Nobody likes a braggart. People of my generation in particular were brought up not to blow our own trumpets, as our parents’ disapproving voices phrased it. So what does a writer producing a new book in one of the many independent ways that exist nowadays do about promotion?
When I was firmly bedded in the mainstream literary world, I never had to worry about PR. The publisher and my agent would do what they could; it was in their interest, too. The last novel that was published in the conventional way – Stephen and Violet, published by Collins – was launched with a small party at my agent’s office. Two other writers kindly came: Jonathan Raban and Sebastian Faulks. They were ‘names’ then but went on to become even better known. Heady days, which I took for granted.
Today, without an agent, without a publisher, I must pick up, polish and blow my own trumpet. Although it’s half a year since I brought out two novels and a non-fiction book with CreateSpace on Amazon, I’ve done nothing as yet. But my reluctance to self-advertise has changed. I’ve embarked on a publicity venture, thanks to Teddy Rose of Virtual Author Book Tours. On Saturday I shall find myself in my study, facing my laptop’s screen, video-conferencing with someone called Michelle in the States on a Blog Talk Radio Show. The book I will be pushing is “White Lies”. I’d better leave this post and have a quick re-read to remind myself what on earth it’s about…