You'd think I would know the difference between marketing and publicity after all these years writing books. This is probably why I've never excelled at marketing, something I'm going to correct with The Long Run. My publisher's marketing team has already put together some great images to promote the book. I'll be putting them up on my socials and in this space very soon so you can have a look.
But what else must be done? Specifically, what can I do to become a better marketeer? I'm told by friends with their fingers on the pulse of how things are sold these days that there must be TikTok videos. So these will happen. It's also important to reach out to influencers, which seems like fun. I've been doing preliminary research into the most popular running influencers. To my surprise, they're not gold medalists or record holders for the most part (marathoner Jess McClain seems a notable exception. I feel like she's putting on a master class with her socials).
That's the nut of this marketing issue. Writing a book about running is a far cry from writing traditional history. Running is personal and immediate. World War II, to pick a topic, lends itself to a more staid demographic and promotional appearances: coat and tie, museums and learned institutions, a frankly older readership. This is the way I would typically market a book (though without the coat and tie). It's easy to hide your true self in this traditional setting, which is why I have followed this pattern for a long time. I'm here to market a book, not market myself. Shoe up, do a speech, a few jokes during the Q&A, sign books, then thank the bookstore staff on my way out.
I like anonymity. I can express very personal emotions with the written word (very often in this space) but I barely speak when I leave the house. I make my way around town in running shoes, shorts and a battered hoodie, all too happy to avoid the appearance of being someone who has a book to sell. I have an old friend who is not much of a writer but is an incredible self-promoter. He has long rolled his eyes at my fondness for being left alone. The money is in marketing, he likes to say.
So things need to change. I can reach far more potential readers on socials than in a whole month of bookstore signings. I'm shaving more often, which is a nice start. Combing my hair. Not getting rid of the hoodie yet, but definitely opting for more form-fitting garments rather than something one size too big.
I have no fear of standing in front of hundreds to give a speech. But I need to get over the fear of speaking into the camera for an insta video. Feels like a bridge too far. Same with Tik Tok. I am reminded that the greatest truth any writer can learn is that writing the book is only half the job. Selling the book is just as important.
So I apologize in advance for the socials soon to appear as I go through the learning curve. I am about to get insanely promotional, though even writing those words feels terrifying. The bottom line is that The Long Run is an amazing book, written for runners and historians and anyone who loves a great story with big characters who change the world. Seen in that light, a Tik-Tok video or twelve is the least I can do.