The Psychology Of Being An Author

Why become an author if you don’t actively take ownership of marketing your books? 

You are not an author if you merely write and publish a book — but then abandon it. A complete, modern-day author does it all: writes, publishes, and markets. 

There are many questions that we can’t fully answer: 

* Why do people kill themselves?

* Why do people stay with those who abuse them?

* Why do we live in a world that permits homelessness, starvation, and war?

* Why do we vote against our interests?

* How come we accept things without trying to stop, reform, or eliminate them? 

Add to it: Why write a book and fail to promote it? 

There certainly is a psychology to being an author, and most writers dread marketing. They just want to create and spew, to craft worlds and incubate ideas, to draw with words and to make life’s experiences — challenges, disappointments, successes, and adventures — fodder for their books. But mention marketing and you get people melting down. 

We know why writers don’t market their books: 

* Lazy or too busy

* Lack the skills or knowledge to do things

* Don’t know what they should be doing

* Prefer to write 

* Introverted, shy, and socially dysfunctional

* Don’t have funds to hire help

* Fail to believe that it is their burden

* Lack confidence in themselves

* Don’t believe most marketing efforts pay off

* Use a pen name and have limitations regarding visibility 

Over the years, I have tried to talk authors out of every reason, barrier, or excuse that they share regarding why they don’t make a better effort at promoting their books. In the end, some people are happier to be in a position of familiarity and comfort, of being an underachiever. It is easier to whine and complain than to try and do. It is safer to not try and not have, than to try, and to fall short. 

It is a different scoreboard for the writers who never market their books. They don’t even think about winning a game that they never play.  

Writers are addicted to being underdogs, underachievers, and ignored, just as people are addicted to things that destroy their lungs, liver, and heart. It makes little sense, but yet, there are plenty of souls with broken dreams — and busted bodies. 

The psychology of being an author can be a challenging one, but if writers can find a way to rise above accepting banishment and invisibility they can not only sell more books, but they can help more people by virtue of getting their books into more hands.  

Writers owe it to their potential readers to do all that they can to get their books discovered. A good book can change lives, help people, give some hope or joy, enlighten souls, entertain the downtrodden, educate the masses, and inspire others.  

Market your book because you believe in it, because you want to help others, and because you recognize that promoting your book is just as important as writing it.

Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

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Are You A Clickable Author?

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Should Authors Blame Anyone For Book Marketing Failures?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/06/should-authors-blame-anyone-for-book.html

 

How Do Authors Reel Readers In?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/06/how-do-authors-reel-readers-in.html

 

Book Marketer Brian Feinblum Interviewed By Book Shepherd Cathy Fyock

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/05/book-marketer-brian-feinblum.html

 

About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on LinkedIn. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.3 million pageviews. With 4,400+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.