For me, life in general has always been about people, and that includes promotion. For me, direct contact works best. This fits my personality, as I love meeting strangers. In one sense, this propensity makes the online experience more positive, too.

But organizing and utilizing contacts challenges me. Facebook, FB author page, Amazon.com author page, LinkedIn, GoodReads, Pinterest and Twitter—none of this comes easily, though recent contacts have led to some great World War II research.

When I need to submit my platform to a publisher, I call an expert. Finding all those numbers on my own might never happen. I once considered a social work major. After exploring the required statistics classes, I returned to my comfort zone—English and secondary education. Back then, we used no computers—it was all about connecting with students in meaningful ways. Right up my alley!

Do What Comes Naturally

So my favorite, and most successful promotion method employs my natural talents and teaching skills. Connecting with individuals and groups means planning old-fashioned book tours, offering library book talks, or facilitating workshops on creativity, memoir writing, or some related topic.

Another author and I co-facilitate an Arizona writers’ retreat, and I accept every invitation to teach writing workshops. I visit other’s blogs, am reasonably consistent in writing my own, and host visitors. When someone invites me to join their network, I write them a note that often leads to exchanging blog visits.

Build your Networks

Measuring my effectiveness is tough, and podcasts prove even more nebulous, but I enjoy being interviewed and hope somebody out there is listening. If you read between the lines that trust plays a part in my promotion, you’re right. I trust, for example, that the right people will attend my next workshop and spread the word.

I try to be faithful in keeping track of what we call fans. I hand out my business card, offer an e-mail sign-up sheet when I speak, and try to connect with these folks again soon. Giveaways help create lasting networks, and when I attend conferences, I sell my books in the bookshop.

Recently, two editors with large traditional publishing house asked me for full manuscripts. One also required my platform, but said he valued reaching out to encourage readers and other authors on a personal level far more.

My publishers send monthly checks…would I like the amounts to be more substantial? Of course. But those figures remind me this is all about people.

My best gift is writing—that’s my main offering to people. I keep at it, regardless of the tides of social media. Each manuscript has an opportunity to go out into the world and shine, so I live in hope. Like the tortoise racing the hare, slow and steady wins the race, with a big dose of old-fashioned interaction.

Or as Confucius said,

“It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.”