Help! Self-promotion efforts stymied by shyness.

There are a few sex workers I know who could review you book (no I am serious about that)... but there are various "interviews" you can do on-line (some of the "romance" geared are Coffee Time, Just Erotic Romance) but there is no way around some interaction.

When I first went into law, I couldn't ask a waitress for a refill without getting embarrased. I joined an interactive-improvisational acting group. Okay... that's not for everyone. But, what it taught me was to create the "persona" I wanted to be (Star Trial Attorney, Great Interview Candidate yadda) so that I don't have to worry about "myself." And, take baby steps to get into the role. So a few on-line interviews (cause you have all the time in the world to get it done and revise), sending out some post cards etc. and work up to the LA Porn Con slowly.

James -- lost somewhere in the great metroplex of Los Angeles

Try joining a local Toastmaster group. They are groups of people with a fear of speaking and have methods for getting you to make small incremental contributions to the group like giving a report on how many times speakers used the "ah" crutch. Or you can just attend and say nothing until you are ready. It helped me a lot before I had to participate in my first moot court competition.

Steve

Maybe you could get a blog?
Or a web page like a guestbook where visitors get
- tips and advice
- are abe to post their opinions of your book
- a contest with "win a free" book or else ?
- or involve a charity ? they advertise your book and get a share of $$ each time one is sold through them?

And what about you get a friend to talk about your book and do the signing at the end.

I was shy. It was horrible. When I was twelve I realised that no one knew how I was feeling unless I told or showed them. So I pretended I wasn't shy and it worked (for the most part)

You need to 'act as if'. Act as if you are used to promoting yourself. Remember people aren't really concerned with others they are mostly concerned with themselves - the way they look, they way they come across to people, how long till their dinner break.

Pick a samll book shop to practice on. Once you've done it a couple of times you will know what you are going to say. Do not be phases by any one - they might just be having a bad day.

Put on clothes that you feel good in and metaphorically put on another head (develpe an alter ego) Challenge yourself. Read the book 'Feel the fear and do it anyway'
Be cheeky.
Just use any trick you can to get yourself out there and used to self-promoting.

I did the ultimate - I posed nude for an art class as a challenge.

Push your own boundries and good luck!

Sympathy anyway

Hi Paganholiday,

I don't have any ideas more than what's out there already, but if it's any comfort I absolutely sympathise. I've been a journalist for donkey's years, and am quite capable of going up to anybody and asking anything. But self-promotion makes me want to puke as well. I tried, but it was really against the grain.

God, it's tough!

I don't want to be obtuse here... but you wrote a book with a provocative title, about a provocative subject, and the bottom line is that any kind of marketing that's going to work in a case like this is going to involve possibly attracting pervs, and definitely working with people.

However, if you're looking for ways to market without involving yourself, try the following:

Send press releases to adult and men's magazines.
Pay for advertising on legitimate "sex therapy" or "sex information" sites
Find an email newsletter that deals in the same topic zone and pay for advertising with them

p--
i understand and think you can center some of your marketing on the web. even radio, which you can do over the phone.

but you have to TRY. to shoot down ideas after asking for them won't help. you either treat it like a business or you don't. you can do so much on the net, that i think will give you the comfort you want, but you may have to break out of the comfort zone. if not, the book may never see it's full potential.

i do wish you the best!!