DL: This post was published in 2022. French Boy/A 1950s Franco-American Childhood has been out in the world for two years. In 2025, I am about to publish Here To Stay/Life in 17th Century Canada. The same introversion/extraversion struggle is about to play itself out again.

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I am committed to independent publishing—even if self-publishing, I know as an introvert, means extroversion . Ever since I realized two things, this has been my mode of publication.

This is what I understood many years ago

• I have a much more solid and true sense of my audience than any publisher could have. (My first book, a collection of short stories—What Became of Them and Other Stories from Franco-America—outsold what I had read was the average sale of a collection published by a NYC publisher.)
• One day, I heard this statement: “No matter how much you pay for child care, no one will ever wipe your baby’s tush with as much love and care as you do.” I realized that was true of my book. No one would take as much care of my books as I would.

So, why am I feeling some sort of hesitation?

Okay so I’m sure of my decision to self-publish.  What is the source of this feeling that is hedging on the next step?

Well, for one thing, self-publication is a lot of work. You wear all the hats! But, that notwithstanding, I am fine with the work. But…

Self-Publishing Means Extroversion

It has not escaped me that, introvert (basically) that I am, I will have to enter into a period of somewhat intense extroversion. Now I know how to do extroversion and many people would be surprised to hear that I consider myself an introvert. But after a period of extroversion, I am much more likely to feel depleted than charged. Extroversion is a role that I can do well but it’s not my preference.

Once my memoir, French Boy, is published, I will inevitably do my best to be on as many podcasts and radio stations as I can. I will also try seriously to be on TV stations, on radio programs and in newspaper culture sections in any town where I do a reading that day. And speaking of “doing a reading,” I will be placing myself in front of many people – whether that’s five people or 100 (let’s hope it’s 100 more often than five – I’m enough of a realist not to indulge my introversion! The blog illustration is my visualization of the crowd that will come to my programs.)

I have been telling myself that extroversion is what I must do if I want to get the message of my memoir to go out to an audience.

I’m not worried about the quality of the writing in my memoir nor am I worried about the quality of the thought. Both have been well done. What I am not thrilled about is the extroversion.

In conclusion

So I’m heading into a time that will not play on my strength but I see it as important to achieve my goal of promoting my memoir—even if self-publishing means extroversion.

And how about you, fellow writer? Are you comfortable with the public aspects of promoting your book? Will you do it?

For your own copy of French Boy, click here.