"How did you market your books this week?"

That’s a good question. It’s a tough question, too. And doggone it, I have no one to blame for that question buy myself, because I’m the one who put it on a reminder for every Friday morning at 8:00 AM. Answering that question every week is a pain in the backside, but it does force me to think about what I’m doing and whether or not it’s working.

By the way, I know that not everyone who reads this blog is trying to market something, but bear with me. You might find this interesting anyway.

Most weeks, my answer to that question is fairly soft. “I sent some emails, I did some social posts, I made some videos.” Sounds light. Sounds boring. No data? No long-winded diatribe about audience engagement and market research?

But the thing is, marketing (like a lot of life) doesn’t have to be complicated.

My personal definition for marketing is this: Marketing is any action that increases the odds that the right person will discover your work at the moment they are ready to make a purchase.

When you think of it in those terms, it opens your mind to the reality that marketing can be literally anything.

When I have a conversation with someone I just met at a coffee shop, and I inevitably make a casual mention that I write books, that’s marketing. When I post something on social media that relates to the topics I write about, that’s marketing. When I do a talk to an author group or at a conference, that’s marketing. When I place an ad it’s marketing, but also when I comment on someone’s ad or post on social media it can be marketing.

If it puts you and your work in front of a potential reader, it’s marketing.

The thing about marketing, too, is that it’s not just about “selling stuff.” It’s about forming relationships. It’s about engaging with people, to your mutual benefit.

So when I attend a meetup or networking event, just to make friends in the area, that’s marketing. Or when I go to a church to connect with people. Or when I take a cooking class. Or when I join a group of people to play board games. That’s marketing, if only to expand my circle of influence. Making friends is marketing, too.

As the Thanksgiving holiday wraps up and our families all go back to where they came from, we might want to venture out into the world and do a little “personal marketing,” to help us find new people to relate to. Do that. It’s good for you, it’s good for them. And doing good… that’s the best kind of marketing.

You’re reading Side Notes…

If you like this post, there’s a blog full of this kind of stuff. And Side Notes is basically an extension of my Note at the End, which you’ll find in all of my novels. And you can find those by clicking here. Share this post with your friends, if you found it helpful. And buy my books if you’d like to support me and my work!

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