Getting the Word Out

When you self-publish a book - as I did with Cusp - you take on all the responsibilities of publisher as well as author: from cover design to distribution to marketing. Since the book came out in May, I have been on the latter end of that demanding ride, getting the word out. I hired a publicist, who got the book great coverage including some reviews. I got it into some local bookstores (Chevaliers, Vroman's and Diesel Malibu) and encouraged readers to review it on Amazon. And I started churning out the copy for social media.

I do social media marketing for a living, so I know all about the importance of blogging, as well as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, LinkedIn, YouTube, and on and on ad infinitum. I've written more than 100 posts on this site. I've uploaded pictures, linked to several radio interviews, tweeted and pinned. It's exhausting - not unlike writing a book!

And now, after three months, I need to move on. I need to focus on writing something new rather than flogging what's already done.

Writers - especially this writer - can be excellent procrastinators. "I'll get back to my manuscript as soon as I check my email...make dinner...write those tweets for my client...read Phyllis Diller's obit...listen to Alec Baldwin interview Billy Joel...finish up this week's 'Song of the Day' features for cuspofeverything.com."

I hereby vow to get back to my manuscript. You'll still hear from me from time to time, and not just when an artist mentioned in the book dies. I'll still blog and tweet and pin and post (and check my email, make dinner, work and procrastinate). But mostly I'll be concentrating on what's next, not what's done.

xoxo

Laura