My book came out last Wednesday, so naturally I’ve been tweeting and fb posting and blogging about it. In the sea of eleventy billion books, mine will easily disappear into the abyss if I let it.

Here’s the rub, though: many of the authors of those eleventy billion other books are doing the same thing. And trying to shout above the din is awkward.

A couple days ago, I tweeted about how self-promoting makes me feel like a peacock wearing a jester hat while banging a tambourine. The next day, I illustrated it.

Look at me! Look at me!

There was wide agreement among fellow self-promoters. Especially for those of us who lean introverted, it’s uncomfortable. Writing begins as a solitary task, a time of coveted quiet to hone our craft. We have to start talking to people when it comes time for critiquing and beta reading, and after it’s released…