Hands up, authors who enjoy the publicity and marketing effort that attends the release of a new book. I’m talking about everything from public appearances, less common in this digital age, to heightened visibility on social media, to interviews on radio, podcast, by phone or email. There are guest blogs, giveaways, and a host of other things about which I know less than I probably should. Some writers thrive on all this activity, or at least give a very convincing show of doing so. They’re relaxed and confident public speakers and seem able to juggle a vast number of events while remaining impressively productive. Some, like me, are always aware that giving time to publicity lessens time available to write. Some of us are happier sitting quietly at our desks working, in the company of the faithful dog/cat/other emotional support animal. If we write somewhere public – in a library or cafe, for instance – we’re expert at shutting out our surroundings while we work.
When we’re not used to it, the glare of the (virtual) spotlight can be uncomfortable, not only because our quiet lives are suddenly full of social interaction, but because we know that while Project A is being released into the wild with much fanfare, the clock is ticking down to the deadline for Project B, and even if it isn’t, we’d still rather be getting on with the next book. New release time requires high energy; it is demanding. But it can also revitalise us. It can help refill the creative well. Besides, it’s good for us introverts to put on a smiling face and engage with our readers in the real world from time to time. They’re nice people, and we need them.
Like me, you probably have memories (or nightmares) of not-so-great public appearances in your role as a writer. There’s the book launch or reading to which only six people turned up. The talk you gave where you misjudged the nature of the audience or stuffed up the timing or left your notes at home and went blank. The convention panel at which one person talked over everyone else, or the one at which an audience member took the opportunity to deliver a furious harangue about a pet topic, and the moderator failed to shut them up so you never got the opportunity to say what you wanted to say. The phone interview where you thought of perfect answers just after you hung up. Those experiences tend to be the ones we remember, even if they’re far outweighed by the times when we did well and the times when we did OK. We writers tend to set high standards for ourselves. There’s nothing wrong with that. We should keep challenging ourselves and trying to improve, no matter how successful we are. But there’s no point in flagellating ourselves over what went wrong. We should do as well as we can, learn from the experience and move on. For me, interviews by email are always the easiest because I have time to think about the questions, to answer in well-structured sentences, and above all to edit before I press send. I wish I could speak as fluently as I write.
I’m in the middle of all this right now with the recent release of The Harp of Kings. Happy with my email Q&As. Book launch went well. Mixed feelings about my radio interviews. Podcast coming up. Doing my best to stay calm, focused and well prepared. I do have some advantages in dealing with all this. Although I’m the hermit type, I had a past career as a teacher, so I’m used to public speaking. I also have the support of publicity and marketing teams from two major publishing houses, who are energetic in seeking out opportunities to promote the book. On the other hand, although I’m a seasoned professional, I still get nervous. I do set stupidly high standards. I’m trying to focus on a few key points.
- The audience is not your enemy. They’re interested in you and your book or they wouldn’t be here. Show them you appreciate that. Smile, make eye contact, invite and respond to questions. Respect those people.
- Know your audience. You’ll get a different kind of question and a different level of engagement at a genre convention from the one you’ll get at a bookshop launch or a library talk. You’ll have a different style of interview on a national radio arts program than you will on a local breakfast show. Be prepared.
- Take a friend with you to book signings. Why? Practical assistance and moral support. Someone to talk to if only six people turn up!
- Wear clothing in which you feel happy and comfortable. Be yourself. That’s the person your readers want to meet.
- For phone interviews, have easy-to-read notes on the desk or screen in front of you and read them before you start. You may not even look at them during the interview, but they’ll remind you to breathe, take your time and form answers with care.
- If you’re on a panel, don’t interrupt other people or talk over them. It’s bad manners.
- To write convincing characters, you need to engage with real human beings. Think of your public appearances as a vital part of the writer’s toolbox.
I’d love to know how you introverts out there deal with publicity and marketing. Which events do you enjoy most? (I like genre conventions, especially the ones with cosplay.) What are your top survival tips?
Photo credit: ID 30003389 © Dmytro Konstantynov|Dreamstime.com
About Juliet Marillier
Juliet Marillier has written twenty-one novels for adults and young adults as well as a collection of short fiction. Her works of historical fantasy have been published around the world, and have won numerous awards. Juliet is currently working on a new fantasy trilogy for adult readers, Warrior Bards, of which the first book, The Harp of Kings, will be published in September 2019. Her short novel Beautiful, based on the fairy tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon, was released as an Audible Original in May 2019. When not writing, Juliet is kept busy by her small tribe of elderly rescue dogs.
Congratulations on the Harp of Kings! And yes, it takes much effort transitioning from book writing to book promotion.
I enjoy best teaching–because the focus is on the material. It’s always been a labor of love for me because I get to share what I care about and the audience is typically self-selected (if adults) so I know they are also interested. But even school children, a captive audience, react positively, so we forge a bond.
Yes, a self-selected, enthusiastic audience is great! My best teaching experiences have been with romance writers, who are generally very engaged, have great questions, and love practical work. Such sessions can be rewarding for all.
It’s easier to speak when you have something to say. Yes, have notes but even more have points.
Your story says something about human affairs. It poses questions that need an answer. There is something we’ve missed and your novel shines a light. Publicity is a chance to say that something, ask that question or shine that light.
If that sounds presumptuous, okay. It is presumptuous to write a story in the first place. People want to believe in your authority, and if you give it to yourself they will.
It’s okay to talk about your life or where your story came from, no harm in that, yet the power of your convictions is the power of your story, so why not let that show?
Wise advice as always, Donald.
Being self published and living in an anti-tall-poppy society makes this all so much more emotionally difficult, because promotion for a self-published author is inevitably self-promotion, and if there’s one thing Kiwis aren’t keen on (as I’m sure you know!), it’s self-promotion. As the Maori proverb has it, “the kumara does not say how sweet he is.”
Like you, “I wish I could speak as fluently as I write.” Unfortunately, the one time I gave a talk the audience seemed verging on the comatose, so I clearly wasn’t that entertaining, despite my written preparation.
I’ve had a person fall asleep while I was reading aloud. I treated that as a learning experience, and now choose very short passages!
Maybe it’s my Kiwi blood that makes me so uncomfortable with the self-promotion aspect of all this. Don’s advice is good – focusing on story (the story in the book, and the story behind it, ie whatever it was in the author’s life or her mind that led to her writing that particular story. Why that was important to her.) .
I’m very comfortable with public speaking after a childhood of theatre and public debate, but I don’t know how to reach out to make these events happen. For me, it’s not knowing how or who to reach out to to make the publicity happen and the one on one interactions are far for intimidating than any anonymous, public speaking.
Some things that might help: networking with other writers via either a face to face group or an online group such as the Writer Unboxed Facebook page. Depending on your genre, there may be a supportive organisation (eg Romance Writers of America, Romance Writers of Australia; SFWA for science fiction and fantasy; SCBWI for people who write children’s or YA books) with a wealth of info and contacts available to members – some of these have local branches. The WU Facebook Page is a great starting point – you can post a ‘how to’ query and get a range of useful answers from other members including mainstream, small press and self-published writers.
One on one interactions – my suggestion would be treat it as an ordinary chat, be friendly, be yourself, and don’t feel you have to put a special ”author hat” on.