getting the word out

I look forward to the times in my week that I have scheduled for writing, and enjoy meeting the writing goals that I set for myself.  Now that I've just completed a book (Fox Fur; 146 pgs), though, I'm not sure what to do with myself during those parts of my schedule.  I find myself brushing cat hairs off my laptop keyboard and browsing five different sites at once, just to avoid doing what I should be doing.  Once the writing is done and all the files are ready to print, I get stuck with stuff I'm not very good at-- the marketing part.

With each new book I gather a little more courage about putting myself forward as an author.  I've had a few chances to sell my books at events and a little practice talking to people about my books.  I've gotten pretty good at masking my desperate hope to sell a few copies with an air of cheerful indifference, which I figure is better than irritated defensiveness.

The internet should be my best friend as far as advertising goes, but I think mental telepathy would be a whole lot easier.  Apparently it's not enough to have my books available on Amazon.  Somehow, I have to let other people in on the secret, too.  It's hard for me to keep up with this new and changeable online culture.  I only just created a Facebook author page and became 'Linked in' last month.   I started this blog about a week ago because a Kindle Direct Publishing newsletter recommended building an author page on Amazon, and there was an option to connect that page with a blog.  I even have a profile on Google+ now.  I don't really understand all of these online tools.  They feel cumbersome and I feel clumsy and ineffective using them.

Thanks to my dad, who raised me on Apple computers, at least I have the basics.  Thanks to my younger, Facebook savvy sister, I'm up to 21 likes now and am dutifully posting twice a week.  Thanks to motivation and persistence, I'm gradually enriching my online media know-how.  I'm still deciding whether to include a link to my website, Facebook page, Linked in page, Amazon page, blog, or Google+ page in my email signature.  Until my telepathic abilities emerge, I'm open to suggestions.