Recently I received a correspondence from someone who felt I over-promoted my writing. Here’s what the person wrote:
Please know that I think the world of you, your family, and your writing. But I am going to give you some carefully thought out advice. Here’s as plain as I can make it.
Please stop touting your writing and your books. (Obviously I am speaking now of Facebook.) You’ve made it. You are already a very good writer of published prose, with a first-class publisher. There’s no more need for self-promotion no matter how many ‘like this’ sort of comments you elicit. There comes a time when every very good writer has to step back with confidence and let his or her writing just speak for itself. You are at that point in my humble opinion.
You got a lot of book projects pent up inside of you. Go on with these projects and let the praise come from others, if your writing merits praise. It seems to me that you have a number of aspiring writers in your group of Facebook friends. Spend your time now touting their works, whatever they may be, or, better yet, note other writers and their works that touch your soul.
As one who takes in every email, as one who internalizes critique, these words sunk into me. It took me some time to think about what I would say in response. The following is most of what I did write back, with a little more added here for some of the things I wish I would’ve added as I read it in retrospect. Suffice to say, being an author in today’s climate is not about resting on our laurels and waiting for readers.
My response:
Thanks for your kind words. I appreciate it.
First let me say that I spend a great deal of time helping authors, most of that free via informal mentoring, my aspiring writing blog, and at conferences when I meet with writers. I’m passionate about helping other writers succeed. And I love promoting others.
Early on in my career, I read this verse: “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips” (see Proverbs 27:2). I still believe in the power of that verse, and as Seth Godin points out in his excellent book Tribes, I’ve seen the value in folks promoting me as they’ve become zealous tribe members.
But. And there’s always a but, isn’t there? Unfortunately in this climate of publishing, I face pressure to personally promote. If you know me well, it’s not my heart to toot my own horn, but the need to do it is a reality in this business.
It may appear like I’ve arrived, but financially this is not true. I wish I could just be discovered by osmosis, but that has not happened. It’s a constant financial struggle to be a writer. (Most authors make about 80 cents a book.) And if I want to continue to do what God has uniquely gifted me to do, I need to sell books. Publishers won’t take further risk with me if I don’t.
With all the creativity involved in penning a book, the bottom line is the bottom line. Publishing is a business. And like it or not, I am a businesswoman. Just as a company who rarely believes in their product enough to promote it will ultimately face financial difficulty, a writer who neglects promotion will usually see decline—in sales, in offered contracts.
Of course there are exceptions. Some writers get discovered and become overnight successes. That’s not the way God has chosen for me to walk. I’m the girl who walked through every hurdle. Laboring in obscurity for ten years (and 10,000 hours), learning how to write queries and proposals from scratch, networking at conferences, eventually landing an agent, writing proposals that didn’t sell, eventually selling my first book. I’m thankful for that journey. Because of it, God’s developed pluck and tenacity within me, and that helps me tackle promotion with vigor, yet still keeps me humble, knowing how hard it’s been to get here.
Currently this is a season where I’m releasing probably the biggest book of my career, Thin Places, and this happens to be launch week, which is why you’re seeing an uncanny amount of promotion on Facebook. It will certainly drop off next week and the following months, only to be ramped up again in May when another novel releases.
Starting last March and continuing to this May, I will have released four books, a lot to promote. That’s just how the releases happened, and I don’t anticipate I’ll be seeing that many releases again in such a short period of time. But as someone who works in partnership with a publisher, I know they have expectations that I will promote my books. And I feel the responsibility to wear at least part of the marketing and PR hat.
The old model where a writer got to write and only the publisher promoted is no longer the case. The expectation is that you to actively market your books via speaking, social media, web presence, radio, TV, video, etc. Many times this is a fun process, though it does cut into writing time.
I do feel confident in my writing, very much so. And I do believe my stories have merit. But in this publishing environment where my book is one of tens of thousands, it’s hard to get people to notice a new writer. I know it seems like I’m not new with eight books out there, but in the world of publishing I am. I am actively paying my dues.
I write in the mornings, accumulating my word count, and promote when I can. Evenings are reserved for my family. It’s a full, busy life. Sure I wish I could rest from promoting, but unfortunately that’s just not the reality of the business these days.
