The Single Best Book Promotion Tool
They say do podcasts, signings, speak, do public appearances. But the thing that moves the needle most is right here.
This blog.
Or any platform where you, the writer, have established a bond with readers and fellow artists who connect with you.
I mentioned in last week’s post that Amazon knows who our readers are (they’ve got the list from mailing books to them). But they won’t share that list. It’s proprietary. They’re hanging onto it.
That’s why a blog or newsletter is so important. It gives you and me a way of speaking directly to our readers and fellow writers in the trenches.
When we have a new book, we can announce it. If we’re offering a class or speaking somewhere, we can put the word out to those who are most likely to be interested.
I offered a one-day course last year. I announced it on this blog and on social media. 95% of the people who signed up were from this blog.
That’s how powerful it is.
Two other things:
First from myself, thanks to everyone who has stuck with me and supported over ten years of Writing Wednesdays. It’s great fun for me. It motivates me, compels me to organize my thoughts … and I hope the work and the interchange have helped others as much as they’ve helped me.
Second, if you yourself are looking for the single most powerful tool of promoting your own work, start something like this. A newsletter, a blog, a presence on social media.
Share what you know. It can be anything. My friend Brandon Burgess just started a video series on Overcoming Anxiety. It’s great! He’s totally open about his own struggles and how he overcame (and is still overcoming) them. I follow him myself!
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?"
Link for Brandon ?
Brilliant post. Thank you very much for this.
Thank you very much for this insight dear Steve.
A blog is strong, but I couldn’t know how much. I always felt The Mythologists (Οι Μυθολόγοι), kind of my blog, weak. I couldn’t raise a revolution through it.
I would add as a suggestion that the fame of the blogger is important.
I would find it very intresting if you could analyze simultaneously the methods of marketing of the biggest fishes out there, those whose books sell millions of copies. It would be an interesting comparison between the two paths.
I am writing dear Steve. The holy minutes.
My love to you, Diana, all the team, all the friends.
Tolis, The Mythologists sounds great to me. If you share yourself, no AI, just what you really believe and love, your blog will grow. It will take time of course, but those that get into it will stick around and spread the word. You just need to believe in yourself and what you love most.
Thanks for sharing this – I have no presence on social media nor a blog. However, having a blog is appealing even if its to introduce oneself as an unknown person in the midst of …… millions who regularly are online. You said it began very slowly and that’s what I would expect. Happy to see such a thoughtful and well supported way to be online without all the hoo-haa of other methods.
Thank you! A great motivator. Yes and Yes.
I blogged on word press for five years. I had 22 followers. The mechanics of a blog elude me, how to grow readership, basically, market when an unknown without a book yet. Any helpful information is appreciated to begin again.
As I shared below, offering a free gift helps a lot. I had about 1500 followers and I attribute it to that. I posted on other people’s blogs too. Mr Pressfield’s included… smile. I never added advertising or anything, just commented on their newsletters. I was also doing the now defunct Squidoo, where I wrote on various subjects and made my website available. FB too. It’s like a circle.
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I forgot to add, keywords and long tail keywords are still relevant.
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Kathy,
I appreciate the information.
Thank you!
It’s not easy boys and girls. No one said it would be. If they did they don’t do it or they’re just not telling you the truth.
Good work requires persistent consistent effort.
Do the work.
Enjoy it!!
Sound advice! Thank you!
A pro artist network I am a part of always discusses how important newsletter updates and outreach can be.
As always a big thank you for Writing Wednesdays!
Rock on Stephen.
Thanks for this valuable information and encouragement!
This blog as a device that “… compels me to organize my thoughts.” That seems key. I find if I’m writing to “myself,” things tend to swirl. It’s only when I’m picturing one person to whom I’m telling a story, THAT’s when things, thoughts, tend to organize themselves and really flow.
Thank you for this reminder about the power of connecting through a blog, newsletter, etc. Your blog is an especially powerful way to connect with us because it allows us to easily leave a comment. I’m going to look into this for my own blog. Thank you so much!
Have to establish direct, authentic connections with people.
The people here should also know that there are Print On Demand services for direct sales (through your blog) that take a much smaller cut of book sales than Amazon. Beventi and Payhip.
Translation: You can start a blog and self publish and keep the majority of the profit from the sale of the book. But you sacrifice gaining popularity in the Amazon algorithm. However, if you sell your book well and people talk about it, I’m certain there are ways to get into Amazon and into traditional publishing as well.
✔️thanks for that reminder.
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This is a great community, Steven!!
Tru dat. 🙂
Steve, we thank you for sticking it out with this blog. You’ve mentioned here before, “sometimes I wonder if anyone is reading it….”
They’re reading it. The support here is authentic. True friendships have been formed through it.
Example– Joe above. We became email chums, “meeting” on this blog. Since, Joe, a highly-skilled editor, has worked the line edit on my last two novels. If not for this blog, I never would have met a great dude, a pro/friend perfectly suited to assist in improving the books I write.
I’ve just started social media advertising, and am very interested in all that I can do to increase sales of my two, soon to be three books. Looking forward to hearing more.
Darrellclausen.com
Love you man. I appreciate your long time presence. Ive been your reader and read your books. I also send your books to friends.
I appreciate the effort and thought you put into all this..
Chuck Root
I used to blog and send out a newsletter several years ago. I offered a free gift for signing up. It was coloring pages and a letter from the tooth fairy. That free download helped a lot. I’ve been considering it all again.
Ten years doing this blog, Mr Pressfield! Holy sh*t, that’s a long time. I know with my own, that was for about 3 years, It was hard to come up with fresh material. You’re my hero! Well, you are my hero for many reasons.
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Good advice. Thanks.
Thank you for another fabulous post Steve. xxx And an energetic salute to my fellow writers. xxx
Thank you, Steven! Your teachings resonate, and your shared wisdom benefits us all. You are a good man, sir! #RESPECT
Thanks, Steve.
I set up a website on carrd.co $19/year for a one page website. I generally post on Medium, then have a feed on my website that links to it. It’s pretty simple. Lots of youtube videos to help you. No wordpress. (Used to pay $110/yr with bluehost. Not bad, but I wasn’t posting enough.) I do have my own domain name through bluehost, Carrd allows me to use it.
I need to work on my website, just set it up so far. Very scant for now. Today is a good day to tackle it! Thank you Steven!