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Everyone says, “Some day I’m going to write a book,” but few actually do. So congratulations on a noteworthy achievement! Now that you’re holding your book in your hands, after years of research, writing, editing and rewriting, the last words you’ll want to hear are, “That was the easy part.” Well, unfortunately, that was the easy part. Unless you don’t mind your only fans being family and close friends, or unless you’re already a celebrity with a big publishing house behind you, your new challenge will be letting the world know about your book so someone will actually read (a.k.a. buy) what you’ve so laboriously created. And the hard reality is that, in the madness of today’s publishing environment, the onus for successful book promotion lies almost exclusively with the author. Whether you fought your way through to a mainstream channel or decided to self-publish—whether you’ve written a self-help tool or a novel—odds are good that a publicist won’t be calling you tomorrow morning with a jam-packed itinerary of book signings and television interviews. Some of you may have a little help if you’re mainstream, but all of you will carry the lion’s share. So, where do you begin?