Workshop Wednesday - Always the Quiet Ones

I found this graphic on Pinterest, and it's perfect. If you were ever going to standardize a graphic for introversion, this would be it. Contrary to popular belief, introverts may be quiet, but their heads are anything but quiet. Unfortunately, introverts are often seen as less capable, less intelligent, or less friendly than extroverts. None of this is true. A person's classification as "introvert" or "extrovert" is all about where they get their energy, and how they then channel that energy. The Myers-Briggs Foundation gives the basic breakdown.

I love this article over at BuzzFeed, which seeks to help extroverts better understand their introvert friends. Our brains just work differently, and that's okay.

So, let's say you're an introvert like me. I think that's why I love and gravitate toward writing. All my mental energy comes from imagination. I like to spend time alone to think, daydream, and recharge. Long quiet spells at the computer are not boring to me. My stories become very important to me. In a lot of ways, that's great. But being an author isn't just writing books - it's also selling them, and that's where introversion can bite you in the butt. It bites me all the time.

I don't like marketing, mainly because I am constantly worried that I'm bothering people. I always think, "Well, I'd hate to annoy anyone, or interfere with her day. I don't want to be rude. I don't want anyone to be put off by my attempts to engage them about my books." This is the exact wrong attitude. And I know it. But marketing doesn't come naturally to me. What's a girl to do?

I think the hard answer is for me to take some deep breaths, realize that no one will be offended, and get the word out more. All while keeping in mind that, as an introvert, there are strategies that will be more successful when paired with my love of knowledge-specific, personal interaction.

I found three great blog posts on just this topic; hopefully they'll have some good advice for you other introverts out there.

- "The Secret to Marketing For Introverts" at The Future of Ink

- "The Introvert's Guide to Book Marketing" at Out:think

- "Book Marketing for Introverted Writers" at Publishing Central