Should You Self-Publish (part 4)

So what can a self-published author do? Be aggressive and talk up your book in as many places as you can online, at conventions, among friends and colleagues, and any other social situation you can think of. Paying for a vendor table at a convention is sometimes expensive, and you'll have the added travel and hotel costs to deal with if the convention isn't local, but a presence at a convention goes a long way towards keeping your name viable in the community. Personal contact with an author is much more memorable than a picture of your book cover on twitter with a short advertising blurb. I'm not naturally a social person—and I'd guess a lot of authors are similarly reclusive introvert types that prefer to write all day without human interaction—but I've learned how to be outgoing, because it's an important part of sharing what you're passionate about. There's a reason that a lot of publishers want to know that you, the author, will be willing to attend book-signings: people are much more likely to consider reading your book when they can talk with you and sense your genuine passion and enthusiasm for the story you've written. Simply put, as a self-published author, you'll need to do a lot of the same things the publishers would do for you--or require of you--in their marketing strategies, but you'll have to foot the bill and the time for it all.