After college, life took me down roads that led me back to my love of creative writing. At first, I was very disappointed that I had
Marketing does not always come naturally for many of the creative types. Marketing plans, query letters, and pitches can be scarier than a bed full of snakes. It is comfortable to focus their thoughts and energy on creative. But a little knowledge of marketing can go a long way when it comes to getting your work out there.
Technology has come a long way. The publishing industry is changing. Still, I am yet to hear of a book that jumps off the shelf and sells itself. It isn't enough to write an amazing book. To get your book in the hands of the readers takes work. Whatever publishing path you choose will require work.
You have to be able to turn your book as well as yourself into a "product" you can promote. You have to have a brand of your own. You are unique, your book is unique. It is your job to tell others why they should care. Truth: not everyone will care. Rejection is part of the process. However, through hard work you will find the right audience. Then you will need to build that audience.
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My degree is in human resources, and at times, I've regretted I didn't focus on writing more too. However, at the time, I felt called to HR. I ended up doing a lot of writing working for a nonprofit org., so God can use everything. :-) I'd love some guidance on how to find an agent, and if that's even as crucial as it used to be. so many people self-publish these days.
ReplyDeleteI’m a dork because I love marketing. In fact, I’m kind of going backwards- I have recently acquired 2 paid gigs using my writing skills for marketing purposes. Go figure. :-)
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right. Marketing yourself is key, and some of the things you need to do are hard to learn (and it's hard to learn how to pitch yourself when you've been taught all your life to be humble).
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I did major in English. And though I'm sure I learned a lot, I don't feel that it taught me to be a better creative writer. (Probably because I can't remember any of the techniques we studied in the really good writers!) The amount I've learned how to write both fiction and nonfiction over the past few years, including taking classes, working with a writing group, submitting work, and writing more, feels like another Bachelor's degree worth of information. So don't regret your background. We all come at writing from different directions, and that marketing knowledge will come in handy!