My Own Worst Enemy
When it comes to marketing my own books, I am my own worst enemy. Whether it’s self-published or done through a publisher, after writing ten books I’m probably worse at selling my own books today than I was thirty-plus years ago, when the first one came out. It’s always so difficult to get past the discomfort of self-promotion. Yes, it’s a book not me, but it’s MY BOOK, and selling it is selling me – especially since nearly all first line buyers are people who know me. Even when I’ve been the guest speaker for a seminar, conference, lectureship, or some special even, more often than not, I never mentioned or sell my books. It’s hard to not feel self-serving about pushing your own stuff! I’ve hammered myself with the counter-rationale of – “I believe in this book,” “I’m proud of the message in this book,” and “This will enrich the reader!” I truly believe all that – it’s still difficult.
The study/inspiration books are little easier. There is a feeling that I’m offering something that will assist the ready in growing in Christ, better understanding scripture, or simply bless them as students of the Word. The novels are entertainment, but still, I wrote them to inspire folks to look deeper at what God tells us about about spiritual warfare, the work of angels, and what the spirit realm might look like. As I have mentioned before, one of the primary purposes of writing these novels, was to give Christians an adventure story that could be shared with non-Christian friends and give them something to talk about and share. I have been intentionally low keyed and indirect about a religious emphasis in the stories. Still, I wish I was better at promoting and selling my books. The biggest down side of self-publishing is self-marketing. If you don’t push, who will!
It is my hope and prayer that those who read my books and enjoy them, will tell others about them. In the world of self-publishing, the single biggest marketing tool is word-of-mouth. If it’s not shared and promoted by those who read it, it will die. I guess if people don’t enjoy the book, then maybe it should die. I hope that’s not true for you. If you can, please help me promote my novels. If you haven’t read them, please consider getting a copy and reading one or both. I have a third book/part ready to go, but if and when it is published will depend on how well these first two books sell.
I hope you enjoy them and I hope you will feel comfortable telling others about them.