I do appreciate your words, especially the spirit in which you wrote them. But I did feel in this case I needed to push back a bit and show you a little bit about what most authors have to balance.
Warmly, Mary
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This is the second person I know of who's connected somehow to Michael Hyatt who got an unsolicited piece of critical advice in the past few days. Hmm. Must be gang-up-on-Hyatt's-friends week. I'm gonna keep my head low!
Anyway, to whoever wrote that original comment, I like Mary's writing, so I kinda wanna hear what she has to say. She doesn't have to stop writing when she's written the final word of the book.
Also, as someone who's looking head-on at the daunting reality of getting a book published in the first place, I like to see the daily grind of the reality of responsibly caring for your work *after* it's released, and keeping in touch with your fans. It's all about conversation and relationship.
My recent post A day late and a dollar short: becoming patient
Agreed. Conversation and relationship.
I talked about this in a teleseminar I gave for Christian writers/speakers recently. I think there's a misunderstanding in Christian circles that marketing and ministry cannot go hand in hand. We think, "If God wants it to succeed, it will, so I need to leave it to Him!" And then we figure that if we try to "help God", we're failing and have little faith.
But I don't think it works that way. I think marketing makes you better. Think of it this way: when you market, you have to UNDERSTAND your market. You have to know your niche and what makes them tick. You have to research what their heart needs are, so that you can write and speak to those needs. You're not focused on yourself–what you want to write about–you're focused on others, what God may be wanting to do in their lives.
I think it helps you to think bigger, and be more relevant. And all in all, that's a good thing!
My recent post Thinking About Your Audience First
Really wise words, Sheila. Thanks. True marketing is honoring a reader's needs.
Excellent, informative, candid reply to an outsider in the writing industry. Thank you for your spirit in this reply, Mary. Thank you, Michael, for posting Mary's insightful letter. Even today I am speaking (for free) to a group of fiction writers about book promotion. As Mary informed her concerned reader, authors cannot rest and expect publishers to do all the promo & marketing work – and there is a difference between promotion and marketing.
Like Mary, I am considered a newbie in the author world with three books: two parenting and a co-authored holiday book. My latest title, The Birth to Five Book: Confident Childrearing Right from the Start, probably nets me 80 cents or less, so I'm no more wealthy than Mary.
Serious authors realize the dance of atunement with their publisher in consistently, persistently getting the book noticed every day.
It is hard to get a book noticed every day, though. Sometimes I grow weary of that. But you're right, it's a partnership dance with the publisher.
Thanks, Mike, for posting this. And Mary, I wholeheartedly support your viewpoints.They are words of truth! Though I am still mining my first novel, honing Living Letters, and enjoying the creation of my lifelong dream–a beautiful card line, I haven't published a string of books as you have. I am, however, going the route you have traveled: the conferences, learning and writing, creating from scratch. It makes you appreciate your journey, and builds the stuff writers are made of. I'm a contributor in several books, and look forward to the day my novel arrives at my door; until that day comes, I am clear about the expectations the publisher will have of me to promote their investment.
So, yes, writers may succeed to literary stardom, but the marketing aspect must be forged in earnest by the author. Many years of writing success!
How cool to have a card line someday. I hope your dreams are realized!
I think any book publisher would appreciate an author helping to promote their books. If you have a good topic to share, people need to know about it. What if we just waited until people pulled a Bible off of a bookshelf, instead of reaching out to them for God? Sometimes we don't know about a book unless someone speaks about it. Regarding Thin Places, I am glad to have found an entry about it for it is a topic near and dear to my heart and I would not have heard about it without the promotion you did. I pray that you don't take that criticism to heart. I think pride would dictate not promoting your material. If you are making yourself available to people in the promotion of your book, that is a blessing.
Interesting point!
What hardware company or software company, etc. could afford not to advertise, especially if the business was around the corner or tucked away in an obscure part of town? I think I read somewhere that it takes around ten to thirteen viewings of a commercial on tv before the company and the attractiveness of its offerings sink into our consciousness. Until you become a household word you must promote. The more I hear about Thin Places the more I want to read it! Keep on keeping on,lovely lady.
Thanks Dena. If you do pick it up, shoot me an email and let me know what you think.
Do writers need to promote their books? Only if they want people to read them.
My recent post Five Tips for Scheduling a Book Signing Event
Of course, then there's the argument that books sell primarily through word of mouth.
