Congratulations, you're here because you're a writer!
But what does that mean exactly? It
means you are also a business, a brand, and even if you have a team of editors, proofers, formatting, designers, you are still in business for yourself.
So you must start thinking like a business person, like it or not.
I
understand how you feel. You want to write, not fuss over promoting yourself
all over the place, but the truth is, if you don't actively pimp yourself, no one will ever know who you are. They will never read
your writing. You won't reach the masses, your target audience, your loyal
fans.
As a promoter of your work, you need to learn how to walk the fine line between promoting smart and promoting without spamming yourself. There's a right way and a wrong way. I've seen writers get banned from Facebook for promoting their book on sites without permission. I've seen authors close their Twitter account because they promoted 99% of the time and lost most of their followers. Readers want to know about your books, but if they like it, their curiosity extends beyond the page -- they want to get to know YOU.
The business of publishing is changing so much right now, I can
hardly keep up myself. But keep up you must. It's time consuming, but it
doesn't mean you have to give up your first love: writing. Everything has its
place, and how you manage your time will make all the difference in what you
achieve.
I've found one of the best tools to be communicating and getting to know my fellow authors. I've learned a lot by getting involved.
Happy pimping ;)