From a post by writer and teacher Peggy Tabor Millin

The article below is printed with permission of the author.

Pay It Ahead One day most of us hope to be in print. The longer we write, the clearer it becomes that writing a book is a huge effort. We may not understand that what comes after publication is an even bigger one--bigger because most of us are not publicists or book marketing experts. Now, six months after publication I find myself with a second business. On the left, ClarityWorks at which I teach and scribble a bit in notebooks and on the right Story Water Press, which wants a publicist, a speaker, a workshop leader, a traveler. Oh dear! The book, the baby I birthed, has a great many demands, far more than I had imagined. And, I cannot quit my ClarityWorks job to take care of it nor do I have the resources to hire an army of nannies! The best marketing has legs. You have the potential to be a walking, talking billboard. Here's what you can do as a tribute to your author friends or to any author, whether myself or another, friend or famed, whose book you enjoyed. Buy or borrow the book and read it. Go to Amazon or Barnes & Noble or other online bookstores and give a review. This can be two sentences or longer. It's more important to be specific with what you liked than to be long winded. Here's a portion from an endorsement Laura Frisbie (www.beat-depression-naturally.com) wrote about my book: There were many pages I bookmarked and highlighted, many gems of wisdom, depth, and inspiration. I can't wait to revisit the book. A friend wanted to borrow mine, I told her to get her own, I won't part with it. Send out an email message to friends or post a note on Facebook, Twitter, or other networking sites. Mention the book and the author to your face-to-face friends too. These are the people you hope will one day be touting your book. Remember that famous authors become famous because they gather an audience. Most have websites and you can send an email note or post a comment on the website. I have a feeling that the more well known an author becomes, the greater the distance between him or her and the reader. Give them a pat on the back; acknowledge that they've worked hard to get where they are. They didn't make it only on luck or incredible talent.

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Peggy Tabor Millin
    Author of Women, Writing, & Soul-Making: Creativity & the Sacred Feminine

Available now through bookstores nationwide and in the UK and Europe
as well as at http://www.clarityworksonline.com/story-water-press

ClarityWorks, Inc.
PO Box 9803
Asheville, NC 28815
828.298.3863
www.clarityworksonline.com