What If You're Scared of Promoting Your Book?

Hello friends,

Last week, we talked about what to do if you were scared of the query process because, let's face it, querying is scary. It isn't, unfortunately, the only scary part of writing and publishing books. I want to talk more about fear because I firmly believe that the #1 cure for fear is daylight, and even just acknowledging what gives you anxiety helps squash it. Some of you out there might not be nervous about querying. High five! Others of you might be more trepidatious about writing itself, coming back after a project doesn't get off the ground, or, like we'll talk about today, promoting your work. If there are other things you're scared of in this realm, let me know in the comments! Oh, I just thought of another one: how and why not to be afraid of Literary Agents.

"We have nothing to fear except improperly misattributed quotes." —some guy, probably

Here Are All the Ways Book Promotion Can Be Scary

Long gone are the days of the writer who just writes the book and the publisher who publishes and promotes it. Wanna know why? Because we don't have all the magazines, newspapers, TV shows, radio shows, heck even blogs any more that did the book promotion for us, coordinated through the publisher! We don't have paperbacks spinning in drugstore racks or a populace with a relationship with the proprietor of their local mom and pop bookstore. That's why you have to get on social media and say Buy My Book Please! and make TikToks and hound people for pre-orders. (Mad about it? Blame media consolidation!!!!) Ahem. Anyway. And did you see there were FOUR MILLION books published last year? That's enough to strike fear in the heart of even the most indomitable writer out there.

Even without thinking about the particulars of the current book market, it's very hard to ask people to do something nice for you, whether it's to repost your Reel or buy your book. Sometimes it feels like a favor, and sometimes it is, but even if it's done gladly and in the fullness of the reposter's heart, it's still hard to put yourself out there. Some people don't want to, or can't safely put themselves on social media. Some don't excel at writing snappy sales copy or witty comments. Most of us, me included, have zero skills when it comes to video editing. You will not see me out there doing a TikTok dance with my galley.

And guess what? That's ok. I'll talk more about that in a minute.

What are the alternatives?

So, technically speaking, you can just...not. You can just not with more impunity in some genres (like literary fiction) more than others (like all non-fiction), but of course that makes the already difficult road to publication and success more difficult. In non-fiction, I've had zero luck in placing books that didn't have a platform of some sort. In fiction, it can go either way, depending on the book, genre, and author.

The very good news is that social media is not the ONLY way to promote your work, before or after the book deal. Recall our previous writings on platforms, and remember that readers don't just find you on Instagram. They might find you writing in the quarterly publication of the Journal of Your Cool Special Interest, that happens to go out to 50,000 people. You might be the go-to interview subject for journalists about your niche topic. Maybe you did that keynote speech that 1 million people watched on YouTube, that you forgot was even being recorded when you were up on stage.

If you're writing fiction, maybe you've been published in dozens of literary journals or genre-specific short fiction magazines. Maybe your not-viral but well-trafficked blog or newsletter has 20,000 subscribers and has an open rate of 45%. Maybe you were in that anthology with those big-wigs and you connected with them and now you feel really comfortable asking [big name best seller] for a blurb. These are all viable ways to help promote your book that is not doing the Mom, what were you like in the 90s? meme that's going around instagram.

Of course, there are costs to just not. It might cost you book sales, at the unit level or the next contract level. Of course, neither of those things hinge solely on you, but you can help. These days, readers go straight to the author to hear about new books or what's coming up, not media. So if you can provide that connection with the reader, you're better off than if you don't.

What can you do about it?

I promise, there is actually something you can do about this, both the fear inherent in book promotion, and the omg how do I actually even do it fear. It's not easy, but it is doable.

First, do what you can. Can't make videos? Then don't. Can write quippy things on Threads or Bluesky? Do that. Put up a very simple website that has your books, your contact info (a general inbox or your agent or what have you), and a brief bio. If you're doing a newsletter or similar, have all that stuff in as few places as possible. (I have not exactly figured out how to have this newsletter on KateMcKean.com and you know what? That's ok.)

Second, figure out where most of your readers are. Who are they? The ones talking about the same stuff you are, related to you book/interests. You aren't going to connect with Gen Z romance readers on Facebook, and you probably know it. So that means you don't have to spend a lot of time promoting your book there! Maybe post occasionally there so your old high school friends and your second cousin once removed knows about your books, but that's ok! Prioritize what makes sense for you and your market. You don't have to be everywhere all the time.

Third, just do something and learn as you go. You are not going to sit down tomorrow and say Thus starts my social media empire and resolve to post every three hours for the rest of your life. It doesn't work that way both on a personal level (oh god that sounds like hell) and a this is the path to success level. Post some stuff! See what you like! See what comes naturally. See what resonates with readers over time. One post with a cute video and catchy song will get 1,000 likes one day and 5 the next, so don't think there's a reliable formula to any of this, even your own. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Apply for that speaking gig. Suggest a panel at that next conference. Pitch an article to that place. Does this take an extraordinary amount of time and effort? YES. I'm sorry. I don't have a fix for that. But the more you do it, the more you get immune to it, and the more your realize that any number of different things actually work, and it's the doing that matters more than the particulars. Like Yoda said, "Don't try. Just post."

Remember, No One's Watching That Closely

For better or for worse, no one is looking at all your content. No one is going to read every article or newsletter you post (except for all my lovely readers, of course). What does that mean for you? It means you can post buy my book! three times as often and everyone will be seeing it about the same amount of times, depending on where they're seeing it. To you it feels like you're a broken record, but to your followers and readers, they just think oh hey, new book coming soon. When you don't feel like you're under a microscope, you can be a little more loose, more free, more relaxed. With a little of the pressure off, maybe you have more fun with it, and tbh the more you enjoy doing it, the more you'll do it, and the more potential benefits you'll reap. Do you think I would be still writing this newsletter after SEVEN YEARS if I didn't love doing it? Heck no. This is fun for me! It's fun for most of you, too, I think! And if it's not fun for you, that's totally ok! My goal here isn't to please every single reader in the world. It's to tell you some stuff about publishing, typos be damned.

And hold on to that no one is watching that closely bit when the fear and anxiety come up. No one is thinking who the hell does she think she is posting that stuff? Zero people are thinking this. You are not going to automatically get a flood of negative comments if you post a link to your book. (Yes, people are very shitty online, and you know if you are particularly vulnerable. Outside of these bad actors and shitbag trolls, most people are not going to get piled on for a single post. If it is not safe for you to post, don't post!) An agent isn't going to look at your last Instagram post and think I don't like purple shirts. I'm not going to offer this person representation. And the people who do make shitty choices like this? They are not your people and you should block them with impunity! Say no to that agent! Screw them! Post for the people who care about you, not the ones who don't.

And I hate to say it, but the more you do it, the less scary it gets. I can tell you that from experience. So post away, my friends. Write that thing. Share it. Try again. You can do it.

Speaking of book promotion! I have a picture book coming out May 5th! If you preorder and fill out this form you'll get access to an exclusive Zoom where you can Ask Me Anything! Want your book signed? Preorder from The Strand! I'll be reading there in NYC on May 9th!!

See, that wasn't so hard.

Who am I and what is this? This is Agents & Books, a twice-weekly newsletter about writing, publishing, and the creative life. I've been an agent for almost 20 years, most of it at the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency, and I'm the author of soon to be two books: Write Through It: An Insider's Guide to Publishing and the Creative Life (Simon Element, 2025) and a picture book called Pay Attention to Me!, with illustrations by Rob Justus (Sourcebooks, 2026). If you haven't already, become a subscriber today. $5 a month or $50 a year. Same price since 2019!