How Can I Be Myself and Still Sell Books?
As I come up on the launch of my debut novel, I’ve been feeling more and more that I’m supposed to be doing something, but I don’t know what that something is exactly. Writing is a very solitary venture and one that I enjoy. Self-promotion is something else altogether. In today’s world, as a writer, you’re told again and again, “you have to have a platform,” “you need a publicist,” “you need an on-line presence,” etc. I’ve always written (solitary), my day job is therapist (two people, three sometimes and confidential). I workout everyday often alone given that walking and swimming are also loner sports especially after my favorite gym closed. I’m from a small town and I live in a small town. So, though I feel I have a lot to say, my platform is not the stuff of millions of followers.
More than all of that, I’m a Baby Boomer. Technology is a young person’s game. This is all learning curve for me. So what’s an old lady to do? I’ve engaged with young people. You can guess by now that I did not create this website. I enlisted the services of two former students that went to Ireland in 2016 to study with my husband through Mercyhurst University (where I used to work and where my husband teaches), at the same time that I went to Ballymaloe Cookery School. Naomi Greenstein-Gulotta owner of Glas House Media wrote copy for me and her friend and fellow Mercyhurst alum, Kelsey Kliner owner of OneTentheStudio designed this website. I am very grateful to both for their professionalism and patience guiding this Boomer through the complexities of creating an “on-line presence.” Kelsey also designed an set me up with really pretty bookmarks that have the QR code on them that links to this site. Can you imagine me trying to figure that out?
In my research on publicists, I immediately ruled them out. For an unknown writer like myself, published by an Indie publisher that I’ve really liked BTW, publicists are WAY too expensive. In my conversations with Kelsey about this conundrum, she mentioned hiring a “social media manager.” Never heard of it, but wouldn’t you know, I’m at my niece’s wedding shortly after, and I’m chatting with one of her cousins who teaches English, writes, and dabbles in social media managing. He’s also a great kid. You may think I’m crazy, but to my mind it’s a win-win. I don’t know what I’m doing and would rather someone else more comfortable in this arena do it for me. Who better than a GenZer. My kids aren’t even GenZer’s. And, I’m giving him a chance to show what he can do. His name is Will Ruggai. I’m sure this is the beginning of a great relationship or his career or both!
Lastly, this is my inaugural post, with the help of a Kelsey tutorial. I hope to do more as I become more comfortable engaging with my own website. So, please be patient as I learn and grow. Keeping my mind sharp in my old age! Maybe in my next post I will figure out how to add images :)
