"I'm an Introvert. Do I Really Need to Promote Myself Everywhere?"

Dear Milo,

I’m worried about promoting myself if or when I get a book deal. I’m shy and introverted and don’t like people very much. What can I do to promote my book when it’s time? I can do what I can, but I don’t want to have to start a livestream or post a picture of every meal I have or anything to try and get a million followers. Do publishers expect this from writers? What do they do for the book? Or is it all on writers these days?

Sincerely,

I Just Wanna Write

Waterbury, CT

Dear I Just Wanna Write,

I don’t like people, either! Twinsies!

But honestly, don’t fret too much. There’s a lot to be said on this topic, but I’m going to attempt to rein it in.

First, it sounds like you’re mainly concerned about social media or other mass-quantity-style promotion. By and large, social media followings don’t do much for a book. As I’ve said elsewhere, online popularity and book sales are two different things. Most followers you have won’t actually buy your book because it’s been found that most social media followers are empty follows. (Contrary to, say, ongoing subscribers to an author’s newsletter—cough, cough—who have been found to be significantly more dedicated followers.) While some publishers and agents still push for the viral following requirement to get a book deal (or soon thereafter), many have since learned that this is bunk. 

One exception to this fact is if you’re trying to sell nonfiction as opposed to fiction. I’m less educated on the nonfiction market, but I’ve heard it’s because, well, you need to prove to folks that you actually know what you’re talking about in order to convince them to buy the book. But does that mean you need a viral following? Not necessarily. There are ways around these things and there are many options to be had, whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction.

Second, when it comes to followers, people throw around numbers like 40,000 or whatever. But what you really want is to try and hit that so-called 1,000 true fans target. This means gaining about 1,000 people who truly do love your work, follow you because they actively want to follow you, and would likely purchase (or otherwise support you in) what you publish. Having 1,000 followers who would purchase your book is significantly more desirable than 40,000 who wouldn’t. So hopefully this helps reframe your idea of what may be expected of you.

Third, if you’re truly worried about doing certain things in the name of promotion, just make sure to read your book contract carefully when the time comes. You agent/agency will have your back, too, but it’s always good to also look at things yourself. Sometimes, a book contract will include expectations—sometimes quite specifically—about your role in the book’s promotion. If something in there is against your beliefs, comfort, or whatever, alert your agent and they can work with the publisher to alter that bit. You can say no to things that make you uncomfortable. Of course, take care of all concerns before you sign. Because once you sign, that’s it.

Sidenote: The smaller your advance, the less non-paying work your publisher will likely expect from you. So if feeling pressured to go big with self-promotion is a concern for you, consider aiming for small, indie, or university presses. If you get a big advance or are with a big publisher, get ready for the possibility of doing a lot of unpaid labor and putting yourself out there.

Fourth, it doesn’t sound like you’re in this vein, but I’m going to say it for everyone anyway: No writer can (or should) sit back and expect their publisher to do everything on the promotion front. You’ve got to put in your time and effort, too. Consider it a joint endeavor. Both sides want this book to do well, so you’re both going to do what you can within your capacities and comfort levels.

Also, it’s never too early to start working on your platform. The slow build is more likely to get you some true followers rather than a last-minute grab when your book’s about to come out. (Also, last-minute attempts at connection can feel a little sleazy.)

Okay, now that all of that’s out of the way, there’s thankfully plenty you can do that doesn’t involve you creating a viral dance video on the Ticky Tocky. 

In the flesh-and-blood world, one thing you can do is attend (and casually meet people at) writer-themed conferences and festivals, as well as events for other authors. Building genuine connections is a surefire way to gain that 1,000 true fans thing. Other ways you can do this is getting to know your local independent booksellers and librarians, volunteering with local organizations, joining a book club, or engaging in virtually any social activity. Keep in mind that the people you connect with don’t have to be readers or writers. I’ve heard plenty of stories where folks from, say, a writer’s cooking class showed up hardcore for their debut novel about caterpillars when the time came. Ultimately, just make sure that when you meet people, you’re not doing it only to build your platform. People can smell that a mile away and it’s just not a good look. It’s using people. Just be yourself, talk about your writing when it comes up, and the people who get you will get you. Basically, you’re there for the book club or the pottery class or whatever. Gaining followers is just a bonus.

