How To Promote Your Book?

Notice that was a question mark in the title!

Hey you, book writer – now go out and tell people about your book because that will be so easy for you to do.

Not.

It’s weird.

Really weird.

There’s the writing the book – then there’s the promoting the book. The “oh my gosh, what if I say something stupid while I’m talking” promoting of the book.

First of all, I grew up painfully bashful. Being in front of others would literally cause me physical anguish. One year when I was on the homecoming court in high school my mother literally had to give me a portion of sedative to get me to walk out in the school auditorium.

In college, I was the quiet one to most – the crazy silly one to those who got to know me – but put me in a room full of people and I was astute at studying the floor or quietly observing. (However…come to think of it, I did get A’s in that speech class – but before and after every speech I was always silent.)

I do remember a “God moment” when He made it clear to me His light could not shine through me if I was silent. Even silence is a form of pride.

I did find my voice during my career and through various other projects since then, but when communicating other people’s ideas, the pressure is less intense.

But last week, sitting across from Jim Daly and John Fuller and sharing my momlife and what God has taught me, and laid on my heart to share with others – that was scary and weighty all at the same time.

Then yesterday before I was to be in the studio with Dennis Rainey and Bob Lepine the pressure nearly sent me back home to hide under the covers.

But it’s not about me, it’s about God and His message…through me.

I am overwhelmed at the magnitude of the responsibility of this message God wants me to declare – I have a published book! How does that even happen? Only because God wanted it to.

Period.

God makes me tremble…and then He makes me giggle.

I am grateful for the message He has given me and I know it’s His message, I want to get out there – but my, oh my…this bashful girl is conflicted.

Has God asked you to step up in some way that makes you tremble at the responsibility – but giggle that He has asked you?