The Challenge of Self Promoting by Tobias Robbins

https://bookswelove.com/robbins-tobias/

I was raised to be humble. I don't feel comfortable self promoting. It feels like bragging. But that is what is needed if I want to get people to buy my book, right? I feel it's a good book. Maybe even great. But for me to push that on a stranger feels wrong for some reason. It's the difference between art and business. To me art is synonymous with honesty and altruism. Business has a more cynical connotation, like it is inherently more selfish. How can an artist sell their work but not sell out? It sounds easy on the surface. I believe in my product, I genuinely think it is a solid book. So promoting it should be just like sharing my opinion, it's natural and sincere. But why do I feel yucky about it then?

I recently got a five star review from Readers’ Favorite. It had perfect scores in each of the categories for which it was considered. I now have evidence that I am not the only one that thinks it's good. But still, there is that subtle whisper telling me to be quiet about it. Don't be a show off. You don't need to rub it in their faces. 

I need to ignore that voice if I am to ever sell copies of this book. Push away the doubt and turn it into a job. Sell my product. 

I just submitted it to the Arizona Authors Association Literary Contest. If I do halfway good enough in the contest then maybe that will do my promotion for me. Maybe a contest win could get me the recognition I know I need to promote the book. 

I am going to focus on separating myself from my art. It is just a thing like all other things. The same way I can recommend a movie to someone else. I don't have a personal stake in it. I can argue all day why my top ten horror movies are the greatest, so why should promoting my book be any different? I know it is a quality work of fiction and I have several reasons to feel this way. 

If I don't show faith in my book, then I can’t expect anyone else to either.