I can hear it now, “Surely she’s not going to write on this subject”. I surely will and ask you to hear me out. Please keep reading.
Last May when my autobiography “Rooted by the Water” came out my publisher suggested promoting on social media platforms. In the process of doing this I have discovered some writers groups. One of these groups has amazing suggestions of how other self published authors successfully promote their books. It was there I found out about Booktok which is a part of TikTok.
When I first considered different options for promoting I saw how very expensive hiring a professional publicist and marketing pro can be. The beauty of Tiktok is that it’s free promotion but you have to do the work and learn the system. Doing this with low vision is so time consuming!
The thought of TikTok itself was so intimidating because as someone who does not watch tv I can be easily blown away by things people post. I’ve never seen such vanity and cries for “look at me!” I’m like, “You people need to cover up! My goodness! Know your worth!” It’s an understatement that I was shocked at what some people post but I learned how the system works and would quickly scroll on past the offensive ones.
As I learned, I found the “discover” section where you can search what you’re looking for. I search for Booktok, Christian TikTok, true story, Christian Booktok, deaf blind and many more. As I typed these things in to search, great videos came up of Christian books, people sharing devotions, words of encouragement, worship music, nature and more. Therein lies the beauty. The videos are very very short and repetitive, so if I don’t understand it I just listen again. I began to realize it’s a great auditory therapy resource for practicing with my Advanced Bionics Marvel cochlear implant processor . I just make sure what I’m listening to is something I want to keep hearing and not offensive.
Actually creating the videos is a whole different story. It took me years to accept my limitations with hearing and vision issues. It took many more years to admit them and be open to help from people. Then God put on my heart to put my story in writing to encourage others and give glory to His name. Writing my book took me two years and many tears. When my book released last May, I thought “Whew! I’m done!”. Little did I know it was the beginning. What I had hidden for so long, finally accepted and finally put into writing…. people were now reading. Talking about being uncomfortable! Making videos to promote the book takes that discomfort to a whole new level. I am not about promoting me but I will promote what Jesus is to me and how He helps me. As I try to come up with content for videos I see I can use this tool to encourage others to look to Jesus which is my purpose. It’s not about writing blogs, making videos, and selling books but rather opportunities to share Jesus!
If you are on TikTok look for me and follow me @shannonkenleyhinson and I will point you to the best thing ever, Jesus my Lord! You can find my book, “Rooted by the Water” on Amazon and other online retailers. You will laugh, you will cry, and more than likely shake your head in disbelief. It’s transparent and I give God all the glory.
rootedbythewater.blog 