🥇🥈🥉 September prize-giving
A round up of the best book marketing advice I've found on the internet this month, plus some other bits just because I like them 😉
Hello, and welcome to the first issue of this monthly round-up that is coming to you via Substack.
For some of you that will mean absolutely nothing and if you want to continue receiving these emails straight to your inbox then sit tight, you don’t need to do a thing.
BUT, should you be Substack-curious, the first thing I’d like to share with you is this piece from where she helpfully explains how to use and enjoy the platform. I hope it helps 😊
OK then, onwards with this month’s prize-giving…
🥇 First prize goes to for saying what I can’t because it looks like I’m trying to drum up business
Aimie is ‘pro-complaining’ which I relate to hard, but apart from that she has written a brilliant piece about how writers need to get their heads around self-promotion.
She uses Charles Dickens, Hemmingway and Beatrix Potter as unexpected examples of severe and necessary attention-seeking behaviour, even going as far as to mock up an Instagram account for Albrecht Dürebr 💀
She makes a great case for being your own work’s biggest champion and I highly recommend having a read:
🥈Second prize goes to book marketing mega-brain whose piece about marketing yourself ‘without feeling gross’ contains some weirdly liberating BRUTAL statistics
Feeling gross about self-promotion is one of the most common barriers writers tell me they have to marketing their work but Russell’s analysis makes clear how much marketing we really need to do if we’re ever going to get anywhere.
In my less sympathetic moments I have been heard to say, ‘the only book marketing that takes no effort is the book marketing you don’t do’ but that’s not to say my way is The Way for everyone.
If you’re willing, but don’t feel like you’ve found Your Way yet, then put aside some time to check out Russell’s post as once he’s broken you down 😭 he’ll build you back up 💪🏼 with some suggestions about where to go next.
🥉 Some people will say this is cheating, but this month I’m giving myself third prize 😆
As I write this on Fri 27th Sept this Instagram post that I shared on Weds is continuing to rack up more views, likes, comments, saves and shares than any other post I’ve ever shared on my Toomuch_social Instagram account:
I already knew writers hate asking for the support of people in real life and online, which is why I created the post, but PHEWWW do you HATE asking for support 🙃
I’ve been a little taken aback by the response tbh but PLEASE continue sharing if you’d like to give some of your readers a gentle nudge and make it clear how they can support you - honestly, I think it’s safe to assume lots of people don’t know how unless you tell them!
🎖Special mention to Stacey Heale who is making me wish I was a life writer by hosting a day retreat with Ease Retreats
Stacey is warm, funny, creative and just happens to be an incredibly gifted writer who can make you laugh then cry in the space of a few sentences. She’s one of my favourite authors on Instagram and her stunning debut memoir Now Is Not The Time For Flowers just missed being featured on the Sunday Times Best-Sellers list.
To find out more about the DOING HARD THINGS day retreat she is hosting with Ease Retreats, visit this link: https://www.easeretreats.com/staceyheale
📖 Upstairs/ downstairs
Someone told me recently that they add their Current Read, complete with link to buy it, to their email signature and I am obsessed with this idea as a way to support authors that costs absolutely NOTHING. Expect to see it in my emails from now on!
For the most part, I read fiction upstairs in bed, and non-fiction downstairs during breaks from work and in between all the busy-ness of a family household.
🛏 Upstairs (fiction; in bed)
CR: The Fraud by Zadie Smith (I am very close to DNF-ing it - can anyone tell me why I should continue??)
☕️ Downstairs (non-fiction, memoir, poetry; during breaks from work/ life)
CRs (I’m a mood reader when it comes to non-fiction/ downstairs reads so I always have more than one on the go):
The Ghost Lake by
It’s Not Fair by
The Phone Fix by Dr Faye Begeti (I tell anyone who’ll listen about this book and if you’re at all concerned about your phone usage I highly recommend it)
One more thing: I chanced upon this BBC documentary about Scottish-Nigerian poet, Jackie Kay the other night and could not tear myself away to go to bed:
In 45 minutes she made me laugh, cry and marvel and the very next day I ordered her debut collection of poems The Adoption Papers. I can’t get enough, inject it into my veins 💌 HIGHLY RECOMMEND ❤️
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What an honour!!
I love the idea of putting current reads in email signature. I love that!!