From "I Do Not Want to Be Here" to "Hey, This Is Actually Working!"

My Journey into Book Marketing

When I first hit “publish” on Amazon for The Legendary Guardians: Reunions, I thought the hard part was over. I had written the book. Edited the book. Designed the cover. Uploaded it. Boom. Published author. Success incoming.

Except…crickets.

Here’s the truth no one tells you when you self-publish: you can’t just write a book, toss it onto Amazon, and expect people to magically find it and fall in love. I mean, you can. But I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you.

Marketing is the next mountain to climb…and I was terrified. Putting my story out there? Fine. Putting myself out there? Pass. But with a little push (okay, more like a gentle shove from people who believed in me), I decided to lean into it.

First stop: Instagram.

I created an author account, started posting, and slowly dipped my toes into the wild waters of Bookstagram. I reached out to a few book bloggers, who, by the way, are absolute gems. Seriously, the nicest humans. But here's what I didn’t realize: most of them are reviewing through ARCs sent by traditional publishers, and their TBRs? Longer than my lifetime. Still, many were willing to help in other ways, like reposting my content for outreach. That meant the world. I had to learn to ask for help. I'm still not great at it, but I'm better than I was. Progress.

And here’s a hidden gem no one really talks about: reach out to artists on Instagram.

Seriously. So many amazing artists love drawing book characters and scenes, and if they connect with your story, they might create art inspired by it. Not only is that insanely cool (like, pinch-me level cool), but when they post that art to their followers? You get a whole new wave of visibility. It’s a powerful and often overlooked part of the indie marketing game.

Next up: Podcasts.

I started pitching myself to bookish and indie-author podcasts. Landed a few spots. And you know what? Talking about my book, my journey, and my why…it actually felt good. Vulnerable, yes. But powerful.

Then…there was TikTok.

The platform that filled me with dread. The one I avoided like the plague. But I knew I had to give it a shot, so I made a commitment: the whole month of March, I’d post one video a day to promote Reunions.

And guess what?

I had the most fun. I started a “Reluctant Author” series, where I made jokes about not wanting to promote my book while totally promoting my book…and people got it. They responded. They watched. They added my book to their shelves. I went from 5 people on Goodreads to 31. Small, maybe, but to me? That’s a huge win. It’s proof that showing up matters.

So, here’s the takeaway:

"Showing up matters. Even when it terrifies you."

If you’re self-publishing, marketing isn’t optional. It’s part of the job. You don’t have to love it, but try leaning in. You already did something incredible: you wrote a whole book. Now it’s time to give it a chance to reach the readers who need it.

And if you’re terrified? Me too. But it gets easier. And sometimes…it’s even fun.

I’m not done yet. And if you’re out there trying to do the same? I’m cheering you on.

Let’s keep going. Let’s keep sharing. Let’s keep asking for help when we need it.

We wrote the stories. Now let’s make sure they’re heard.

If you're curious about my TikTok adventures or want to connect with a fellow reluctant marketer, come find me @jf.monroe on TikTok and Instagram. I promise we can be awkward together (or even accidentally brilliant).

And hey—if you're intrigued about the book that pushed me out of my comfort zone, grab a free chapter of The Legendary Guardians: Reunions. After all, the best way to understand an author's marketing journey is to discover the story that made it all worthwhile.

Until our paths cross between realms, 

J.F. Monroe