A Writer's Dilemma

Writers have to work alone in order to sort out plot, create sub-plots and build multi-dimensional characters. In that isolation, they create worlds from their imaginations.

But once published, new writers without agents have to perform a contortionist’s act and become marketers, social media experts and self-promoters. That is truly a major challenge.

Two years ago my novel, Bend with the Wind, was published by Rangitawa Publishing. This was followed up by my book of short stories, Voices, last year. I can’t fault Rangitawa Publishing. They did a great job by providing me with exactly what I wanted…an authentic voice that independently validated my work.

However, I soon realised, once my novel was published that was not the end of the story (excuse the pun). Although a publisher had taken my novel, I had to sell my book. This meant turning my introversion inside out and becoming extroverted. That is quite a feat and I am not altogether sure I achieved the metamorphosis required. I am not a natural salesperson at all! And to try and sell something I had created, as proud of it as I might be, I struggled. Both have had excellent reviews and still a thousand contrary voices jabbered in my head.

Add to this, the fact that I have been raised not to ‘show off’ and you will begin to understand how difficult it is to promote myself and my work. I suspect many writers struggle with this dilemma.

My inner voice roars, “Polite people never push themselves forward.”

And another irascible voice screeches, “You want to live? You want to feed yourself? You want a roof over your head? Sell your work!”

I wage this battle every day. It is the war of an introvert trying to do extroverted things. But it is also a war against social conditioning.

So it is a relief when someone offers to help me out. Just a simple change of wording in a heading and my dead line sparks into life. That’s a marketer’s skill and it is wonderful to behold.

There is absolutely no room for humbleness in a world where writers want their books to stand out against 4,500,000 other books on Amazon alone. But how does someone with little marketing experience become a marketing expert that sells what a writer produces? This is the challenge every writer faces. Do they become marketers or remain poorly paid writers?