If talking about your book during conferences, etc. feels too awkward for you, consider printing up business cards that have your contact info (or website or whatever you’d like) on the front, and information about your book on the back. Note that you should only do this if your book is already out (if independently published) or you already have a book deal (if traditionally published). If you start passing out cards about a work-in-progress or otherwise not yet published/contracted book, that often gives too much of a cart-before-the-horse look since books can change drastically before their final Pokémon form.

The electronic version of a business card is your email signature. Consider adding your book’s info to your signature so people know your book’s title, when it’s coming out, and/or where they can purchase it. You don’t need to be obnoxious about it; just the title and the publisher (and date, if forthcoming), hyperlinked to preferably your publisher’s purchase page or a seller like Bookshop.org. But again, just like physical business cards, you only want to do this if your book is contracted or already published.

If you want to do any social media to build platform, just stick with what you’re comfortable with. If you don’t want to show your face, you don’t have to. If you don’t want to do videos, you don’t have to. Rather, you can promote other authors, share what you’re currently reading, post pictures of your dog, whatever. If you want to share it, then share it. If you don’t want to, then don’t.

Likewise, you don’t need to build a following on every social media platform out there. Spreading yourself thin isn’t going to do you any favors, especially if you’re out of your comfort zone. Instead, focus on one social media platform that you most enjoy, whatever it is.

Beyond social media, you can be a guest on podcasts, post (nice) book reviews, offer to be a beta reader, or be quoted in articles. You can also write articles or essays yourself. You may notice that writers do this more the closer they get to a book’s launch, but you start way ahead of time. Again, that slow build of a platform is always best. Granted, some places may be harder to get into than others, but while it’s always good to aim big, there’s no shame in publishing an article on a smaller site. (It could even end up working out better for you. If you publish something in your hometown online newspaper, multiple people may recognize your name and get excited to buy your book, while an article on a big site could fly right by most folks because they don’t know who you are and there are so many other articles to read.) 

Whether online or in person, your tactic should always be the same: work to your strengths. Will it sometimes feel a little uncomfortable? Maybe. But there’s a big difference between momentarily stepping out of your comfort zone and “no way in hell am I ever doing that.” Every writer’s line is different and if you’re new to all this, it may take some trial and error to learn where yours is.

But back to social media. It’s true that, followers aside, most info about books is shared through social media. Does that significantly alter sales in either direction? It’s unclear. But most of us agree that it’s best not to take the chance. So what can those of us who hate social media do?

Enter the digital proxy. This concept goes by many names, but digital proxies are people who will post on their own social media about your book. They can have a large following or a small one. They can be your friends, your family, your writing peers, etc. The difference between a proxy and, say, an influencer is that you actually know this person. You have some sort of relationship or acquaintance with them. They’re not someone you’re paying, bribing, or otherwise seeking out only because they have a large platform. These are the folks you’ve been meeting along the way in your book club, cooking class, through your online book reviews, and wherever else you’ve been casually connecting with people.

And while you weren’t meeting people purely to utilize them later on, now’s a nice time to ask around and see who you can rally. Politely reach out to folks via email (or whatever mode of conversation you’ve had in the past), one by one on an individual and personalized level, and ask them if they’d like to help and how they can. Lay out all the details, such as when the book comes out or when preorders go live. Provide them copy and other promotional materials, such as a high-res picture of your book cover. Basically, do as much of the work for them as possible. Even if they choose to promote your work their own way, it shows respect for their time. Be sure to thank them regardless of their response.

How many folks should you reach out to? It depends. While there’s no distinct amount that guarantees good results (or any results, if we’re being honest here; see my first point above), you can at least work by this general rule: If your digital proxies have large followings, you can go with less. If your digital proxies have small followings, go with more. Either approach can result in a potential spreading of word about your book.

Is this essentially a situation of friends helping friends? Why yes, yes it is. Which probably says everything you need to know not only about promoting your book, but about life in general. 

It may look deceiving at first blush, but it’s amazing (and endearing) how far genuine human kindness can go. Many of us writers are made to feel like we have no following or platform if we haven’t been splashing ourselves all over social media, but it turns out we’ve been building a following this whole time if we’ve just been good, kind people. 

Warmly,

Milo