Proud to promote

Why embracing pride in your work is the best marketing strategy

Hi there, Chris here

Before I was a freelance writer I had a proper job in a PR agency advising clients how to promote their wares. The key was to not tell people how super you and your products were, but show them.

Writers have the ‘show not tell’ advice nailed when it comes to their writing craft, but ask them about promoting their books, and they get the ick. While I might have been certain of my expertise as a PR for hire, I often fail when selling my own wares. 

We’ve got a few workshops and events coming up and while we’ve been encouraged to ‘sell’ our book to the audience and say why people should buy it, I find this very hard (and Bec finds it even harder). What do we say? 😱

While having a few pithy words prepped to pitch the main themes of your book is one thing - a sensible way to prevent my own incoherent ramblings - actually selling your book is quite another.

I don’t believe authors should exist in a rarified world free from the grubby reality of business but promoting your book can feel well, self-promotional. My writing is me. Saying you’re going to love my book feels CRINGE.

However, I recently heard a tip on one of my favourite podcasts, The Rest is Entertainment, that really helped with my feelings of ickyness. It might be handy for you whatever kind of writing or promoting you do.

The show is presented by Guardian columnist and scriptwriter Marina Hyde, alongside Richard Osman, the author of the best-selling Thursday Murder Club series.

In this episode, Osman, who is in the midst of promoting his new book series We Solve Murders, discusses how he approaches the whole business of selling his work. Something he doesn’t have a problem with - not because he thinks his novels are the bee’s knees but because he’s genuinely proud of them.

He shared a story about being on a TV talk show with a new author - a chef who’d just published her first cookbook. Both waiting in the green room she confided in Osman that while she loved writing the book, she hated the idea of having to promote it on the show.

‘I know there will be a point in the interview where I’m going to have to sell it - and I don’t know how to do that,’ said the debut author.

Osman asked her, ‘but are you proud of it?’ to which she replied, ‘very much.’

‘Then say that,’ he said. ‘That’s not arrogance; it’s different from saying “you’re going to love it.” You’re simply expressing that this book came from your heart, and you created it with love.’

For me, this was transformative. I never expected to be proud of our book Written. Being honest, I expected to feel embarrassed of it a few months later, as I have with many things I’ve done. But I’m not and I don’t. I’m genuinely proud of it. That’s the truth.

It’s up to others to decide if it’s good or not - and of course, I care about their opinions. But regardless of what they/you think, I’m still proud of it. And maybe, that’s the best promotional tactic we could ever need.

Until next time,

Chris

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And now, some blatant promotion for our New Year RESET course

I’m also very proud of our courses too (see what I did there?), so thought this might be a good opportunity to tell you that we’re running a 6-Week Writing RESET course in the New Year and you can find out more and join the early bird waiting list now. Joining the waiting list means you get 20% off the price.

Whether you want to break out of a writing rut start a new writing project or dust off an old one, RESET gives you the accountability and structure you need to keep going and finish.

**Please note! So we can concentrate on writing the next book, we will only be running one RESET course in 2025.**