26.
DO THE WORK
Steve shows you the predictable Resistance points that every writer hits in a work-in-progress and then shows you how to deal with each one of these sticking points. This book shows you how to keep going with your work.
THE AUTHENTIC SWING
A short book about the writing of a first novel: for Steve, The Legend of Bagger Vance. Having failed with three earlier attempts at novels, here's how Steve finally succeeded.
NOBODY WANTS TO READ YOUR SH*T
Steve shares his "lessons learned" from the trenches of the five different writing careers—advertising, screenwriting, fiction, nonfiction, and self-help. This is tradecraft. An MFA in Writing in 197 pages.
TURNING PRO
Amateurs have amateur habits. Pros have pro habits. When we turn pro, we give up the comfortable life but we find our power. Steve answers the question, "How do we overcome Resistance?"
Hey Steven, yes, I’d be very interested in hearing about your marketing process! Thanks for offering to share it 🙂
I’ve been waiting for this book since you first hinted at it in your Report from the Trenches series. By all means please take the time to promote it. I, for one, would absolutely love to hear anything you have to say about it.
I vote aye!
I think your fans would eat it up, Steve. I sure would.
Great idea! And good luck.
I would love to hear about your marketing efforts for you new book.
I’m interested in learning more. And thanks for what you do.
Looking forward to the showcasing of your new novel!!
Let the Promo Show Begin !
Podcast blast with Joe Rogan, Jack Carr and Jocko and
this Blog is a wonderful, well earned platform to show your students and the world how to get it done and have some fun !
All the Best.
I would be very interested in reading on Writing Wednesdays, on your efforts at marketing the book!
Absolutely interested in hearing more .. very interested in learning about how to promote it..
Agree. I’d love to hear detailed steps on your process of marketing a (your) book.
Definitely interested! Thank you. Forwarding your email to interested writers too. 😊
It would be valuable to learn from your experience
I would also love to hear more about how you are doing the marketing and promotion of your book
whilst learning more about that process.
Bring it on! You deserve it and we will benefit by it!
I remember your marketing strategy last time was very different from what most people seem to do. It was fascinating and I’d love to know more.
YES please please please talk about the marketing and the business side. Im fast approaching finishing my first story worth selling and my mind is constantly on the business side now.
Have you heard of the bookstore in Alabama that only sells signed books? If not, flying down there may be worth your time.
Yes, and my co-host (Broad) would love to have you on our podcast; The Two Broad Casters.
Where would I submit an official invitation Sir?
Warmest Regards,
Lauri Day
This is a wonderful idea. I’m excited to see your journey.
Yes please, would love to follow your promotions.
Yes, please. Anything you share is always a learning lesson, shared wisdom.
Me too! As someone who had a book published and so far have failed to market it properly I would love to get some inspiration and ideas. Look forward to hearing more – and reading the book of course. How lovely to be asked what we would like! Thank you.
Yes, please!
I would love to hear more. Man of arms was excellent so looking forward to the follow up.
An absolute YES! My book marketing strategy needs all the help it can get. Thank you Steve.
That’s a resounding YES from me. I’m interested, and I NEED to hear about it!
Mr Pressfield,
Please present your marketing/selling materials.
I am confident I will benefit greatly.
Thank you, and all best wishes to you and your wife.
Harry Black
I’m here for it.
Yes, I would love to hear about your marketing plan.
I think it would be educational to learn how you promote your new book. Looking forward to reading it also.
Yes please!
Yes please share your marketing wisdom. I’m an artist and totally stuck on marketing.
I’ve read it, it’s great. Yes, please.
It’s less self-promotion and more showing us your process. I would be delighted to see how you do this. Even though you have better connections than we do, a process is still a process and I am sure we could gain from this.
Marketing, promotion, and distribution are the proverbial man behind the curtain in every endeavor, be it publishing a book, supporting a political campaign, or starting a business. I would love to see how you and Diana are promoting this new book, and am looking forward to reading it next month!
Yes -I’m interested.
Yes please! (As she timidly raises her hand from the back row!)
I’m interested
I would love to hear your effort in marketing the book. Please share your adventure.
Yes, I’ll be listening!
