Is Enough Ever Enough?

The Necessary Murder of Nonie Blake came out January 12, and I’ve just had my eighth book event. I’ve traveled to southern California three times for bookstore and library readings, to two Texas cities, and of course the Bay Area. Next I’m off to the far north of California and Ashland, Oregon. When I return there are two more Bay Area events. Add to that writing visiting blog posts, radio chats, magazine articles, and a guest talk to the Sacramento Capitol Crimes Sisters in Crime chapter. Is that enough?

Quite frankly there’s never enough to feed the hunger of the promo machine.  I could spend much more time and energy on it and it still wouldn’t be enough. The idea of promotion is to introduce yourself to prospective readers, booksellers, and those who might be willing to write reviews. It can be a lot of fun and very invigorating. It can also eat up time that could be spent writing.

There’s no one to tell you when you’ve reached an optimum amount of time and energy expenditure. So it’s up to me to decide where to draw the line. I’m not sure I’ve figured out where that line is just yet, but I’m gathering info. I spoke with a seasoned author who told me she isn’t doing any events this year. She’s tired and her budget is shot. She has decided to put her time and energy into writing her next book.

 I’m not ready to give up the travel yet. First, I’m not well-known enough. Every time I read at a bookstore or library event, there is promotion that gets my name out there. I still need that exposure to let people know about my books. Plus, I like it. I like speaking in front of people who love books, answering their questions, and hearing their perspectives. I enjoy meeting the booksellers and exploring their bookstores to see what kind of books they stock. I like meeting other authors that I’m paired with. For now that makes it worth the time it takes to go to these places.

But is it worth the expenditure of energy and money? It’s expensive to travel—flights, hotels, and meals. Is it worth the exhaustion that accompanies so much activity? Is it worth the disorganization that you feel when you get home and have to struggle get back your writing mojo?

As long as I am having fun, I’ll keep doing it, but if it ever feels like I’m doing this to the detriment of my writing, then it will be time to figure out other ways to promote my books. I know every writer faces this frustration, and I’ll keep my ears open for other ways of promoting. Until then, wish me bon voyage!