Dear Fellow Writer,
I get it. There’s a lot of fear and hesitation that comes with launching your author marketing platform. So today’s the day we move past that.
But to be honest, I’m right there with you. It’s funny …
I write marketing content for a living. I’ve had a lot of success doing it. I know the techniques that get books and services and events and people noticed. I’ve made a lot of money over the past five years promoting these things for my clients.
But the idea of promoting myself as an author?
Yikes.
The thought of it makes me nervous as all get-out.
So I’m pumping up the rational side of my brain today and deflating the dramatic-artist side.
I’m making the decision to want to launch my marketing platform …
I’m also deciding to get excited about it …
And I’m convinced it’ll be easy, not to mention fun.
Before you tell me it’s not quite that simple, let me explain how yes, you really can completely change your attitude about something that’s daunting and unnerving. Here’s how …
9 Ways to Train Your Brain to Take Action and Rev Up Excitement
The first trick to viewing your author marketing platform as a good thing, is to not see it as work. View it instead as your key to avalanches of wealth, abundance, recognition, freedom, or whatever else is folded into your long-term writing goals.
Beyond that, here’s how you can push past any lingering fears.
- Make it the first thing you do each day. Your author marketing platform doesn’t require a lot of time once you’ve got it up and running – just a few hours a week or maybe half an hour a day. Set up your schedule so it’s the very first task you take on when you sit down, or make it your ritual Monday and Thursday morning tasks, for example.
- Put it on the calendar and set up a reminder. Go one step beyond deciding to do it first thing every day and actually schedule it into your day. With all the smart phone apps and computer alerts we all have access to, this makes it impossible to forget to do this very important thing that could launch your entire writing career.
- Create a vision board. You can make it digital, portable, or pinnable – go with what suits your tastes. But take the time to put the visual realization of your goals somewhere you’ll see it regularly. It’ll remind you why you’re putting together an author marketing platform in the first place. (Here’s how to create your writer’s vision board.)
- Share your goals with someone you trust and then update them regularly on your progress. I recommend finding a fellow writer who relates to your goals, because they’ll understand the significance every time you hit a benchmark (like getting your Twitter followers to a certain number).
- Set up a rewards system. List your goals for your author marketing platform, then decide what you’ll gift yourself every time you achieve a goal. Maybe you’ll go out for ice cream once your website is live. Maybe you’ll buy some new shoes in honor of attending that first meeting with your new writing group.
- Decide on at least one health-conscious change. You’ll be a more prolific writer and more likely to finish your marketing to-do list if you’re feeling good. Maybe that means getting an extra hour of sleep, or taking a daily walk. Maybe it means adding a green smoothie to breakfast each day. Your brain is a muscle, so take care of it like an athlete cares for his body.
- Make a marketing playlist. Put together a list of songs that energize you every time you hear them and play it when you sit down to work on your author marketing platform. Here’s a list of motivating songs you can use to start.
- Register for a live event related to your writing and marketing goals. Let’s say your book is a nonfiction piece about massages around the world. There’s an annual National Convention put on by the American Massage Therapy Association that would be a terrific place to get the word out about your book. So register with the plan to have the bulk of your marketing platform done the week before the conference. It gives you an end-goal, plus something to look forward to.
- Design a “warm-up” routine to do before you work on your platform. It could include meditation, daily writing practice, pushups, listening to your inspiring playlist, having a cup of tea – whatever. Pick something you enjoy, that puts you in a pleasant mood. Then make sure to do it regularly so you strengthen the habit.
The key lies in taking action – whether you do all of the things listed above or even just one.
But above all, know that you’re not alone in this. Your fellow MAP readers – plus me – face the same doubts and fears you might be wrestling with. We’re in this together, and if you need to grumble about something that goes wrong, or trumpet something that goes right while you’re on this journey, post it below. I’ll be listening!
To your writing and marketing success,
