The hardest part
about being an author is getting your work in front of readers. Writing the
story is a piece of cake compared to finding people who genuinely want to read
your books and who will leave reviews that get other people to read your books.
I’m not a very outgoing person. I don’t like to shove my work into people’s
faces. I can barely get myself to give a bookmark to someone who has already
shown an interest in what I write. The one time I did resulted in a bank teller
giving me her phone number and saying that she had “experiences” she could
share with me that I could write about. Think Fifty Shades experiences, people.
Not what I write at all.
And now I had to
switch banks.
I’m also not a look-at-me
person. I’d rather be the wallpaper in the restaurant than the flaming dessert
the waiter has wheeled into the middle of the room, causing everyone to gasp
and clap and be wildly impressed.
Yeah, I’m
sweating just thinking about that
sort of attention.
I’ve done price
promotions, newsletters, book excerpts, blog tours, book signings, made book
trailers, ran contests… the usual stuff. I’m wondering in this post today what
other authors have tried with good results.
I’m also curious
about what readers want. What lures you in to try a new author? What turns you
off?
Toodles,
Chris
SAFE,
Book One, The Shielded Series, available now!
