Q: I feel awkward about marketing and publicizing my own work. Do you think this is appropriate?

I think it is appropriate, but I have spoken to many authors and illustrators who feel the same way you do. I know of one author who formed her own direct mail company to sell her books to consumers. This enabled her to sell books directly to special interest groups and to keep her backlist titles active by periodic promotions to consumer mailing lists. Others have hired part-time assistants to make calls on their behalf. Others use pseudonyms when marketing their work.

I don’t think press contacts, or other business people, mind who makes the call as long as the material is pertinent and presented well. The key is to find an approach that you are comfortable with and to make it work. 12/94: 1/95