Today's #TenThings, by request, are about PROMOTING YOUR OWN WORK. Follow the thread to collect them all! #TenThingsAboutSelfpromotion

3. Don't buy reviews. Paid-for reviews are a scam, and no-one pays attention to them anyway. #TenThingsAboutSelfPromotion

2. 1. Social media isn't as useful for promoting books as many publishers think it is. To make social media help you, you need to engage. That means taking an interest in other peoples' work, participating in debate. Otherwise you're just a salesman, knocking on doors. #TenThingsAboutSelfPromotion

10. Beware of promotion companies promising to shoulder the burden (usually for a shedload of cash). Most of them can't offer anything meaningful to an unknown author. There's no substitute for time served and personal engagement. Only you can promote yourself. #TenThingsAboutSelfPromotion

5. Take every opportunity to discuss the issues relevant to your book. Take part in conversations online. Write to your local paper. Become the go-to expert on your chosen theme - be that mental health, a certain historical period, whatever you're passionate about. #TenThingsAboutSelfPromotion

9. As with everything in this business, there are no shortcuts. Promotion takes time. Don't wait till your book is ready to roll before starting to engage. It takes months - sometimes years - for people to start associating you with a topic of interest. #TenThingsAboutSelfPromotion

4. Engage with the reading community. There's a wonderful, supportive network of bloggers and reviewers out there, but in order to have a chance of being reviewed, you have to follow them, comment, engage. Don't assume that they owe you anything. They don't. #TenThingsAboutSelfPromotion

7. Don't assume that your publisher (if you have one) has all your promotion covered. Publicists are often overworked, tired and short of ideas. If you have a good idea, float it. That's what they're waiting for. #TenThingsAboutSelfPromotion

6. Create a local circuit for talks, readings, etc. Visit libraries and schools. Talk about your work wherever you can. Invite local newspapers, radio or TV to cover them. If you can, link with current affairs. Be as relevant as you can. #TenThingsAboutSelfPromotion

8. Don't spend a lot of money on advertising. Word of mouth is worth a hundred billboards. And your name on a billboard (or any kind of ad) means nothing if people don't already know you from somewhere else. #TenThingsAboutSelfPromotion

1. As always, bear in mind that what works for someone else may not work for you in the same way, or at all, but this is what I've learnt over 30-odd years of the business. Take what you need, or ignore it, according to what works for you. #TenThingsAboutSelfpromotion