I spoke to a producer recently who said, “If a screenwriter pitches me his story and he’s not excited, why should I be?”
This brings home a simple point — promotion starts with you. Lots of people become nervous when self-promoting and feel like it’s pushy. So they play themselves down.
It’s important to relax and let it show that you’re “genuinely” excited about your product whether is a book or a bobsled.
Pushy v. Excited
People can tell the difference between “pushing a sale” and “genuine excitement”. That’s good because being pushy is uncomfortable and being excited is fun. Next time you’re talking to someone about your project just be yourself.
• Smile.
• Open up about yourself and your project (maybe tell them a detail you think is interesting or funny)
• Think of it as making a friend, not making a sale.
• Let them see that it would be fun to work and/or do business with you.
Pretty simple. Be enthusiastic!
Diane Mettler, Writer & Editor
Spilled Ink Marketing
excellent tip. Thanks for sharing. One note though – and maybe I’m being a perfectionist but – I find the little typos distracting when I’m reading your articles. What you write is a reflection of what you have to offer. Make it the best!
This is a great tip and something I find really hard to do. I am learning though. Now that I have a publisher and a release date, I find that I need to not be shy about talking about my book. What I’ve found though, is that people love sharing in the experience. And their enthusiasm just multiplies mine. ~Karen
You are an inspiration, Diane, and you live your advice. Your enthusiasm is real! Thanks for sharing it@