I have a love-hate relationship with social media & with self-promo, but as a self-published author, living in a non-English speaking country….that’s a very unfortunate combination.
I love meeting people IRL (in real life). Today I travelled by train, and unfortunately had lots of delays, but nevertheless I had a lovely experience. Why? I chatted with various interesting people and there were no ulterior motives involved. Chatting and listening to people is what I enjoy…I guess it’s kind of a window into another person’s life…..just like books give insights/a peek into other worlds. We are all different, but each one of us has something in common with another person and it’s lovely to discover common ground. Becoming attuned to differences and similarities that cut across geographical borders and societal bubbles.
While chatting with people, I notice things we have in common. When I meet cross-cultural people or third cultural kids or people who love travelling I mention my book. Some may call this an unwanted or aggressive approach. I don’t. I call it connecting. I genuinely believe in my book. If I’d use this tactic online though, I’d perceive it as ludicrous. In Real Life it seems to be my best book sales method: connecting personally with people.
Of course I know that adopting this method will never make me a bestselling author on the short run, but who knows…if the people who read the book like it and pass it on to others and recommend it to friends and family…..then who knows…..I am in it for the long run.
Shakti Hannie 