What’s Your Sign? No Shoes! No Shirt! No Sale!

I was born and raised in Florida, where tourism isn’t just a way of doing business, but a way of life. My family has always been, and still is, in the restaurant business, where service is king and you’re only as good as your last smile.

In my little beachside town I am stopped regularly, on my morning walk, during my afternoon bike ride, buying soda at the corner store, and asked for directions to this cruise ship or that restaurant or a good hotel. Automatically I kind of drop what I’m doing, put on a smile and give my best “be nice to the tourists” advice.

I try to act the same as an author. In addition to being here to write, to tell a story and maybe scare you or make you laugh, I’m here to help. Want some advice on publishing? Here you go. Want a taste of my writing before you buy a book? Here’s a link to a dozen free stories, or poems or, hey, a whole YA supernatural novel; why not? Want a little marketing advice? Here are a few blog posts, or free eBooks, on the subject. Want my email address? It’s right there on the side of my blog.

I’m open for business, so why wouldn’t I act that way? But as I watch other authors on Twitter and Facebook, as I follow and friend and “fan” them, I’m constantly amazed by this kind of adversarial stance some authors take, not just about marketing and promotion, or even readers and reviewers, but about writing itself. It’s almost as if they are daring you to read them!

How you promote your books, or your blog or review site or poem or song or whatever, is a “sign” to others that you are either open, or closed, to business. How you deal with others, whether you’re actively promoting or just being personal but public, such as on Twitter and Facebook where the whole world is watching, is another sign: are you open, or closed, for business? Are you the kind of author someone would want to read? Are you friendly, accessible, kind, generous, professional?

Sure, of course, some of us read books just for the story; absolutely. I don’t know squat about certain authors, but love their books. Typically, those are famous, bestselling authors whose books I find facing out in my local bookstores.

For us indie authors, though, we often have to work a smidge harder on the promotional end to attract attention, to plead our case, to promote ourselves and our books, and that often starts with us; our faces, our attitudes, our blogs, our comments, our tweets, our personalities.

There’s a sign we all see in lots of establishments. It says, “No Shirt! No Shoes! No Service!” It’s basically code for, “If you’re not like us, stay out.” It’s also a great way to prevent folks from coming into your store, virtual or otherwise.

As authors, we often flash this same “No Shirt! No Shoes! No Service!” sign by a variety of conscious, or even subconscious, actions like:

·        Dissing other authors

·        Begrudging the success of other authors

·        Treating ourselves as grand artistes who are better than everyone else

·        Dissing bloggers, calling them names, or openly insulting them

·        Raging about submission guidelines or review guidelines or the like

·        Acting unprofessional toward publishers, agents, editors, etc.

You know what I’m saying. You’re probably thinking of an author right now who does lots, if not all, of the above. We’re all human, we all have beliefs and opinions and attitudes and no one’s telling you to clamp yours off or “keep quiet.” I guess the point of this post is to absolutely be aware of the signs you’re sending, and be more open to, well, being “Open” for business.

So, what’s your sign? “Open,” “Closed” or “No Shoes! No Shirt! No Service!”? Be honest, the comment boxes are open day and night…

Yours in YA,

Rusty