100%
Yes
Definite yes! It’s part of the creative process. Your shared knowledge is much appreciated.
Ps, can hardly wait for my book to arrive!
Yes please!
Steve, I’m very excited about reading The Arcadian, and learning of the next stage of Telamon’s adventures and personal growth. He’s an incredible character. Please share as much of your thoughts and marketing actions here with us, your loyal band of buddies.
Very best regards from the US’s presently dismal ally, here across the Pond.
Peter
Sure
My dear Steve, firsst of all I congratulate you on your deed. And I absolutely want you to talk about the things you will have to do about your new book. In my minor abilities, I will support it.
Today I sat down to write, and my writing was so boring and excessive, that then the hero who actually writes the book opened a bracket and inside it, on the blank page where I was writing the shit I was writing, he cursed so much at the nonsense I/he was writing that he was no different from some modern street urchin.
Nevertheless, tomorrow I’m writing again. But let me tell you what he hated on what I/he was writing. He hated that I wrote something banal, something insignificant, something as important as someone looking down the street and seeing another person passing by who didn’t interest him at all. Writing an epical creation with the energy of indifference. The scene of course had an epical dimension, where it was a situation of combat between men, but even though it was standing on that symbolism, the scene was like the most boring thing I’ve ever felt in my life. Don’t be afraid, it doesn’t stop me, I’m just saying it because it’s funny.
Oh, yesterday the AI (which I will NOT use for this project, it’s one of my bets, although it could save me, I saw how powerful it is) told me that the idea for the first Indiana Jones was discussed by Lucas and Spielberg on their vacation in Hawaii. And of course it became one of the classic works of cinema. And I thought: “They were making great creations in wondrous places and islands, and I’m making useless creations in a dark room where all energy of inspiration has long gone.” I also liked the action scenes, I saw them the day before yesterday and was impressed by their chain of innovations! So I went today to give such a chain to the final phase of my work, and all I did was an uphill climb and some people chasing someone and the armor going twanging twanging. Worth as much as a water pistol. But at least we can laugh. Dishonorable work, dishonorable, I won’t stop for anything. Especially now that I’ve started again after hell. Oh, and yesterday or the day before yesterday I remembered the other thing you said back then in The War of Art, that the author doesn’t know that when starting his work he will go through a hell of underestimation, mockery, absolute boredom, I add, absolute worthlessness, etc. Let this shit end so I can see what I’ll do with my life.
Can’t wait for your renewed insights.
My love to you, Diana, and all our friends here.
Yes, I would LOVE to hear about your marketing efforts. Please let us know how we can help promote the book, too.
Yes, would love to hear about this! 💪
Yes very interested
Yes
Yes, please.
Not self-serving! Something I need to get better at.
Absolutely!! We need concrete, actionable processes to market our work once it is finished. It’s awesome to have encouragement to create and finish a work, but if you fail to get that work in front of an audience and see some success, it feeds the RESISTANCE. I know the work is its own reward, but seeing your work accomplish its intended purpose of engaging an audience is the ultimate goal of every creator.
Thank you for offering to share your journey to marketing your work, Steve.
Yes. I’d like to read about the process of selling your book.
Yes, please! I’d love to hear your thoughts on marketing! And thank you!
Congrats on the book & would love to understand your marketing g strategy! Maresa
Absolutely, interested! Looking forward to it actually.
Yes!
I am interested in hearing about your marketing strategies.
For sure!
I would enjoy reading about your marketing strategy and what works! If you have some good ideas that deliver results, I will steal them.
Will definitely want to learn more about your efforts. Nice that you asked your family here 🙂
Steven — I think I’d rather hear about what you did when the results are in. Just a thought. 🙂
Steven, yes please share all your wisdom with us, your fellow creators, including the business edge of the Art. 🙏
I think that is a brilliant idea!💡
I’d definitely like to read about your marketing efforts for the book. Please do it.
I definitely want to hear talking, describing, sharing your efforts at marketing the book. Thank you for asking and for wanting to share.
Steve, That would be great to see the marketing plan!
Yes and a thank you twice over: 1) for taking a poll on our internet, & 2) for the opportunity to ride along as you introduce your new work to potential buyers
Yes, especially the podcast.
