Shift from Storyteller to Story Seller: How to promote your book without selling your soul

by Cathy Park Kelly

I have a small vase on my desk (a gift from a writer friend) that I look at when I’m wrestling with self-doubt. It says: Hey You, You Matter.

And I know it’s corny and very ‘we’re-all-special-little-flowers’ but I also believe that it’s true. Deeply true. Each of us matters. And as creatives, what we make matters too.

When my memoir, Boiling a Frog Slowly, (about extracting myself from an abusive relationship and learning to thrive) came out just over two years ago, I had to give myself several pep talks.

On the one hand, I had worked on this story for ten years and the urge to share it with readers who were struggling as I had, burnt like a flame in my chest.

But there was a little voice in my head that whispered slyly, ‘Who cares? Why bother?’ And every time my finger hovered over the Share button, every time I was invited to do a launch or webinar, that little voice cleared its throat and prepared to talk me down.

So, with each Facebook post, Instagram reel, every book event I did, I worked to shift my mindset. I decided I was not going to apologise for posting about this heart-project.

Instead, I reframed my book promotion efforts as an act of generosity. I had created something I was proud of that I knew could help others.

And because I knew I was going to work hard on book promotion, I opted to enter into a 50/50 venture with my publisher, Karavan Press, even though they offered me a traditional publishing deal with royalties. So, we shared all the production expenses and halved the income from sales.

The end result? over two years later, we’ve each made a profit!

Like any good publisher, Karavan Press gave my book a strong push in the first few months but then, inevitably, they had to shift their attention onto their next titles.

Leaving all the marketing up to the publisher may work for established and prolific authors, but the best case for a book – given that publishers have limited budget and time - is when the author can sustain the platform-building efforts over an extended period, to increase the shelf life of a book.

So, build your community of fellow authors and readers. Begin by giving before you ask. Be a generous literary citizen: attend and post about book launches, write reviews, take joy in the success of other authors, share their news on your social media. Cultivate a generosity of spirit in your social media and this will come back to you threefold.

I was excited about actively building connections between my book and my readers. My constant question was: 'How can I get my book into readers' hands – in ways that feel true to who I am?' (Because even though I love dancing, I drew the line at doing dance videos on TikTok.)

I like people. I get energized by engaging in meaningful ways with interesting people. And I like crafting posts and captions that have an impact on the reader.

Writers are storytellers, so I reframed my marketing efforts as storytelling. I learnt that I could have fun creating stories about my book that felt real and sincere, and didn’t make me want to blush/vomit/down a stiff drink.

There is so much you can do yourself to create points of connection between you and your readers: tell them the story of how you found your publisher; show them photos of your messy desk, share your fears and vulnerabilities.   

Because in the end, we’re all in this together. And we all love a good story.

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About Cathy Park Kelly:

Cathy Park Kelly is a writer living in Cape Town

Her first book, Inside Outside, a memoir of teaching juvenile offenders awaiting trial, was quoted extensively by the (then) Minister of Correctional Services in a speech. This is the closest she ever wants to get to Parliament.

She has had non-fiction essays and short stories published in several South African magazines and anthologies. In December 2021, her second memoir, Boiling a Frog Slowly, was published by Karavan Press. It made the longlist for the prestigious Sunday Times Literary Awards 2022.

Cathy loves how stories can crack open doors and offer seams of light in the dark.

To find out more about Cathy’s online course: Shift from Storyteller to Story Seller in Six Weeks, subscribe to her newsletter here:

https://cathyparkkelly.substack.com/