As I've read everyone's comments, my thoughts have gone to my own reading habits -- the books and authors I love. How did I learn about them? Mostly through reading. Like seems to spawn like, so reading one author leads me to another, which leads me to another. Certain authors resonate with me, my attitudes and beliefs. I'm not being glib or saying "write great content", if anything you should try and write authentic content and learn to hone your writing voice. As a writer, once you can reach those readers who resonate with you, they can hear your authorial voice and that will be the best marketing you can do. Unfortunately, this is a slow, slow process, but getting your words out there is a necessary first step. Which brings me to this site, yet another platform to be heard on and to search for that elusive author-reader connection. If it does nothing else, it will provide some authors the marketing opportunity to reach a new group of readers. As it stands, I've already bought one book, Lynne Tillman's from my experience with Red Lemonade. I'm sure I'll buy more as time goes on. In the end, marketing is more a matter of taste and class. Great marketing will reflect the writer's resonant frequency and be heard by the readers who are interested in that author's works.

A writer I've seen do this really well is Jonathan Evison. He seems to appear everywhere & always presents himself with kindness & humility. With Jonathan, I don't see self-promotion as much as someone who just enjoys people. He builds up such goodwill toward his work that he builds on his successes, while maintaining the freedom to write the kind of books he wants to write.

The more and more I do in terms of opening myself to audiences, the more clear it becomes to me that marketing books, when you are the writer of said books, has to be about sharing -- sharing the work, sharing your ideas, sharing your access. So, this platform is really really smart IMO. Kathryn

I never thought I'd see the day that I'd be muddling my way through marketing...let's just say, I'm not a real 'go-getter', I'd rather be writing, editing, revising and daydreaming out the window than doing marketing...I always hoped in my little daydreams that someone else would be doing that for me...I always thought I'd have a lot of things being done for me, but... So I've been taking baby steps. It's certainly easier peddling books over the internet. I'm still muddling along doing POD paperback originals and so far making ebooks available for the NOOK...yes, just baby steps, little ones and then big ones. I use self-serve advertising through websites like Goodreads.com, hold Q&A chats at sites like Library Thing (usually met with "crickets", so I wind up talking to myself and leaving paragraphs of back story about the book and "readings" of samples from chapters, the chats are archived so if anyone happens to be looking they can find.) I also do giveaways in exchange for reviews, weekly blogging, and local book signings and readings, all very low key and low budget (except shipping a book to Austrailia for a giveaway winner cost more than the book is worth! But I did get a nice review! Priceless!!) And I make myself approachable. In spite of my cautious little baby steps, my books are selling and being read by readers, and I've talked to many of them about their experience (I love it when they come to me and say my book made them cry! They do get a hug if I'm physically in the same room with them.) So far so good, for something that started out as an experiment, learning as I go, I can't complain too much, the investment has been worth it. I might not be a slick marketing wunderkind, but I am getting my books into the hands of readers...and on their NOOKS. It's a little exciting, but I don't let myself get too excited. It is a labor of love...the writer is the best advocate for their work and their vision, it's the way to do it.

I agree that these days the writer is ultimately the person responsible for getting the book to his or her audience; however, from what I've seen the past few years from the retail side, writers aren't ashamed of hustling. As a buyer I've received more advanced copies directly from authors and met with more authors (self-published and not) than I can count. What writers are is naive about marketing. I've met writers who couldn't properly define the term. Too many writers put too much effort into marketing without any proper plan.

Though I do think that anyone who wants to make money off of a product should understand the fundamentals of marketing, it's hard to expect writers who spend all their time trying to be experts in their fields to commit all of their time to a successful marketing campaign. So in addition to your assuagement to feel no shame in hustling, I would add, feel no shame in hiring some kind of marketing consultant or at least hiring a good publicist who knows the industry.