Perhaps there is a role for us, your cohort of camp followers, in promoting The Arcadian.
Bring it on!
Yes please. As a writer myself, ways to promote a book of of much interest. Thanks. And I already pre-ordered your next creation as I’m a fan of your wiring!
Sure let it rip. You offer Writing Wednesday notes to us free. Let us return the favor by “getting marketed to”
Seems like a fair trade. Plus, most of us have read a Pressfield book or two.
Wonder what that imaginary Gunnery Sargent you talked about from War of Art would say. I’d be more interested in his opinion than Mine, tbh.
Yes!!
I think it would be fresh.
Go for it
Absolutely! Seeing how promoting a work is done….would be interestimg, as a bonus….by my favourite author? Can’t get better than that.
Oh, hells yes!
Yes, please keep me in the loop about your marketing journey!
Congratulations on your new piece of work, looking forward to reading it.
Most definitely. I’m going to publish my trilogy on Kindle and any tips and tricks would be valuable.
IN!!!
Yep, I say do it! I enjoy Jack Carr and his efforts. Given what you have done, I would be very interested.
Absolutely willing to read your steps of marketing.
By all means. Not at all boring, your insights are helpful and respected. Looking forward to seeing/hearing them all.
Tell us about marketing!
100% I’m all in for the ride!
Absolutely yes!
Yes, please.
And an update on your home construction too? 🙏🏻
Your entire, proven process is meaningful and instructive. Absolutely!
I’m very interested.
Of course we’d like to know how you market your books. Resistance works to foil marketing as much as writing.
Hi Steve, I am always interested in marketing, even in these times when there are so many new ways to do it than when you and I were in advertising! I do wonder, though, about the value of your “free” give-aways: They are an extra expense to you, and may not be what attracts your readers to buy your books. I love your historical fiction style so much, just knowing you have written yet another one is more than incentive enough for me!! Good luck! Sys
Hell yes I want to hear about it. In as much nauseating detail as you can stand. I really can’t wait to hear you on a whole new round of podcasts!
Go for it Steve!
Yes! I think Resistance wants us to refrain from doing the very thing that will bring us success.
Not only would it be interesting to hear about what you’re doing, your strategies and frustrations, but I think it would help us to hear about how you push through Resistance on this.
Steve, a big YES to your question, but my big question is (and this is self serving since I’m a 69 year-old sometimes-screenwriter who has followed your work pretty closely)…how do you leave your writing flow/habit long enough to do all this promotion? Is it just part of the whole process now? Do you keep writing and just add all the time-intensive promotional work to your schedule? For me, it’s hard enough to get the thing itself written, much less amp up to promote it. Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks.
Yes plz.
Yes, please!!!! I’d love to learn all about your book marketing, etc. I’ve already pre-ordered The Arcadian, and I can’t wait to get it!! I absolutely loved Man at Arms. Thank you, Steven. All the best to you and Diana.
Bring it on. Some behind the scenes looks into the publishing world sounds super interesting.
Yes, I’m interested. Thanks so much for all of your hard work!
I will absolutely be going to my Barnes and Nobles on May 26 to buy this. I also am interested in the business side of your work. My book is stranded at 60,000 words. Not because I cannot write. I find writing easy and fun, but I cannot find the time because I have my own business as an investment advisor.
Definitely interested.
Make it hap’n Cap’n!
Ja, bitte! 🙏🏻
Yes, absolutely wonderful
I’d be interested also in your writing process…start to edited finish.
Yes, I’d love to see how you get it going.
Yes, I want to hear. A Man at Arms was awesome! looking forward to this one Steven!
Yes ..owe it to my characters!
Book on order for a while. Per amazon, ETA in Boise is May 26
Thank You Steven
Yes! Absolutely I’m interested. I woukld love to see your marketing ideas. I am getting ready to launch a training website and am looking for all the marketing ideas and results of those efforts I can get. Thank you.
Since my Skywriting and Sandwich board campaigns have acheived minimal success, I’m all ears and eyes on how you do it.
💯 would love to! Excited for this work!
