the reluctant marketer

I have been described as weekend marketer. An amateur marketer. An armchair marketer. The Age of Persuasion is my favourite show on CBC radio. (And don't tell my husband, but meeting Terry O'Reilly was a fantasy come true.) I have was the Marketing Coordinator for the Kingston WritersFest last year. Many of my business communications students go on to great careers in marketing and advertising and I love hearing about all their adventures.

But sometimes I think I am a reluctant marketer.

Because actually doing this marketing thing is a LOT of work. Do not believe the line "If you build it, they will come." If you build it, and develop a massive online and in-person network of relationships, shared interests, and mutual support, and feed and support those relationships with energy, humour, and helpful information 24/7, you might get some buzz. (Buzz, by the way, is a term I almost never hear anymore.)

You can't just slap together a poster and put it on some telephone poles. You can't announce the launch of your book and expect everyone to rush to the store to buy it. You can't just build it and expect anyone to come.

It takes time. Energy. Brain space. Attention. Passion. Connections. Discipline. Repetition.

And a lot of generous help from writers and publishers who are paving the way. Thank you, Beverly Akerman! Her article will serve as the template for UpStart Press's foray into ebook publishing.

Which starts now...