Autistic author faces social fears!!

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hi guys, I posted a while back about how I'd published my novel on Amazon; well now it's out in paperback as well;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jack-Barrow-Boy ... 190&sr=1-1

and I'm also doing a signing in Essex tomorrow evening to promote it;

http://www.lbbd.gov.uk/leisureartsandli ... l2013.aspx

needless to say this means social interaction on a fairly large scale, and I am very nervous about it; I wish I could hide behind my writing but I can't!!

First off, Congratz
secondly. I sure hop you get trough it, I have no substantial tips, just wish you good luck, and before you know it, it will be all over

Congrats on your continued success.

The title of this thread sounds like a newspaper headline.

Congrats! Did you self publish?

I know I'm autistic- but I probably could handle the attention as I'm planning to hide behind two pen-name. Seeing all the attention of Bettie Mills and Tampa Tyson (my pen names) is going to make me feel good.

But once it comes out that these pen names are mine (and I'm running a company). The real reason I have pen names is because on, my real name is hard to pronounce- and two- I'm writing both mystery and Suspense novels.

yeah I self-published, but it's going really well. The signing was good and I sold a fair few copies but I didn't get up and do a talk; the woman running the thing asked me if I wanted to but I couldn't face it. Surprisingly I sold more than the people who did get up and speak about their works

javascript:emoticon(':lol:')

I did a craft fair in Dagenham yesterday because my book is based in the area, and I was dreading it; sitting behind a table and trying to flog my book to complete strangers, wondering how much eye contact was too little or too much, and what to do if they started to talk to me about it. In the end I sold a third of my stock, so I was made up!

I know I ought to post in here more often, but my book is still going well; it can be done! so much so in fact that I have published the second volume;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Taking-Tiffany- ... 616&sr=1-2

If you don't mind me asking, how did you go about promoting your first book when you put it up?
I mean from the creative writing classes I was told to use all those social media sites and message
boards to try and 'push it' as much as possible but I really don't want to do that.
I'm not good with being social.

Oh and congratulations or your success and I hope it continues on in to the future.

I'd like to know the answer, too.

I'm doing something similar, though I'm in music. I have no issues hiding behind a clarinet, piano, or some other musical instrument. But just don't do talking and I'm just awful at self-promotion. My plan is to find someone else to handle the social media aspect.

Any time you start out in art/music/writing, you pretty much have to do EVERYTHING on your own. If you are able to monetize your craft, it's a good idea to set aside a small amount of profit to hire a team to handle the hands/feet part of your work so all you have to do is focus on the creative side. What eventually happens is the success of your team depends on the success of the leader (you), so they'll work hard to stay in business. When you can't pay them, they get fired, and they know that. So you have to be good at what you do first of all...second, you have to learn to build relationships with people who are personally vested in your work. Third, you need a good sense of when to drop the axe and which heads need to roll. My wife is good with the whole Facebook thing, so I might put her on that when the time comes, otherwise I might look at outsourcing. There ARE ways of avoiding uncomfortable aspects of work while maintaining a positive public image.

Thanks for sharing your good news! I find it inspiring.