Would love to hear about how you are promoting the Arcadian – and I can’t wait to read it 🙂
In as much as it is an opportunity to see how one can promote their own work… let er rip man!
I’d love to learn about your marketing strategies.
Yes, I would love to know as much as I can about publication and promotion in today’s crazy industry. And the podcast idea is great 👍
Yea please. Let’s hear all about it
Would love to hear about your marketing.
Yes. Getting ideas about marketing and promotion is a part of the writing procc
Hi Steven
Grateful for any opportunity to learn from you. (You’ve already taught me so much; thanks to you I’ve become quite a warrior against Resistance!)
Each idea you share, from writing to publishing to marketing will help.
Thanks again
Do it. Bring it. Git some. Make it so. Send it. Let’s roll.
Yes please.
I’d be interested in the marketing shenanigans.
I expect you’ll go lite with it. That too will be fascinating. If you sell Supplement vitamins at the end f your posts, well, I’ll be confused.
Interested – and would love for you to write your rules for writing – I’m a TV writer and journalist and have learned so much from you!
Yepper.
“Yes” vote here.
I am absolutely interested in marketing.
I’d be interested in hearing about how Resistance has affected the process.
Yes that would be great to see the process. I already pre-ordered so it’s not about the sale, but rather how to promote. Looking forward to it.
I’m not surprised you’re getting a flood of “please do” on this, Steve. And I hope you’ll consider answering this question at some point. Why did you decide to self-publish? In the time between finishing your first book and making that decision, it seems you were squarely in the “sign with a big house and let them take it from there” camp.
At the risk of misquoting you, I think your position back then was to make your art REMARKable (as Seth Godin might say) and let the market take care of itself. To be obsessed with a platform (again, probably botching the wording here) was an attempt to game the system. By then I’d learned agents and publishers factored in those platforms at least as much as the quality of the writing.
It makes sense. This is a business. Walking through your decision to take control of that would be so interesting and useful!
Yes, please!
And, to Maureen’s comment, understanding the “why” behind the intentionality of your choices would be brilliant too.
I say promote it to the max. This blog is your creation, you’ve earned the right to use it to promote yourself. It also provides your readers and fans insights that might otherwise be missed. I was lucky enough to have had my name drawn during your last book promotion. And the pendant I received has been worn with pride everyday since. I am looking forward to your latest labor of ‘love’.
By all means, dedicate the next few weeks to describing everything related to everything the Arcadian.
II would love hearing more about the process of writing this book!
Sounds good 😊
Please allow me to add my vote to the Chorus of Yes!
I don’t understand why you would want to add “Marketing Expert/Coach” to your resume. People love your ideas and your writing. Those are unique. But marketing techniques are already taught by a million-plus people. What you are considering would be like The New Yorker running a new column “How to Create a Successful Magazine—and Learn to Write on the Side.” I know I’m in the minority here, but the majority ain’t always right. But then, a lot of my life has been about following a different path. I self-published my first book (“1001 Ways to be Romantic”) in 1991, back when self-publishing was an embarrassment. Sold a lot of books, and made a living on it (and a handful of sequels) for a decade). Respectfully yours, Greg
Would love to know about your marketing efforts, Steve!
I’m in!
I’m also promoting my books and it’s not always easy. To get input from a master storyteller like yourself is awesome!
Yes, Steven, I would almost give my right nut to learn about your marketing methods.
Well said! 😂
I would like to hear about it, but if possible, can you share what would be different if you were unknown. You are famous, we are not. Can you imagine marketing this book as an unknown?
Either way, I’m sure what you share will be helpful.
YES! Very interested in reading about your efforts at marketing the book.
PLEASE DO!!! Having faced resistance and finally completed my novel, I am haunted by the marketing world. Having the privilege to observe your journey with it would be most valuable! Thanks for offering!
I, also, would be interested to hear some of the ‘interior’ scoop on how Resistance has affected your process of getting to marketing – in these times. Thanks for all you share.
Yes! I would love to hear about your marketing plan!
I’d be interested
As much as I look forward to your words of wisdom every week, I would love to hear more about the book. Go for it! Thanks.
I’d love to hear! Please do promote and share.
Congrats Steve! Please share all you can about your marketing plan. I’ll find that super beneficial for my own book.
