Today my novel, Labyrinth of Stone, goes on sale from Torquere Press. It’s very exciting and I am absolutely delighted – working with my editor and everyone at Torquere Press has been brilliant. There’s just one thing, now it’s time to do the promotion.

Self-promotion is an essential part of being an author these days. Readers have so many options: ebooks, debut authors, established authors, paper books, indie presses, Harper and Collins, the latest JK Rowling, fanfic or TV tie-in novels (hey, I don’t mock. I have Torchwood tie-ins on my shelf still). If you want someone to read your book, then you have to draw attention to it.

It’s not easy. I’m from Northern Ireland. We are culturally programmed to look with suspicion on anyone who ‘bums and blows’ about their own accomplishments. When I was at school we had a special class to teach us to put ‘very good’ instead of ‘ok at’ about our accomplishments on CVs. On top of that, I’m kinda shy and prone to flippancy.

On the other hand, I’ve worked as an arts journalist. I write about other people’s creative whosits and make it sound good. I know how to do it, it’s just applying that knowledge to me that makes me squirm a bit. Since I’m sure I’m not the only one (hopefully! I don’t want to be the weirdo on my own!) who finds it hard, here’s my core self-promotional bits of advice.

1: Get someone else to do it.

This is the easiest option. It’s brilliant. Whether it is your publisher or a PR professional, you can just hand over responsibility for the introductory puffery to someone else. Eventually you will still have to go out there and talk to people, even if only through a computer screen, but it’s still a lot easier than doing it all yourself. I’m working with the lovely Christy Duke on Labyrinth of Stone  and she’s been a godsend. She knows who to email, she knows what to ask for and what to offer and at no point has the notion that you could try bribery with home-made truffles crossed her mind. It’s just so reassuring to know there’s someone there to go, ‘yeah, stop that’.

Sometimes, however, you are going to have to do that initial meet-and-greet yourself. Now this sounds cuckoo for coco puffs, but pretend you are talking about someone else. Imagine that the authorial you is someone like your daughter or friend, someone you really believe this blogger or reviewer wants to talk to. Then work out what you’d tell them to do, who to contact and how. It does help.

2: Believe in yourself.

If you don’t, no-one else will. You have written a novel! Check out the nanowrimo stats some time and see how many people try to write a whole book and give up before hitting 50,000 words. That’s pretty cool, all on its own, and if you are putting it out there on sale then you must think other people will enjoy it. So tell people that, explain why you wanted to write a whole book about this set of characters and what you really like about it.

3: Don’t be a knob

Some people take believing in themselves to this…well, knobby place. They aren’t enthusiastic about what they’ve been working on, they are overbearing. If you see someone talking about a book they loved – or even worse, their new book – don’t go in with ‘Oh, then you will love MY book…blah blah blah’. They won’t. They’ll think you’re a knob. Everyone will.

4: Say thank you!

This includes if someone hosts you on their blog or does a review or even just mentions liking your book in passing on twitter. Say ‘thanks!’ or ‘Glad you enjoyed it!’. You know what to never do? Tell someone who’s been nice to you that they are wrong. I am not a big fan of modesty in any case, but there is this particularly toxic sort that creative types can wallow in.

‘Oh this? No, it’s not as good as I’d like. So-and-So is much better.’ Basically, you just told the very nice person that took the effort to tell you they liked your book, ‘yes, but your opinion is rubbish’. That’s not very nice is it?

5: Be yourself.

I mean, don’t be the yourself that wears their jammies till dinnertime on a Sunday and watches 10,000 BC for the express purpose of finding out who the rogue pooper is. That version of you needs to be kept behind locked doors. Be the best version of you. Pretending to be someone else will just sound fake and it won’t be a reflection of the person who wrote the book you are selling.

Me? I’m flippant, Northern Irish, and kind of weird. That’s all I’ve got, so I do my best to work with it. Hopefully people will like me, and – more importantly – like my book!

[self-promotion ninja!] Labyrinth of Stone is available from Torquere Press.  [/self-promotion ninja]