How to Sell Your Book without Selling Yourself

Putting yourself out there doesn’t have to feel like that nightmare where you’re standing naked in front of your sixth-grade classroom. By no means do you have to be the funniest or most charismatic guest on a major late-night talk show in order to grow an audience. For me, growing an audience is more like being a gardener than being a celebrity. It’s made up of grassroots actions that nurture growth.

Is there a hand I can shake? Is there a problem I can respond to? Is there a question I can pose that will start a conversation? That is the basis of my audience growth, book sales, not to mention how I make a living and support my family. It’s important to do this in a way that’s sustainable. In my case, I found this came easily through my Facebook Group, the Writer’s Block.

As I mentioned, I love teaching, so I prefer to grow my audience in that way, it’s a real joy for me to get up and do that kind of outreach. I’ve also done community organizing for nonprofits and political campaigns I’ve believed in, so I see it through that same lens. But as you start to go through some of specific examples I give below, you can find a way that you enjoy.

Maybe you see yourself as an artist or celebrity who creating beauty that inspires people.

You could be think of yourself author, philosopher, or journalist who’s provoking a discussion around new ideas.

Perhaps you’re a storyteller, or a comedian who entertains people and captivates their attention.

Maybe you see yourself as the leader of a movement who’s spreading an important message.

Perhaps you see yourself as a curator, editor, director or CEO, recruiting talent and managing something much larger than yourself.

As I said, I still see myself primarily as a teacher who’s providing resources and encouraging people.

All of these are different ways you can grow an audience, but with slightly different hats. Try some of them on and take daily actions over time.

For instance, I challenge myself to make 6 conversations in social media in places outside my own community every Tuesday. That could mean 3 posts, and 3 responses to other posts.

Once you have your content, think about different groups of people you would like to connect with. Who is it easy to talk to, that would find your content interesting? For instance, I teach about writing, but I love connecting with other spiritual seekers, moms, and entrepreneurs. This is where I find a lot of cross over that generate different kinds of conversations. There’s a central subject, but by sharing different parts of yourself, you open up space for others to share about themselves. Your work has more dimension and connects on many levels.

Questions are the fastest way to develop relationships. You can use them to find out more information about your readers for marketing purposes, engage people in conversation that attracts them to your content. People remember you when you ask about them and show you care.

Original quotes draw your readers' attention to what's unique about you. They increase growth, and distinguish your voice. Plus, when you get in the habit of using your own quotes, you steer clear of any copyright issues. You're the real author here. However, other quotes can inspire your own.

You can catch people's attention with a quote template. This saves the time and hassle of trying to graphically represent words in different ways, and it allows people to recognize you for your great content. I recommend Canva. You can see my quote template below. I chose a white background, because it adds spaciousness to my feed. White space is important when you have a bunch of photos crammed together, so it continuously draws new followers.

When you first become an author, there's no crowd of people waiting to receive your work. And contrary to popular belief, choosing a traditional publisher doesn't automatically solve that problem either. We all develop our audiences through engagement and connection. Not only can you connect with your audience in a way that was never possible before, but you can grow your audience simply by spreading your message. It's a beautiful time to go after your dreams. The more you take action the more your impact will expand.