113: Self-Publishing and Book Promotion Secrets with Jen Dalton

Writing a book is a labor of love, and the next steps of publishing and promoting can be grueling. Today’s guest shares her self-publishing experience and her best tips for book promotion, including how to create a podcast-guesting tour. Join us to learn more!Jen Dalton is a longtime writer and media expert who wrote Of Butterflies and Bullies during the pandemic. Her book is a Judy Blume-inspired story about her experience being bullied in fifth grade, and it’s written for girls and women of all ages. Jen previously joined us for Episode 14, Resilience and the Power of Female Friendship. Her passion for guiding young women and girls through coming-of-age difficulties is rooted in her own healing as a victim of childhood bullying. She volunteers her time as a mentor and coach for many women and girls and facilitated Sisters-to-Sisters Alliance seminars at Girls Inc., sponsored girl empowerment camps, and she even raises money to support over 30 orphan girls to attend private schools in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Jenny lives in Mendocino County in Northern California where she works as a community food systems professional and leadership transition specialist for grassroots nonprofit organizations. Jen loves life and seeks to make each day her very best, and she loves to talk about relationships and life, cook, garden, and spend endless hours in nature hiking or just sitting on the beach. She's a lifelong learner and graduate of Indiana University-Bloomington. Learn more about Jen at Of Butterflies and Bullies. **Win a copy of Jen’s book by visiting my Instagram; be sure to like my post about Jen, tag a friend, and follow Jen and me by Friday. You’ll be entered to win a copy of Jen’s book, Of Butterflies and Bullies. Get an extra contest entry for each friend you tag!Show Highlights:What made Jen decide to self-publish her bookWhy independent bookstores NEED your supportThe importance of a large social media following and website home for your self-published bookThe difference between you, the writer, and you, the self-publicistHow Jen’s writing/publishing/promoting timeline played out over more than 25 yearsHow to budget for your self-publishing project’s expenses with intentional planningHow publicity and promotion are different endeavorsHow to promote your book with book talks and events, social media, podcasts, and library outreachHow Jen helps others release shame about bullying and build their confidence Tips on making pitches to be on podcasts:Do your research and choose those that have shared alignment with you.Approach the host from a place of cooperation and collaboration in a mutually beneficial relationship.Build relationships with the host that promote both of you around shared work and interests. How to create and use a Sell SheetThe details about Jen’s birth chart that align with her love of writingHow Jen deals with downtimes, rejection, and discouragement in the writing process, always looking toward what’s nextHow AI tools can help in the writing and thought-recording process, along with Jen’s old-school, pen-to-paper systemJen’s advice about picking a primary platform for posting contentWhat Jen is reading/recommending...