Your honesty is refreshing, Heather. As an author myself (published 6 books so far — self-pub’d, hybrid, and traditional with an agent), I learned early on to do all my own marketing, regardless of how my books were published. I started my own business in 2011 (BadRedhead Media) to help other writers learn as well, based on my own sales, marketing, and training experiences of 17 years in Big Pharma (recovered now, thanks). :)

Many writers don’t have those marketing experiences, so I give away tons of free info on my blog, social media, a free weekly chat (#BookMarketingChat every Wednesday on Twitter @BadRedheadMedia), here on Medium, and in several affordable books.

To all the people denigrating you for not knowing, I say this: they didn’t know at first either. I’m sorry you experienced all this, yet you didn’t know what you didn’t know. It takes a lot of courage to admit our faults. Brava for your honesty here.