On my quest to become a published author, I naively thought all I had to do was write a book that would knock the socks off of a publisher.

No one told me about the marketing… 

I am neither a back-patter nor a horn-tooter. I blame the good Sisters of Saint Agnes who, during my formative years, routinely recited: “Thou shall not be uppity, self-centered, arrogant or conceited.”

Marred me for life, it did. To this day, I still can’t take a compliment.

Humility – now that was rewarded – with a pat on the head, a kind smile and…that’s about it.

So imagine my surprise when, after finally being able to hold a book that I wrote in my greedy little hands, it didn’t fly to the top of every bestseller list and bookstore shelf in the country.

Filled with dismay, I turned to my well-published friends who gently informed me that my work was just beginning.

Cue the book promoters.

That’s right. On a recommendation, I actually hired someone to promote my book and boy did she. So I used her for my next two books, grateful each time for her connections and marketing savvy. For Key Change, my latest release which happens to be peppered with song references, I once again turned to my pal, Krista Ames at Bridging the Gap Promotions. And, again, she did not disappoint.

Among the many blogs she lined up to spotlight and review my book, she put me in front of BooksChatter. This most unique book review site run by a self-proclaimed “eclectic bunch” not only interviewed me, but generated a YouTube soundtrack of all of the songs referenced in the book. That they came up with a delightful assortment of pics of the actors I could/should/would cast in the movie version was a most excellent surprise.

Four books into this wild world of publishing and self-promotion, I have learned one thing for certain – hire people to do what you’re not good at. Oh, and tooting my own horn is not the same thing as patting myself on the back. Not at all.

So this is me tooting my own horn. Just don’t tell the good Sisters of Saint Agnes.