I’m pleased to introduce my guest blogger for the week, fellow Wild Rose Press author, Clover Autrey. She has a great sense of humor and today she will give us some insight on Promoting – that evil activity that takes far too much time away from us writers. Make sure to stop by her website and check out her books today. Take it away Clover. Tell us, please, advice on promo.

I’d rather do just about anything besides strike up a conversation with a stranger. And walk up to a group already chatting? Not gonna happen.

So I read this How To book about using business parties and functions to mingle and interact with contacts to get yourself ahead. I figured it might have some magical formula I could use to transform myself into the life of the party at writer conventions or book signings. Far from it. It was pretty much a 164 page pep talk. “Just walk up and talk to people.” “Everybody else is feeling as awkward as you are.” True, but I already knew that from the Brady Bunch when Marsha pictured her driving instructor in his underwear.

I did glean a few golden nuggets for working a party once the pep talk portion wound down. This is what you do when you walk up to a group of people already talking. It’s simple, but when shyness takes over, remembering simple and obvious things is better.

1. Wait for the conversation to die down. Don’t immediately jump in and take over. Most conversations have a lulling point every seven minutes. (Okay, that last part about the seven minutes wasn’t in the book, I just threw that in from random knowledge I learned somewhere.)
2. Introduce yourself and after everyone has introduced themselves to you, ask them about themselves. Use a question that is easy to answer and doesn’t drag into an awkward silence. No weather topics. Since hopefully this is a place to meet readers, a good question is a simple, “What kind of books do you like to read?” and let the conversation go from there. They will most likely reciprocate by asking you the same question where you can work in your book without feeling obnoxious about it. Keep it simple and casual.
3. Don’t overstay your welcome, especially with an overlarge group. You don’t want to look as though you are desperately clinging to the edge. When the conversation lulls again, excuse yourself, saying how nice it was to meet them and walk away to find another group.
4. Don’t be afraid to stand by yourself for awhile. Sometimes other people would rather walk up to a lone person than a group themselves. Keep your body language open, not closed with arms folded. Stand away from the wall with confidence and when someone gives you eye contact, be sure to smile or nod your head. If they don’t come to you, go to them, stick out your hand and introduce yourself.

Sounds easy, right? If you have that kind of personality that people gravitate to anyway, piece of cake. For the rest of us, especially those who are painfully shy, it can be the hardest thing in the world to do. It’s really hard for me, but I did try this out last month at a writer’s group. I went by myself and didn’t know a soul. I took a deep breath, held out my hand and introduced myself to everybody in the room, using this method. Best yet, I got to know a bunch of cool people and I don’t think my face went red once.

Hey authors out there today, what do you think of promotion? You have any other advice for us poor, shy things?? Thanks for being here today, Clover!