As Manzakar‘s release date approaches (April 29, 2025, thank you for asking AHEM), I’m becoming increasingly nervous that my book will just, you know… not sell.
Let me say first that my goal for publishing Manzakar has very little to do with making money. I honestly couldn’t care less about the money. What I want is for my story to be read widely and enjoyed by many. I want it to find its audience. Unfortunately, since my book ain’t free, the whole “enjoyed by many” thing goes hand-in-hand with selling well.
Which means marketing.
Which means interacting with people. Strangers, no less.
Oh, and not just interacting with strangers, but… promoting myself.
I can’t be that person. You know which: the pyramid scheme woman you went to school with who acts like she wants to be your friend but actually just wants you to buy her shit. And while I’m not trying to sell you retinol cream or diet pills, I’m trying to get you to READ, which requires you to not only drop some cash, but invest your time.
Like, who the fuck am I? Seriously?
BUYMYBOOKBUYMYBOOKBUYMYBOOKBUYMYBOOKBUYMYBOOKBUYMYBOOKBUYMYBOOK
Granted, assuming you’re someone who actually enjoys reading, I’m 100% certain you’ll enjoy yourself and be entertained if you do read my book (yes, I’m that confident in it. I know it’s good. Is it a work of literary greatness? No. Will you enjoy reading it? Hell to the yes).
But back to self promotion. As an introvert, I have… zero social media following. Hell, I don’t even like texting people I know and love. I created accounts on TikTok and BlueSky and Instagram within the last month and have, I don’t know, maybe fifty people who for some reason follow me and probably wonder who I am when I do happen to post. And don’t EVEN get me started with BookTok… I have zero idea how to get noticed on there if I don’t post a semi-nude, muscular dude showering in black and white while a sex phone operator murmurs things like “Here’s what’s going to happen… You’re going to be a good girl… A good… girl…” (I have ZERO CLUE what book the video is promoting, but 43k people don’t give a damn because, well, hot “alpha male” in shower about to do naughty things to you).
Sorry, guys. There are no sexy shower scenes or… er… BDSM in my book. (That said, my book is plenty sexy. Just not… #BookTok sexy, as far as I can tell).
All of this to say I am incredibly lucky that my publisher does terrific marketing. I think I’ll just have to take different avenues to promote my book that don’t involve harassing people. Things like…
…Um…
Can I just hide in a dark, enormous library (in a Gothic castle, preferably) and write my epic stories by candlelight, please? Is that too much to ask?