Are you Left Brain or Right Brain?

By Susan Reichert, Editor-in-Chief, Southern Writers Magazine

I guess you figured out from the title we are talking about creativity. I think most authors have creativity or we wouldn’t be writing.

When it comes to marketing our books, it really helps if we will take that big “Neon Sign” down that is associated with fear when it comes to marketing.

Think of marketing as a new way to get to know new people and making friends and having new adventures on different paths.

In your book, do any of your characters have hobbies? Then find places that cater to that hobby. Do your characters belong to any associations, organization, and then if they do, find those same places and talk to those groups. Let’s introduce our books.

Example: Your book is a Christian fiction, and your characters talk about how prayer has helped them in their daily lives to overcome obstacles…have you talked to people in your church, Sunday school about the book you are writing. If you are in the process of writing that book, have you asked them to share with you some situations where prayer helped them overcome an obstacle…or have you asked them to read an excerpt about your character and how prayer helped your character overcome an obstacle. Getting their opinions may trigger their memory about some situation they are going through or have been through that is similar to what you have written about.

By involving people in our writing, they take an interest in what we are writing. They want you to keep them in the loop. Once your book is written, talk with these same people, and ask them if they know of groups, you might be able to talk to about reading an excerpt from your book. People love to hear authors read from their books.

If it is a Christian fiction book, then ask if you can have a few minutes to tell people in your Sunday school class about the book. No more than a paragraph and then tell them how you feel it will help people in certain situations. Share with them how you feel God called you to write it.

Don’t be afraid to ask people in your class this question, “If you know of someone that this book might be able to help, please tell them about it (be sure and have a book marker with the title of the book , where they can get it along with your website address and give to each person in the class.)

These people know you and they may also want to buy the book for them or for people they know.

You can do this in any organization or association that you are a member of.

Don’t be afraid to ask. Remember, we got rid of the “Neon Sign-Fear.”