Returning to “What’s In Your Backpack”—it’s a thoughtful work, clearly a labor of love, and Rohini is its author. “It’s self-published,” she adds with a hint of apology in her voice. She inscribes copies for Aditi and me, her handwriting as careful as the ideas contained within the pages.

“How are you marketing your book?” I ask, noticing her hesitation.

Rohini’s response reveals what many writers struggle with: marketing feels uncomfortable. Every writer’s dream is to be read—but few want to beg for attention. Rohini, like many writers, finds it awkward to ask people to buy her book, to leave reviews, or to share her social media posts within their networks.

“Now that you’ve written this book, you owe it to your creation to give it a chance in the world,” I tell her. I speak from experience. Eight years ago, I published a book on careers filled with insights ranging from equity trading to medicine and management consulting. It featured stories from notable figures like Chef Kapoor, lawyer Zia Mody, civil servant Amitabh Kant, and actor-turned-writer Twinkle Khanna, all reflecting on their professional journeys. Yet, despite creating this valuable career guide, I was extraordinarily reluctant to promote it.

Looking back I reflect- was my reluctance awkwardness ? Or was it arrogance - that my book should speak for itself. Why do we equate ‘artistic integrity’ with silence I wonder ?

This shared experience makes me a self-appointed expert on Rohini’s predicament. Aditi, a prolific reader and bibliophile, joins the conversation. Together, we craft suggestions for Rohini’s marketing strategy. Our four-pronged approach includes:

1. Enlisting friends for help—taking photographs featuring the book, tagging friends, and asking them to share with their networks.

2. Photographing people mentioned in the book holding a copy of the book and requesting them to share with their followers.

3. Following the 1:8 ratio rule—for every promotional post about her book, creating at least eight about related topics such as competing books, personality types on the Enneagram scale, or analyses of public figures through a psychological lens.

4. Seeking resources specifically designed for writers—from the Women’s Prize website’s section for new authors to communities like the London Writers Salon.

We talk about the time and energy writers need to spend on book promotions - the multiple book discussions, and being present on social media. Even famous writers like Amitav Ghosh who confess they find publicity hard, acknowledge they have to set aside time for marketing, I tell Rohini.

Because for a writer, it’s hard to balance the creative effort of writing with the hustle of marketing. Sometimes it helps to establish boundaries - set aside a few days of the week or a concentrated burst of time like a few months for marketing.

I recall a conversation with the writer Amish, where he talked about his early days of marketing - much before the Kindle, with its sample chapters. Amish made posters of his book; he also stood by the roadside distributing free copies of the first chapter of his book so readers would be interested enough to buy the complete work.

We kickstart Rohini’s campaign immediately by taking a photo of us with her book and recording a short video for social media.

Afterwards, Rohini and I walk towards Charing Cross. En route we pause at Daunt Books in Cheapside. Walking through their bookstore feels like a journey around the world, with their bookshelves carefully curated country and continent wise. We stop at the best selling book tables and buy a copy of “The Anthropologists”, the translated-from-Turkish novel on Obama’s list of best books of 2023 and also on our next month’s book club selection.

“I feel better about having to promote my book,” Rohini says with newfound confidence. “I’m going to ask my friends for help. I’ll get back on social media. And come back here to bookstores like Daunt Books—sometimes they stock a few copies from independent writers. I should at least try.”

As we leave, I notice a shift in her—she’s animated and determined. Perhaps she’s already beginning to unpack some of those psychological burdens she writes about so eloquently. Being a published writer also means making a difficult shift to author-entrepreneur. It means owning one’s creative worth in a world that rarely makes space for it.

What about you, dear Reader who writes? What creative burden do you need to unpack to share your work with the world - whether books, Substack newsletters, Linkedin opinion pieces or book reviews ? What marketing advice do you have for other writers?

Sonya Dutta Choudhury is a Mumbai-based journalist and the founder of Sonya’s Book Box, a bespoke book service. Each week, she brings you specially curated books to give you an immersive understanding of people and places. If you have any reading recommendations or suggestions, write to her at sonyasbookbox@gmail.com

The views expressed are personal