Linda Joy Myers, Ph.D.
I’ve been thinking about the prejudices writers have about marketing and selling—as if it’s some kind of shameful disease, as if we are “above” such things. The image of the door to door salesman selling snake oil comes to mind to too many people…especially those in the arts, who seem to feel that people will find us magically, through intuition, not through deliberate and conscious marketing techniques.
I’m so excited to have with us at our member teleseminar this week Lynn Serafinn, author of the brand new international bestseller The 7 Graces of Marketing. Lynn understands the bias against marketing, and shows in her book how to do it well, with sensitivity and a higher consciousness.
A quote from Lynn:
Connection is at the foundation of all the other Graces. When marketers (and writers!) work from a place of Connection, everything changes. We no longer exploit people or the planet, because we feel a deep, inner Connection to them. Similarly, when we write from this place, it opens the door to our being able to create marketing and writing that inspires and engages our audience with dignity and grace (Inspiration and Invitation).
As our Connection deepens, we move on to be able to be more direct and simple in the way we communicate (Directness). When we become more direct, people start to understand what we say, and trust us more. As we feel more trusted and supported, we in turn become more “transparent” (Transparency), and we also become more generous and giving (Abundance), both of our time and our wisdom. We begin to see that there is enough for all in this world, so long as we live in harmony with the flow of Nature. And when we reach that state of being, we no longer feel the need to compete, as we have nothing to “fight for” anymore…Read more here.
This is perfect for memoirists—we are trying to connect with our audience, our readers, our family, our legacy, and even our deepest, truest selves. We need to believe in what we are writing and be willing to step up to do the selling—first by pitching the book to agents, then publishers, then the public. We need to do this with joy, not a sense that we are greedy or should be ashamed to get out there and share what we know and the art that we have created.
It’s important to learn more about marketing from those who can teach us how to do it well, and with style and sensitivity. Join Lynn and me this Friday for our NAMW member teleseminar—the last one of the year! We are preparing for 2012 –the Year of the Memoir!
Publicity coaching is expensive, but this teleseminar and a whole YEAR of teleseminars costs about $10 per seminar—what a deal—that can benefit you and your writing life for years to come.
See you at the teleseminar this Friday!
–Linda Joy
