Hate Marketing? Here’s What I Do Instead.

A WORDSLINGER 10-SHOT Hate marketing your books? You’re probably thinking about marketing the wrong way. A lot of writers hear “book marketing” and immediately think about running ads, posting constantly on social media, chasing TikTok trends, finding reviewers, testing campaigns, and spending money they may never earn back. No wonder authors get exhausted. But marketing doesn’t have to mean any of that. In this Wordslinger 10-Shot, I talk about a simpler way to think about marketing: reaching the right reader at the moment they’re most ready to discover your work. That can mean email. It can mean social media. It can mean a local book signing, a farmers market, your library, or simply asking your existing readers to tell someone else about your books. If you wrote something you believe matters, then part of the job is helping people find it. 00:00 Can I just write my books? 00:37 Why authors feel buried by marketing 01:11 What writers usually mean by “marketing” 02:02 What marketing actually is 03:16 Why your email list matters so much 04:04 Start local and find readers nearby 04:51 Creative ways to sell books in your community 05:52 Libraries, farmers markets, and local events 06:34 Ask your readers to help spread the word 07:26 Marketing is really a conversation 08:34 Why writers have an obligation to share their work 09:26 What are your biggest marketing pain points? Visit the Knovelton Bookshop at http://knoveltonbooks.com If you’re a writer looking for practical, experience-tested guidance on writing, publishing, marketing, and building a sustainable creative career, subscribe to the Wordslinger channel. This is where we talk honestly about the work, the business, and the long game of becoming the writer you want to be. FIND KEVIN: Find Kevin and his books: https://kevintumlinson.com Join Kevin on Substack: https://kevintumlinson.substack.com Wordslinger Podcast home page: https://wordslingerpodcast.com SERVICES FOR AUTHORS: Polish your writing and make it ready for publishing with ProWritingAid: https://tidd.ly/3NCdlk5 Publish your book to every major retailer online, get your book into print and ebook, and get support the whole way at Draft2Digital: https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Find a virtual assistant to help you market your books and more at AuthorAnchor: https://authoranchor.com