Different Questions -

Newly published authors, eager to promote their book, tend to ask a similar series of questions:

1) How do I get the word out?

2) Should I hand sell to different booksellers? What about libraries?

3) How much should I spend on marketing/promotion?

4) When should I hire a publicist?

5) What bloggers/ influencers should I contact?

6) Is offering half of the book for free a great way to get exposure?

But few tend to ask:

1) Should I spend time and money on promoting this book or should I be working on the next one?

2) Does promotion have to cost money?

3) Does promotion have to cost time?

4) What do I have to offer readers who enjoy this book? How can I answer ‘what’s next?’

5) What kind of writing business model am I following? Why?

6) How many books do I plan to write over the next 5-10 years?

7) Do I want to be a writer (someone who writes) or an author (someone who has written)?

As a new writer I nearly got caught in the net of the accepted wisdom of promotion advice, but when I took a step back and looked at where I wanted to go, I was able to take a different path.

You can too.

Choose your questions with care. The answers may lead you to either a long writing career or a short one.