I graduated from Seattle University in 1970 with degrees in Economics and Marketing. I understand the marketing game. I just don’t like it.
I make a living as a freelance writer, spending about twenty hours each week writing sales pitches for various corporations. I’m good at what I do. I just don’t enjoy it.
There are several ways to look at marketing, I guess, but to me it is manipulative and a bit underhanded. If I do my job correctly, as a freelance writer, I will use the perfect combination of keywords to entice the buying public to purchase my employer’s product. That’s my job! Mind you, I’ve never been within spitting distance of any of these “products” I market, but in the marketing world that isn’t terribly important. My job is to make those products attractive enough so that people will put down money for them.
Period!
It’s a job I really don’t enjoy, and I find myself turning down more jobs than I accept of late.
AND THEN IT GETS PERSONAL
And then we have the marketing of my own products to consider. I write novels when I’m not promoting the latest commercial real estate offering or beauty salon, and if I want one of my novels to have a chance of selling, it is necessary for me to promote those novels.
And I don’t enjoy that either!
My philosophy regarding my novels is buy them, don’t buy them, it simply makes little difference to me. I write novels because I love writing novels. If people buy them then great; if they don’t buy them then great. Life will go on!
There is no purpose to my mentioning all that. It’s just a peek into my psyche as a writer. You probably have completely different viewpoints about marketing and that, too, is great! I wish you well with your endeavors.
ONE MARKETING GIG I DO ENJOY
Oddly, I enjoy marketing the farmers market I am involved with, not because I want people to buy my product, but because I believe strongly in the farmers market movement in this country.
So it’s all a bit complicated inside my brain. Lol I realize there is a conflict there, and I’m fine with that as well.
SO WHAT AM I GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
Well, today is Saturday, and I don’t plan on doing anything about it today, quite frankly. I have chores to do in preparation of winter, so I’ll be heading out to the farm soon to start in on those chores. At some point I’ll lay down under the trees and watch the clouds float by. I’ll probably feed some grain to the horses, and most likely I’ll stop to pet the baby goats.
There is no conflict in that at all.
Have a great week and remember, please, to do all things with love.
Bill
“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”
Billybuc
Artistry With Words 