At Happier Hours late last October I re-connected with author Gretchen Rubin. I’m a great admirer of Gretchen’s — not simply because of her honest, DIY advice and warm writing style — but also because IMHO she’s brilliant at marketing her books. So I leaned in when she enthusiastically offered up some marketing advice to me (#BYDN was on the release horizon at the time). Here’s what Gretchen told me:
“Marketing a book? It’s like spaghetti. Throw ideas against the wall and see what sticks.”
Wow.
I’d imagined Gretchen had marketing a book all figured out — and discovered she does. It’s just not a neat pretty package of following the exact, same steps each time…it’s a far more entrepreneurial endeavor. It requires focus, creativity, stamina and optimism.
Boundless optimism (I would add).
Here’s how I’m applying Gretchen’s advice: no set number of tweets or posts or updates or weekly appearances / podcasts / interviews, just keep trying. Be open, be creative, always observe. Get real and be prepared to step back then pursue a different angle — even if it means switching up your team. Don’t assume what worked for someone else (or for yourself last week) will work today or tomorrow.
And always stay focused on the long game.
