While working in the corporate world, it wasn’t long before I realized the “best marketing tips” were actually quite inauthentic. The slow grind of trying to weigh my personal core values with the values of the company left me off balance in my career choice. Did I really want to take part in pulling the rug out from people to make a dollar? My answer was always no.

Although I struggled with marketing in the world of work, I found a better perspective along the way when I wrote my books and promote them. I wasn’t willing to buy into the hype of cranking out silly webinars and hooking people in until the end or pumping their inbox with sales promos.

But I still wanted them to learn about my books and my business. I just wanted to do it differently – I wanted to show up as the real me.

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Why Most Marketing Advice Feels Wrong

We’ve all seen the influencers marketing some product they probably never used for money. Or they rent out an overpriced Airbnb and pretend that’s where they live. The point is to make you envious of what they have and pay them to learn their secrets to success. Oh, the irony! They’re not rich from their supposed business methods, they’re rich from selling courses about their supposed business methods. Boo.

The scams and trickery are over the top. And “marketing” gets a terrible rap because of it. Is it possible to be authentic and run a business or promote a product? Can you be honest and show up as yourself?

(Quick note: I’m so passionate about this that I’ve written a whole book about being yourself while building your business – it’s coming out in March 2025!)

The Big Question: Can You Really Be Honest While Marketing?

The short answer? Yes! Here’s the thing – when you write non-fiction, you’re really just trying to help people. Whether you’re teaching them how to garden, sharing your life experience, or helping them manage their money better, you’re solving a problem for someone.

And someone out there really needs your help. If you focus on helping the people that you need to help, then marketing is simply a tool you can use to help them learn about you.

You don’t need to be pushy and exhaust yourself with promotion. Let’s look at ways to market for your books or author business authentically.

My Best Marketing Tips for Staying True to Yourself

You might wonder, “Okay, but how do I do this?” I get it – it’s one thing to say, “be authentic” and another to actually put it into practice. Let me share what’s worked for me.

Here are 4 simple ways to share your work while staying true to yourself:

1. Focus on How You’re Helping

Think about why you wrote your book in the first place. When I create anything – whether it’s a book, a digital product, or even a simple social media post – I always ask myself: “How is this going to help someone?”

For example, I’m writing my upcoming book about being yourself while marketing because some authors have told me they feel lost in promoting their work. They want to tell people about their books but don’t want to feel cringey. That’s a real problem I can help solve.

What about you? Try this: write three specific ways your book or digital product helps your readers.

For me, my upcoming book will help authors:

• Feel confident talking about their work without sounding pushy
• Save time by focusing on marketing activities that feel natural to them
• Connect with their readers in a way that builds real trust

See how that feels different from messages like, “Buy my book about marketing”?

2. Share Your Story

I used to write and just dump info in a blog post. And yes, that helped people. But it wasn’t really showing anyone who I was. People connect with genuine stories more than perfect-looking promotions. When I share bits of my journey, including the mistakes and uncertainties, it helps other authors see that they’re not alone.

And I can also say this in reverse because the authors that show up as real and want to help me have changed my perspective on marketing. Not only that, but they’ve helped me grow and become a better author. There’s nothing like sharing your struggles with another author and being validated when you do.

Instead of just saying “buy my book,” I might tell the story of how I struggled with the same challenges my readers face. When I talk about my upcoming book, I share real examples from my journey, including the parts that kind of sucked.

Want to try this yourself? Start small. Share a quick story about why you wrote your book or created your product. Maybe it was a problem you faced, a question you couldn’t find the answer to, or a lesson you learned the hard way. When I first started, I shared how overwhelmed I felt by all the fake marketers out there – and that story really connected with other authors who felt the same way. We all agreed that a barf bucket was needed.

3. Put Your Readers First

When I write something, I picture a specific person I’m trying to help. Maybe it’s the author who’s just finished their first book and is thinking, “now what?” Or someone who feels overwhelmed by all the marketing advice out there.

When you really understand who you’re trying to help, talking about your work becomes more like having a conversation with a friend. You’re not “marketing” – you’re just sharing something that might make their life better.

4. Be Real

I will preach the message “be real” until the cows come home, but sometimes I revert to my corporate hush strategy. You know – don’t speak up, do the safe thing, and don’t do anything to get you disliked.

But you don’t get too far being safe and predictable. Being yourself is actually the best way to connect with your readers. When I stopped trying to sound like a “professional marketer” and started writing emails and social media posts in my own voice, I learned people resonated with my struggles, laughed at my jokes, and found my content helpful. My goal isn’t to be liked by everyone — it’s to help others wherever they are at.

Have you heard the phrase, “know, like, trust”? When people get to know the real you, they like you and what you have to say, and that builds trust.

Some practical ways to be real in your marketing:

• Share a behind-the-scenes look at your writing process
• Ask your readers questions and actually listen to their answers (brownie points if you record these somewhere!)
• Talk about the challenges you’re facing (even the current ones.)
• Celebrate small wins and give credit to people who helped you (also celebrating their wins too.)
• Admit when you don’t know something (your readers will appreciate your honesty.)

Putting These Marketing Tips into Practice

I get it. Sometimes sharing your work feels like you sat on a wet chair. It’s uncomfortable and makes you uneasy.

You wrote your book to help people, right? So, talking about it is just another way of helping them find the solution they’re looking for.

You can’t fake being helpful. Well, I guess you can try, but guess what? People are smarter than you look if that’s your angle. Be genuine and let your work shine naturally.

When you focus on genuinely helping people, sharing your work becomes so much easier.

Your Next Step

Ready to try these best marketing tips yourself? Start with just one of these tips this week. Maybe share a story about why you wrote your book, or jot down three specific ways your work helps your readers.

Consider this quote from Todd Henry, author of Louder than Words:

The moment we decide to feel empathy for the other person, we move from a passive connection to a more active one.

If you’re ready to dive deeper into building your authentic presence to build your personal author brand, then be sure to check out my new book, Authentic: Stand Out Without Selling Out. It will be here soon! Visit the link to learn more.

Do you feel you need to put on an act to succeed in business? Not anymore. In Authentic: Stand Out Without Selling Out, you’ll learn how to grow your coaching, creative, or freelance business by being yourself—not by following cookie-cutter formulas. Get clear steps to share your message, design your brand, and connect with the people who need what only you can offer. No fake personas required.