Motivated to Market – Beyond the Book

So. You’ve written another book.

Maybe it’s your second, maybe it’s your 15th.

Either way, if you’re feeling that dip after it’s gone live, you aren’t imagining it. You know the one I’m talking about — the little letdown that maybe this publishing thing isn’t giving you the rush you once got from putting your collected works out to the public. I’ll put it here in the first paragraph: It’s okay to feel a little depressed after your book has been released, especially if it’s not your first book.

You aren’t alone.

BUT…you don’t need to be a victim of that feeling, either. And you don’t have to let it seep into your marketing efforts.

Here are some lessons I’ve learned and actions I’ve taken to keep myself motivated to market long after the thrill of publishing books ghosted me.

Remember your why.

This is critical not just in marketing, but in life. Take a moment and think about the bigger picture, the reasons behind embarking on any project. Now think about your book publishing.

Why do you keep at it?

Maybe you simply and inexplicably feel compelled to share your art with the world. Maybe you want to leave a legacy for your family. Maybe you are trying to make a name for yourself.

Or maybe you just love books.

Whatever the reason(s), write it down and put it somewhere visible. Read it more than once. Read it out loud. Write about it.

Whatever it takes, keep your underlying motivation front and center. You can’t market your books effectively without knowing your reasons for publishing.

Honor your accomplishments.

Just because you’re missing the publishing high doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give yourself a pat on the back, a little party celebrating your accomplishments.

It takes hard work and dedication to produce any book, never mind more than one.

So take out those books, line them all up, light a candle, eat a big bowl of ice cream, and post a pic on Instagram. Or buy yourself an ugly holiday sweater on clearance. Or just hug yourself.

Remind yourself you deserve to be rewarded for your work and that not all rewards are royalties. What does this have to do with marketing? You can’t convince people to value your work if you aren’t valuing it yourself.

Plan and pace your marketing.

This goes for book one through book 21.

Start early by creating a strategy for marketing this new book. Then develop a realistic plan, one that won’t overwhelm or exhaust you. Hold yourself to it.

Do your pre-marketing, your build up, your launch. Build relationships and presence. Send out press releases, take part in readings, engage regularly on social media, get your books past and present into stores. Do it all on a schedule that fits your lifestyle and goals.

Avoid marketing helter-skelter, which is ineffective and will burn you out and kill your motivation.

And remember. If you don’t plan and pace your marketing, you might end up not marketing at all. Or even writing anything new.

*

I will leave off by saying I recognize not all writers have the desire to market, and staying motivated to do so can be harder than staying motivated to write in the first place.

This tendency can be exacerbated by the post-publishing letdown, especially for creative work, which admittedly can be a hard sell to a more general audience. Sound like you?

Rethink why you are so reticent to get your newest book noticed. If you need support, reach out to the writing community. Connect with people who want to see you succeed. There might be more of them out there than you realized. You’re hearing from one.

-Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt

For marketing and writing consults and services, visit ATW-AllThingsWriting.com.

A version of this article first appeared here.

Posted in ,

Katherine Gotthardt

Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt, M.Ed., writing concentration, hails from Virginia. She considers herself a writer by nature and by trade, having begun writing for fun as soon as her mother helped teach her to read. An active part of the literary community, Katherine was a past-president and a founding member of Write by the Rails (WbtR), the Prince William Chapter of the Virginia Writers Club. Katherine has been a Prince William County Poet Laureate nominee and was the winner of Inside Nova’s 2019 and 2020 Best of Prince William award in the category of author. Her poetry and prose book Get Happy, Dammit: Staying Inspired and Motivated in an Often-Unhappy World received a Silver Award from the Nonfiction Authors Association. Katherine's children’s book, A Crane Named Steve, hit number one in its category on Amazon in 2019. Katherine then took first place in the free verse category of Loudoun County Library Foundation’s 2020 Rhyme On poetry contest for her piece "Discussion Topic." The Prince William Arts Council and Poet Laureate Circle awarded her the 2020 Outstanding Poetry Project Award for her leadership in Write by the Rails' Poems Around Town poetry installation. In 2021 Katherine earned second place for "Aftermath" in a Poetry Society of Virginia national contest and the regional Seefeldt Award for Arts Excellence in the category of Individual Artist. She won first place in the Virginia Writers Club statewide Golden Nib contest in the poetry category for her poem "Kayak." Katherine was recognized as a PW Perspective 2021 DMV Best Business award winner in the category of author. In April 2023, Katherine’s poem “Now Entering Manassas” was the winner of Manassas, Virginia's adult “time capsule” poetry contest. Katherine read her poem at the 150th anniversary celebration, the translated version by Jorge de Villasante was read in Spanish by Bianca Menendez, her poem was published in Neighbors of Historic Manassas magazine, and it was included in the city’s time capsule. While Katherine is well-known for her poetry, she also has established a solid reputation for writing articles, columns and short fiction. She is published in dozens of journals and anthologies and has authored 12 books: Poems from the Battlefield, Furbily-Furld Takes on the World, Approaching Felonias Park, Weaker Than Water, Bury Me Under a Lilac, Late April, A Crane Named Steve, Get Happy, Dammit, D.C. Ekphrastic: Crisis of Faith, Thirty Years of Cardinals Calling, Get Happier, Dammit and We All Might Be Witches. She uses proceeds from her books to support giving back initiatives.
Scroll to Top