Before my first book ever hit the shelves, I learned one simple truth: people can’t buy your book if they don’t know who you are. So, instead of waiting until publication day to introduce myself to the world, I started by building a strong social media presence.

I posted stories, reflections, and bits of wisdom from my own journey through grief and healing. I connected with readers who were searching for comfort and, by the time my first book, SURVIVING – Finding Your Way from Grief to Healing, was released, thousands already knew me, not just as a writer, but as someone who understood their pain.

By then, they weren’t just curious readers; they were friends cheering me on.

Those early online connections not only helped launch my first book; they built a foundation I could grow from. When SURVIVING came out, it wasn’t some surprise announcement lost in the endless scroll of the internet. It was a moment of shared excitement. People who had followed my posts, commented on my reflections, and shared their own grief journeys felt personally invested.

They didn’t just want to read my book; they needed to read it.

After that success, I realized I had written hundreds of blog posts over the years, each one an exploration of healing, resilience, and hope. One day, it hit me. Why not turn those into something that could help readers every single day of the year?

That idea became SURVIVING GRIEF – 365 Days A Year, an internationally bestselling collection that offers readers daily reflections designed to keep them thinking, feeling, and, yes, remembering me (with a warm smile, of course). Staying with readers day after day meant I stayed for part of their ongoing journey.

That connection paid off again when I released WHAT FEEDS YOUR SOUL? – Finding Light in the Shadow of Grief. The readers who had been with me from the beginning were waiting, okay, impatiently waiting, for the next book. Because we’d built a relationship based on authenticity and shared experiences, they trusted me to guide them a little further along the path.

Of course, marketing books isn’t magic. It’s more like cooking. You’ve got to share samples if you want people to crave the main course. I’ve often given away my smaller books for free, using them as appetizers to draw readers into my bigger, meatier works. A free book feels like a gift and, let’s face it, who doesn’t love free gifts? Once readers get a taste of your writing, they naturally want more. It’s like offering them one fr,y and hoping they’ll order the whole meal and, somehow, it works almost every time.

In the end, the secret to being a bestselling author isn’t really a secret at all. It’s showing up, being human, and letting readers walk beside you. Build relationships, share your truth, let them get to know you, and give them something of real value. Do that and, when your next book comes out, your readers won’t just be waiting to buy it. They’ll be lined up at the door.

To get YOUR free copy of Surviving Grief During the Holidays, contact Gary directly.

Gary’s books:

• SURVIVING GRIEF: 365 Days a Year by Gary Sturgis
  Surviving Grief – 365 Days a Year is a follow-up to Gary’s bestselling book Surviving – Finding Your Way from Grief to Healing. Gary offers you reassuring guidance and comforting advice as you travel through your personal grief journey.
• The SURVIVING GRIEF Workbook: Exercises For Working Through Grief by Gary Sturgis
  The SURVIVING GRIEF Workbook provides a roadmap for your grief while reminding you that there’s no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to grieve. It’s filled with the heartfelt guidance you’ll need to help guide you on your path to healing.
• What Feeds Your Soul?: Finding Light in the Shadow of Grief by Gary Sturgis
  WHAT FEEDS YOUR SOUL? offers gentle reflections and compassionate guidance for those journeying through grief—helping you tend to your spirit, honor memories, and find comfort, strength, and light amid loss.
• Surviving: Finding Your Way from Grief to Healing by Gary Sturgis
  There is a way out of grief. It will take time, but the pain will lessen, and your heart will heal. You will survive, and this book shows you how.
• GRIEF: Hope in the Aftermath by Gary Sturgis
  I wrote this book to help others like me who are on a journey of grief. I consider it a handy “companion” to use along the way. If you have experienced a tragic loss, or know someone else that has, the road of grief doesn’t have to be walked alone.
• SURVIVING GRIEF During the Holidays by Gary Sturgis
  Loss doesn’t take a holiday. When the world sparkles with lights and laughter, grief can feel even heavier. SURVIVING GRIEF During the Holidays is a compassionate companion for those navigating the season after loss.

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Gary Sturgis survived the greatest loss of his life and now works as a Grief Specialist, Bereavement Facilitator and Speaker, guiding and supporting others in their struggle with grief. He finds it an honor to help those that are grieving a loss navigate their way through the maze of grief in a very personal and meaningful way. He lives by the ocean in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Contact Gary directly RIGHT HERE. Gary’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SurvivingGriefGarySturgis