Question: “How do I motivate myself to promote my book when it feels like such a big task?”
ByAs promised, I will begin to answer questions submitted to my Abundant Gifts Virtual Book Tour.
(You can submit your own question at any time. Also, if you missed event you can listen to the replay any time.)
Moreah asked, “How do I motivate myself to promote my book when it feels like such a big task?”
Oh, how I relate to that question! For a while, it felt like too big a task for me, too. However, I now have a good answer.
The answer is twofold.
One, figure out what you like to do. There are a myriad of ways to promote a book. In fact, John Kremer says there are 1001 ways. Who can possibly do that many! I love his book, but I confess the title throws me into overwhelm.
The flip side is, with so many ways to promote a book, you almost can’t go wrong! When you focus on what you like to do, then it becomes fun. Motivation isn’t a problem because you’re doing what you love.
Do you like to write? Then concentrate on writing articles and submitting them to ezine directories, pointing people back to your sales site, where you talk more about the book and give people a sample somehow. (I have a great sampling of six Abundant Gifts stories in a very cool Digital Web Book. But a PDF file of the first chapter or two is quite acceptable.)
Article writing is a very proven way to drive targeted traffic to your site. So is writing press releases. (I have a whole series on how to write press releases on my website. Check out the May newsletter.)
Do you like to public speak? That too is a proven method of getting people to buy their book. In fact, until recently it was really one of the few effective ways to sell a book. (Now, thankfully, we have the Internet and the myriad opportunities there.)
Do you like to talk? Consider starting a podcast. Or doing teleseminars on your topic. Get yourself interviewed on radio shows, online and offline.
Do you like to connect with people? Start a MySpace page, get on other social networks, visit forums. Find other people who are interested in your topic and connect virtually. This is one of the greatest opportunities afforded by the Internet.
So start with what you like to do, what comes naturally. That should keep you motivated. Don’t let anyone else tell you how you “should” do it. Pick at least one of the above venues and just do one little thing every day. Then, maybe it becomes two things. Pretty soon you’re on a roll.
Focus on getting good at just one or two things. That will then likely lead to other opportunities. The key to motivation is always to stay with your natural inclinations and build from there.
Hope this helps, Moreah!
