Often a blog post pops into my head, already written, but other days it’s like pulling out my hair, one follicle at a time. This evening, it’s almost ready-made.

That’s because I’ve been working with a young man, known as Veridion Smart, on marketing strategies for both TIP THE PIANO MAN and WHISPERS THROUGH TIME. Marketing those two books together is a real challenge. WHISPERS THROUGH TIME is a historical novel with a touch of the paranormal and a real second-chance romance, but TIP THE PIANO MAN is a suspenseful mystery thriller based on real events. 

How different can two books be?

Let me back up. I’m from a generation that elevated personal connection to an art form – think hippies, Woodstock, and the Summer of Love. We had no way to write a book other than to type it or pen it ourselves, and the minute we put our manuscripts into the mail, our lives hung suspended for as long as it took to get a response. Do you know how difficult it is to walk through six months, holding your breath?

Many of today’s young authors can’t write a letter in cursive, don’t know how to fill out a check, and have no idea what to do with a rotary dial phone. It seems they don’t communicate with one another at all unless it’s on a computer or through texting, and they have the patience of a gnat when it comes to waiting on responses from publishers. Our generations are as different as day from night. 

But, here’s my discovery: We need each other.

For the most part, authors of my generation don’t want to market, and certainly not on the Internet! We want to write – and that includes me. I have a very dear friend who’s written three terrific books, all published, but she wants nothing to do with marketing them. I get that. But, I ask myself, why would you pour your heart and soul into a book – and then drop it like a hot potato when you’re done? You neglect it, you ignore it...and why? Because marketing isn’t your thing.

I’m not putting my friend down – I honestly don’t know the answer to that. But I’ve done it. And I’m trying to make up for lost time.

The young man I’m working with now is only 26 years old. He can find his way in and out of a computer like a trained mouse running lickety-split through a maze, while I’m standing back, scratching my head and still looking for the first word. He can sum up my entire story in three gut-punching sentences, which is a gift I don’t have, and put those words with a perfect illustration – almost instantly. I’m going to turn him loose with a video before long, and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with.

Was any of that available when I first started out? Not that I know of. I never even dreamed of it. Could I do it now? No, but not because I’m too old to learn. I’m just not wired that way. 

I’m an author. He’s a digital marketer. There’s a place for both of us.

So, from one generation to another: Learn from me, and I’ll learn from you. And we’ll both be much better for it.

 *I don’t have to tell you to be careful of scam artists; the internet is filled with them. Vet them very thoroughly, and take your time. Know your limitations, your goals, and what you can afford. You know to watch out for marketers who sweet-talk and use AI to try to convince you about the power of your book, but don’t listen to your ego, which they will massage. On the other hand, don’t be too cynical – follow your gut. You’ve been around a while. You know what to do.