Becoming the Thing I Hate

Confession time:

I used to be a salesman.

A Schwann's salesman.

I hated it.

I hated myself.

I'm not a salesman. I have a real hard time interacting with people. I am about as introverted as it gets. I come across as cold and aloof and people think that I hate them and it really bled through into my somewhat brief career of selling frozen treats door to door. I don't hate people. I hate talking to people. Does that make sense?

So, I am still a salesman.

I make chain mail armor and jewelry and sell it at craft shows around the Midwest. It started out as a necessity for income ten years ago. It quickly grew into my main job.

I. Still. Hate. Selling stuff.

So, it's that time in my life where I get the joy of learning how to sell a new product. I have ordered my first shipment of author copies and already called local libraries and booked a craft show in December in which I will be selling my books.

Whoa boy. Hyperventilating. People interaction while trying to teach myself how to sell books.

Unfortunately, in the modern world, an author has to be willing to step outside their sphere of comfort to succeed at their craft. It doesn't matter whether you are self published or signed to a traditional agency - odds are you're going to be responsible for doing a lot of your own marketing to get copies of your book moving off shelves.

So, next week after my books arrive, I will force myself to become more social and more visible...for a while. I will begin offering a few copies out there for honest reviews, and awkwardly calling bookstores in my area to see if they would be willing to meet in person to discuss the possibility of stocking my book. The entire time I will be staving off anxiety attacks. It's a sacrifice that I, as an author now, have to be willing to make.

Life would be so much easier if I could just pay someone to go out and do this for me. I asked my daughter if she wanted to do it and she just stared at me over her sketchpad. My son enthusiastically volunteered to go out and sell my book for me, but I had to remind him that he's only 3. He eventually conceded that point with great reluctance.

You're not alone if you are struggling to sell your book out there. Just don't psych yourself out. Don't think that it is easier for some people than it is for others. It really isn't. Everyone walks through the mud to get the gold at the end of the rainbow. If anyone takes anything from this rambling post, I hope it's that your misery is shared. Keep on trying to market, writing, and eventually you will get to where you want to be. The world can't ignore you forever.

Speaking of marketing...please check out my book!

The Morbid Fascinations of David Bennett, available now in Paperback and Kindle (included in Kindle Unlimited) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1701845431