They also often assume, like new parents, that their ‘baby’ is special and the public are passively waiting for it to emerge. No actual professional author work required of them.

Radio stations simply waiting to interview them (and they can’t write or don’t write effective press releases). Daily mastheads also waiting to run stories on them, and the book, with an actual journalist seeking them. They expect any award nominations, or worse paid entry ‘competitions’ and awards to be the main marketing tool.

Basically there is delusion at work combined with a lack of professionalism and Industry knowledge, including market research. Is their book written in a style, voice genre or area of readership for niche markets currently ‘in vogue’.

As an ex-writing tutor, I am so over this lackadaisical attitude. I will not buy any of these people’s books, but I do buy as many local releases as possible given my budget and literary taste.