The book itself is on a kind of journey of discovery. I would enjoy hearing more about the pro-motions.
jon b. #hhh
…..
sipping hard bop tea
at the blue sound sea
of you, and me
Yes vote! It’s incredibly helpful to be in the trenches with you and see all the actual work it takes, not just the shiny finish.
Instead of giving a blanket “hell yes,” I’ll say what would actually interest me (and, I suspect, others):
If you plan to describe some of the nuts of and bolts of what went into marketing your book, in a way that might inform those of us who are interested in promoting our own work — e.g., if you’ll be sharing things like initial marketing ideas, how you narrowed them down, whom you worked with to make them happen, any pitfalls you encountered along the way, and how you handled them — then, hell yes!
However, if you plan to replace your usual style of Writing Wednesdays posts with what amounts to promotions or plugs for your book, counting on us fans to eat it all up, then, honestly? Meh. I’d much rather get posts meant to inspire commitment to my own work.
Which isn’t to say I don’t want you to promote to us at all; I’d just rather not have the usual of posts replaced with promotions, however exciting they might be. If you’d like to promote your book to us, doing so a separate note or link at the end of the post would be fine by me.
Thanks for asking for our thoughts on this!
Yes, Steve!
Looking very forward to your book and the marketing education. SF
Would definitely like to get the behind-the-scenes view of how you’re approaching the marketing machine this round! Thanks for sharing anything you’re doing on that front.
yes, would love to hear about the book!
I would be very interested as one who loves writing books but hates marketing them.
Yes please.
Does the Muse come into the marketing process?
Do you feel resistance doing marketing?
Yes.
Yes! Fill us in please!
I am in the camp to, enthusiastically, learn about how you approached this marketing this new book! Thanks for all that you share!
> Would you be interested in me describing, here on Writing Wednesdays, my efforts at marketing the book?
Yes, definitely!
> or would that be boring and self-serving?
Not at all. That’s just Resistance talking.
Yes please Steven!
Yes! Tell us all about it.
Yes, please!
Thanks Steve for evening considering sharing your experience.
Yes, the marketing side of the equation would be interesting.
I think that I would be even more interested in learning how the marketing for the War of Art and The Legend of Bagger Vance went. With this new title, it might be too early to tell.
Thanks again!
Absolutely interested in your marketing efforts. I’m marketing my own novels on social media platforms and want to learn everything I can. I’M A PRO!! And I loved Steven’s work!
not nterested in gleaning any info about a warrior odyssey
please Steve, YES.
for many writers, “sales and marketing” is at least as painful, indeed, fraught with RESISTANCE as the idea of writing anything to begin with.
consistency is mega-important in writing the book itself, and i suspect such is at least as important with marketing and promotion.
“i will reach out to / contact at least one podcast channel that’s relevant to what i write EACH AND EVERY DAY, and see if we cannot do joint interviews”.
[one interview w them for their channel, another interview w them for yours’ kind of thing]
depending on what lessons your+Diana’s plan has in store, it could get humbling at times, just cos new stuff is like that. so, somehow i don’t think you’ll get puffed up or self-serving.
either way, looking forward to seeing and hearing more!
Hey Steve: What a great idea. Being an independent author/publisher you undoubtedly have unique insights and experiences in marketing and promoting a major work of fiction. I would love to hear about your “marketing and sales plan” and everything that goes into it. Pull back the curtain and bring it on!!
Yes! Would love to hear what you are doing.
Yes, I’d love to hear the marketing plan.
Yes, I would like to hear it.
I would like to hear some of the marketing plans/thoughts/struggles…
…but…
I would also like to hear the struggles what went on in your own mind as you wrestled this book into existence!
Where was Resistance the strongest?
What did you do to overcome Resistance and bring this work to the world?
Hi Steven – yes, i would love to hear about your process for promoting and marketing this book!
Congratulations Steve, and yes! Please do share your marketing plan, including how resistance showed up! I just spend two days battling some depressingly disencouraging self-doubt to move forward with a marketing effort. HOORAY! xx
What a bonus that would be to hear learn the unique strategies you use to create another bestseller.
Thanks for adding lots more value!