On publicity

My reflections after publishing my first book

My book, Bridge-Building Apologetics, was released on May 14 this year. I had a general idea of what to expect when it came out, but honestly, I didn’t really have a clue. I’ve had friends who have published books, and I absolutely asked them about their experiences, but let me tell you, I still was not prepared.

Now that I’ve written and published a book, some people have asked me what they can expect when they do the same. I’m happy to share a little behind the curtain, but let me be clear: my experience will likely not be your experience, and that’s okay. We’re learning and growing here.

The key surprise for me has been the publicity aspect of publishing.

I don’t have a platform. Okay, so I have a platform, but it’s pretty tiny. Yes, I work for a pretty big ministry, but that’s not my platform. My individual social media followings are small (mighty and wonderful, but small). I was encouraged early by the publisher to build my platform. I was encouraged to start a blog (oh, hello blog friends, thanks for being here). I was encouraged to start my own podcast (that hasn’t happened). I was also encouraged to do publicity.

This is where things get a little different for folks, I think. My publisher generously provided a publicist for me for the first few months after my book was released. They helped me book things, and they kept everything organized for me. By the end of this year, I will have been on almost 60 podcasts and radio programs, and that’s due in large part to what my publicist did for me. They also created a press kit for me, and now that they aren’t in charge of my publicity, they send requests my way to manage on my own.

Because of the appearances that I’ve had on various podcasts and radio shows, I’ve sold more books, had more visits to my website, and gotten more subscribers on Substack.

There were points during the past six months where I didn’t think I could continue the rhythm. I was tired. I convinced myself that people didn’t want to hear about my book anymore. And yet, the past six months have been so life-giving, too. I’ve had some great conversations with people I would have probably not met had it not been for my book. For that, I will always be grateful. (I’ll link to some of my favorite interactions in a forthcoming blog.)

When I was tired, I received some good advice from a mentor. He said (paraphrasing here), “Lindsey, keep going. Keep pushing. Keep marketing. Keep telling people about your book.”

And so, I will. One of the things about writing and publishing a book that has been the hardest but also the best is publicity. If you find yourself in my situation, my advice is to take it one day at a time. Remind yourself about the opportunity. Be grateful that your words are out there. So many try, and it doesn’t happen for them. I don’t know the secret sauce, but if I did, I would share it. All I can say is that if you have it happen to you, don’t take it lightly. You did the thing, they published it, and now, you promote the heck out of it.

I have a lot more to say on this, but the blog is already getting long, and honestly, I’m putting off grading and other writing responsibilities to share this. Keep going, friends. Keep going.

Lindsey Medenwaldt is the author of Bridge-Building Apologetics. She is the director of operations for Mama Bear Apologetics, and she is also an adjunct professor at Northwestern College in Iowa and Midwestern State University in Texas. For more information, visit lindseymedenwaldt.com.