Working with hundreds of authors over the years on their websites means that I have seen many examples of fear of self-promotion, and just as many examples of authors jumping in with both feet to get the word out about their project and their career as an author.

It’s a tough lesson learned for many authors that if you write it, they won’t necessarily come..  so here are some great ways to kickstart your online self-promotion and get involved with a community of like-minded individuals at the same time:

1. GoodReads.  “Imagine it as a large library that you can wander through and see everyone’s bookshelves, their reviews, and their ratings. You can also post your own reviews and catalog what you have read, are currently reading, and plan to read in the future. Don’t stop there – join a discussion group, start a book club, contact an author, and even post your own writing.”
2. Litsy.   “The Litsy community is a groundswell of passionate readers, authors, celebrities, and more. Share bookish moments with Quotes, Reviews, and Blurbs. Measure Litfluence to discover your ‘bookprint’ in the world. Explore recommendations from readers, not algorithms.”
3. LibraryThing.  “LibraryThing helps you create a library-quality catalog of your books. You can do all of them or just what you’re reading now.  And because everyone catalogs online, they also catalog together.  LibraryThing connects people based on the books they share.”
4. AuthorsDen.com.  “The largest most vibrant free online literary community of authors and readers!  Visited by 1,400,000+ readers/mo.”
5. Red Room.  “For years, writers have joined the Red Room Writers Society to get their writing done in a supportive environment. Most people don’t need more instruction; they need to write. The Red Room Writers Society is the only writers’ society or school focused on writing rather than focused on reading and talking.”

Each of these sites has a slightly different angle on a similar model, so create a profile wherever you can and try them out!  See which one you like the best and get out there and participate.