I Prefer Real Hills to Metaphorical Ones

Pondering an author career and what works on a book tour

To find the Wiliwilinui Ridge trailhead, you have to drive through a gated community of huge homes overlooking the sparkling Pacific Ocean. But if you get to the gatehouse too late, you won’t get a pass to park at the trailhead.

“You can park outside the community and walk in,” the guard said.

It’s a good thing we didn’t know that the guardhouse sits three-quarters of a mile from the trailhead. We trudged entirely uphill along concrete sidewalk, switchbacking through the neighborhood, past a clear view of Diamondhead crater, until we stepped into the leafy shade of the trail.

From there, it felt easier, though it may not have been. Perhaps it was the shade. Perhaps it as the soft silt of the red ground. Perhaps it was the absence of traffic noises and the soothing sounds of birds.

In Hawaii, hikes are rated as easy, moderate and challenging, and people who live there tend to use the word “easy” for things that I found hard. But then, I live on flat land in the cold Midwest.

Throughout my career as an entrepreneur, my mother has repeated a line: “If it were easy, everyone would do it.”

After a while, the climb got easier. I didn’t feel quite so winded. I didn’t mind the incline quite so much. I peered through branches at the view - valley furred with vibrant green, the flow of hills forming the mountainous spine of the island. And I was on it.

At one point, there was a rope to hold onto over a muddy incline. I didn’t need it. Then we hit the steps, some steep, to climb, climb the mountain. Now, my heartbeat was invigorating, a motivation, not a burden. Its rhythm in my ears, in my temples, in the balls of my feet. I could see people - tiny dots snaking up the thin trail.

“Are we going there?” I pointed to Shaya, and he shrugged. He’d never climbed this path before either. In fact, we were going there, and it seemed so far and so high from my vantage point but when we got there, we were just there and we kept climbing.

I did not make it to the summit. I got to a certain point and just felt done. Shaya continued on, but he, too, got to a point where he felt done. By then, I was sitting under a tree, writing in my journal. He came back to me and the walk down to the car was not difficult. The return never is.

This Hawaii trip signaled the start of my book tour for WOMAN OF VALOR, my first novel. A week in paradise, with three talks to different audiences. And each one was wonderful. It’s one thing to write a book; it’s another to sell it. And every author faces a point where they must decide how they’re going to market their stories.

For me, in-person book events are the priority. Sure, I use social media, and I write a newsletter, and I’ve been interviewed in magazines and newspapers and on TV and podcasts, and I’m sure all of that helps sell books, but speaking to audiences of real people and building relationships that grow in time is my preferred method of marketing.

It may be easier to climb an actual mountain. There, it’s just one step and then another. Rest when tired, catch your breath, gulp some water, and continue on. As I write these words, I realize it’s a perfect metaphor for book marketing. As my mother says, if it were easy, everyone would do it.

How did I land speaking engagements in Hawaii? And next month in California? And in Dallas in March?

I started with what and who I know and researched the rest. Kind of like writing a novel. One step at a time, and the climb becomes easier.

My virtual assistant created a spreadsheet of North American Jewish community contacts. I made a list of people I know and asked them for introductions in their communities. Sent emails, made phone calls. I was persistent.

For Hawaii, I reached out to a provost at the University of Hawaii whom I’d met when my daughter was a student there. She introduced me to the university librarian. He booked me for a talk and then introduced me to Jewish community folks. I’d been emailing the Jewish community with no luck, so his introduction opened doors.

In California, I have four talks scheduled. Two happened through people I know and two came from cold-calls. All came from persistence, and patience.

Once there, I listen and chat with the people I meet. In Hawaii, people came up to me after the talks, and I listened to their stories. One woman invited me to her home. The perfect way to end a fantastic trip to a beautiful place — getting to know a new friend in her beautiful home and hearing her incredible stories.

Meeting up with people I’ve just met makes the world more familiar. As a long-time marketing expert, I know how important authentic relationships are to marketing success. Really getting to know people, looking for mutual benefit, listening well, and staying in touch. There is simply no other way to build your audience. You can’t insist that they buy your book just to support you while turning a cold shoulder. Deep connection is the only way.

Views from the top of a trail I did summit - the Makapu'u Lighthouse Trail. Another steep climb that someone called easy. It wasn't. But I did it anyway. Kinda like book marketing.

But honestly, I don’t do any of this just to sell books. I went to Hawaii to visit my son, but even moreso because I love to travel, learn new places, meet new people. I find so much inspiration from exploration. My goal is not book sales but rather, relationship-building, reach, being open to possibilities. And finding interesting stories and lovely people who I now call friends.

Plus, real connection feeds me. After three visits in two years, I have so many friends in Hawaii. People I genuinely like and can’t wait to see again. Sure, they might buy books, but that’s just one little benefit. More than that, they touch my soul and I hope I touch theirs a little, too.

The books will sell. I have to put in the work, one step at a time, keep climbing, and in time, it’ll add up to more and more and more. I need to show up and put in the effort, even if I get lightheaded or winded. Eventually, I won’t notice the incline; I’ll just keep going.

First Paid Subscriber Meetup of 2024!

The first paid subscriber live writing coaching call of this year will take place on Wednesday, January 31st at 4 p.m. ET. If you aren’t yet a paid subscriber, you have plenty of time to become one! Come ready with your questions about writing, publishing and more. We’ll even do a little writing while we’re together. I’ll be sending out a calendar invite with Zoom link shortly.

January Book Giveaways

Paid subscribers will also have a chance to win one of two books I’m giving away this month - The Cracks Between Us by Caitlin Moss and Brunch and Other Obligations by Suzanne Nugent. Both are novels by friends of mine. Again, if you’re not yet a paid subscriber, I’d sure love it if you’d become one!

I write this weekly Rebel Author Newsletter as a gift to my writing community. If you like what you read and find value here, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. And feel free to share these words with others who might find them of value!