Before I was out of bed this morning I checked my LinkedIn messages and saw one from a coaching colleague who has a popular podcast. He’d read my posts on LI and wants me as a guest on his show. I made note of the shipping address he sent and forwarded it to my publicist so she can mail him an advance copy.

I need to type up my notes today from yesterday’s conversation with a consultant for the Jewish Book Council. In May I will present a 2-minute pitch to program chairs from all over the country explaining why Too Much of Not Enough will engage, entertain and offer guidance to their audiences. This woman’s job is to assist authors in narrowing their focus to exactly that–less about the book, and more about how our book will excite their groups.

I just got off the phone with my author friend in Florida who is arranging two lunch/book events there in early May on my behalf. During our conversation she mentioned a writers conference she recently attended. One evening event was called Writer Idol (think American Idol) where authors have page one of their books read aloud while a panel of experts listen. If two hands go up, the reading is stopped. My friend heard three paragraphs of her first page read before it got the ‘hook.’ They loved “it was 1931” and several other sentences in the opening of her novel, but raised their hands when they encountered “genre gobbledygook.” Ouch!

All this to say two things–I love my life, the conversations I’m having, and the people I get to hang with as a writer. I also want to inform aspiring writers that there’s more to selling books than writing, editing and finding a publisher. All of these unseen efforts mount up, but don’t pay a dime…yet.

As John Wanamaker said about advertising many moons ago, “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted. The only trouble is, I don’t know which half.” I know that these marketing efforts are essential, but don’t know which ones are most important. So I do them all.

Fortunately, I love the process.