Of course, you could do all of this and still want to do more. This is where your creative genius comes into play. Brainstorm all possible ways for your book to gain attention. Start with those that aren't so over the top and go from there. Be careful that you don't become so zealous that you drain your bank account. Some promotion strategies can make quite a dent in your checkbook. Consider low-cost approaches to self-promotion, such as fliers you can create for free on your computer and post on bulletin boards in libraries, schools, or community centers.

Traditionally, it is not appropriate for authors to sell their own books. Your contract may restrict you from doing so anyway. But there are exceptions. You may be invited to appear at a school, on a panel, in a church, in a library, or other venue, where the invitation includes the suggestion that you bring books to sell. If your publisher permits you to buy a box of books at the wholesale price, maybe a friend or friends would come with you and set up a little “shop” at the venue. Be sure that whoever is doing the actual selling is able to make change, and keep records for your taxes. Have a clip-board with a sign-up sheet for fans who would like to give you their names and e-mail addresses, so you can inform them of future books and events.

Book promotion is an interesting experience. You might be good at doing it on the Internet, but uncomfortable handling events in public. Or you might love appearing in schools (and collecting the fees), but find web marketing tedious. Try both approaches, because anything you do will probably lead to new contacts, skills, experiences, and opportunities. But don't give book promotion too big a role in your life. Spend most of your work time thinking, researching, writing, and revising. If you write a good book and have a little luck, your audience will find it.