Actors and directors promote their movies, singers promote their albums, painters promote their paintings, designers promote their new line, fast food restaurants promote their latest deals, manufacturers promote their products, television stations promote their shows and so forth. So it makes complete sense to me that authors would promote their books.
This is advertising. There will be authors that do it in an irritating way like HeadOn – apply directly to the forehead and their will be ones that don't.
Yeah, there is a balance, but it seems it's okay to promote anything else, just not Christian books. I wonder where that dichotomy happened.
I am challenged by your post, Mary. At a glance I agree with everything you said and think your response was appropriate and absolutely well stated. The general public seems to hold an inaccurately glamourous view of the life of a published author.
The one thing I question has to do with Facebook. It seems to me that people who are my friends on Facebook want to be just that — friends. Many seem to login to Facebook to unwind a little, catch up on the lives of others, click on a few pictures, and enjoy a few laughs. Since your friend specifically referred to Facebook, I wonder if she has a point. People, in general, respond negatively to their friends trying to sell things to them. (If your correspondence refers to a Facebook page, I see that as being different.)
In my extremely limited social media experience, it seems a Facebook page or Twitter is a more appropriate place to market and self-promote. Even the terms "fans" and "followers" versus "friends" makes it more acceptable.
I am posting this because I am curious if my experience is the same as others. I may be too late to engage in a conversation, but it would be helpful to me to hear what you or others think. Thank you!
I do have a fan page on Facebook, and will be concentrating more on that once my queue of friends fills up. The friend was right in terms of the promotion on the particular week I posted. It was launch week, and because of that, I promoted the book. But normally I don't. Normally it's quotes I find that bless me, or what recipe I'm making for dinner, or something God's taught me in the moment. I often pray my way through the day through my updates. It's not normative for me to be promoting ad nauseum.
Wow… I love your response. As a still pre-published author, I dread receiving a FB message or email with those words. I'm still new at this whole "marketing yourself" thing and like you, I use my FB to get the word out about new blogs, new articles, new novel segments. I do wonder if it is overwhelming to my FB friends. Still, your point is beyond valid! If we hope to make money in this industry, money to support our families, our noses are forced to the metaphorical grindstone and we market to the world around us! I suppose as we elevate our platforms, those closest to us will sigh with relief that we've acquired a larger world to holler at. Until that time, we press on and pray for open doors. Thanks for sharing!
My recent post The End
Shannon, that's a good point. All along the journey, we deal with promotion on some level.
Boy do I feel the 'tension' – lately I've decided to have a little fun with it – throw some 'caution to the winds' – my reclusive side that lives in this mountain cove and wants to just write her words is at war with the side that has to get out ther and "toot the horn…"
Before my book came out, I spent a lot of time helping writers with their prose, promoting writers who were published, etc, but now I don't have as much time to do that as I like, and I have to spend a lot of time with this "look at me look at me look at me!' – I walk that fine line between being who I am and what I believe in, and what I must do to promote my book(s). I know I could probably do more, and maybe should, but there is a line I have drawn – we'll see if I ever have to cross it….although some may say I've crossed it recently with my "nekkid reading" and other things – taking suggestions from readers on promo ideas and running with it . . .that's a whole other story *smiling*
nice post…and good luck!
Thanks for the "good luck," Kathryn. I like what you said toward the end about asking help from readers about promotion. They're great catalysts for creative ideas.
As I prepare to publish my first book, this post was amazing to read. Thank you very much for being transparent Mary, about what I will most likely face during my upcoming journey. Have an amazing day!
I love your response, Mary.
Well, here's my answer to your question. I really do feel tension between writing and promoting. I'm a stay-at-home mom to two little ones (almost 3 year old and an almost 1 year old) plus we're 'expecting' again. And so, that alone gives me very little time to promote…although Facebook is an easy way to do it. My biggest problem is knowing what to do or how to effectively promote. I took the rebel route and self-published. I just want to and don't really have a strong desire to publish the traditional way. =) That's just a preference of mine for the moment. But, I would love to learn ways to effectively promote. That's the only part that is a little stressful.
BTW, I believe you're doing great! Baby writers like myself are watching the pro's like you very carefully. And, you are a great example to many!
Blessings,
Kennisha