Debut Author Do’s & Don’ts: Post-Pub

Right after Sky in the Deep came out, I wrote a post on my best pre-publication advice for debuts based on my own experience. The post was shared and requested SO many times and I’ve been asked over and over for a follow up on POST-pub advice. Now that I’m a year and a half out from my debut novel’s release, I feel like I finally have some retrospect to share on the subject.

You can find the Debut Author Do’s & Dont’s: Pre-Pub here.

I’ll share the disclaimer again: this is based on my own experience and may not be true for every author! Like I said, I still have a lot to learn about what comes next. It’s also just my attempt to help others who are in the boat I was in a year ago when you’re feeling totally overwhelmed and freaked out and unsure of everything.

Susan Dennard also has so many resources and information on her site so check it out!

DO

Invest in friendships with other authors

I feel like the only reason I was able to keep my sanity over the last eighteen months is because of the few author friends I have who I can tell ANYTHING to. I can complain without feeling ungrateful, I can brainstorm solutions to big problems, and I can compare notes on industry stuff that most people won’t talk candidly about. If you have even one person in your life that you can do this with, it is like gold. Protect and foster those relationships however you can. Stay in touch, plan writing retreats together, or just try to Skype a wine date every once in a while.

Keep talking about what’s next

You can’t stop talking about your book once it’s out, no matter how sick of it you are. Eighteen months post-pub, people are STILL “discovering” SKY IN THE DEEP every day at their library or from a friend or by seeing a picture of it online. But even more important is to keep readers in the loop for what’s on the horizon for you. Share updates and sneak peeks about what’s next, even if you don’t have another book contracted. I have found that readers love to follow along and be a part of that process once they’ve connected with you as an author. It’s also a great way to stay motivated when you see that your readers are excited about what’s next.

Be transparent about your experience

By now, hopefully, you have some people you trust in the publishing industry. Being transparent about your experiences (with TRUSTED colleagues) does a few really important things: First, it normalizes the real struggles of publishing. It’s easy to think everyone has it better than you. The truth is that we are all struggling with different aspects of this journey. Second, it can reveal when you are not being treated fairly by your publisher or agent. I have had a wonderful experience with my pubisher, but I’ve heard some truly horrible stories about the straight-up abuse of authors in the last year. I’m not trying to fear-monger, but this shit happens and if you don’t know that it’s not normal to be treated that way, you may not know that it’s wrong. A note on agents: If you feel like your agent doesn’t have your best interest in mind, now is a good time to start shopping for a new one. I know – you feel like you owe them. Like you’re obligated to stick it out, etc. They gave you your big break and all. But look – this is YOUR career. Agents have a HUGE impact on your opportunities, your success and your future. Right now, you have a book out, you probably have readers, and you have experience. Don’t be afraid to make a change that will benefit your career, even if you feel obligated to stay with your agent.

Keep reading

I know. You don’t have time. But you MUST keep reading! Most importantly, you have to keep filling the creative well and reading is a great way to do that. But almost as crucial is the fact that you have to keep a pulse on the market and what readers are responding to. Pay attention to the trends and think about how you fit into those patterns. You have to know what the industry is doing in order to find your place within it.

Develop relationships with booksellers

Booksellers are at the forefront of sales. If you have bookstores in your area, make sure you connect with the people who work there. Let them see your face from time to time and if they ask you to do an event, do it if you can. Ask for their recommendations on books and get their feedback on what’s selling. Many indies have “Staff Recommendations” sections. Study them! Booksellers have a unique perspective on the book world and they are important gatekeepers. You can learn a lot from them and their support of your book is invaluable.

Keep exploring new publishing avenues

You have a book out, but what’s next? If you wrote YA, have you considered writing MG?  Have you always wanted to write for an anthology or a literary magazine? Want to learn how to write a screenplay? Not everyone will have the bandwidth to explore other realms of writing, but keep in mind that publishing a book might have been the doorway into a diverse career. Keep learning and experimenting and see what else in storytelling might be calling to you.

Think about your readership

This one is a little tricky. I will be the first to say that you can’t make decisions about your stories based on the opinions of others. But it is important to let your readers be a part of your process if you want to keep them. You don’t need to rewrite the same book over and over, but think about what your readers want from you. Take them on the journey with you and capitalize on what they loved about your first book. If you want to completely depart from your first book’s brand because of how you’ve evolved as an author, don’t be afraid to do it! The point: be thoughtful and intentional about why and where you are heading as an author.

Keep asking for what you want

Stay involved in what your publisher is doing for your book. Keep asking for things that you want and keep learning from them and their experience. If you want to be pitched for a festival, ask. If you want help reaching out to influencers, ask! You can’t assume that everyone else is doing everything possible for your book. No one cares about your future as much as you do and no one will work harder for it than you will. Take initiative and be an active advocate for your book and your career.

DON’T

Neglect self-care

I’m going to be real with you – three months after my book came out, I had a huge mental health low that resulted in health issues and an inability to meet my deadline for my second book. I didn’t realize how much pressure I was putting on myself or how stressed I was until I was talking to my doctor. I cannot impress upon you enough – YOUR WELL BEING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR SUCCESS. Schedule self-care, get into therapy if you need to, and for the love of all that is holy, put yourself first. You can’t keep writing books if you aren’t well.

Read Reviews

This is one from the pre-pub list that is even more important than it was before. Do not read your reviews. I repeat: DO NOT READ YOUR REVIEWS. The top review on Goodreads for SKY is a really mean, cold-hearted review of the book even though an overwhelming majority of my reviews are much higher stars. The system is rigged to support negativity because it gets more engagement. Also, don’t check your mentions. People tag authors in negative reviews all. the. time. I will never understand why, but it’s true. There is literally nothing to be gained from reading the opinions of people that don’t respect you as an artist and it has an impact, whether you think it does or not.

Disappear

It’s really easy to get so fatigued by your debut experience that you just want to disappear completely for a while. Take breaks if you need to, but staying visible is important as more people discover your book. A great way to do this when you’re tired is to prepare content for your social media ahead of time so that when you feel overwhelmed, you already have it. Also, take the pressure off yourself to do things with the same energy and time that you did pre-pub. You don’t have as much of either of those things as you used to. Keep things simple and roll with it.

Loose communication with your agent

It is so important to keep talking to your agent about your future. Ask questions, pitch ideas, and get their advice on what your next steps are, depending on what your goals are. Keep the conversation going about the future and where you want to head in your career. Your agent is your greatest ally because they benefit from your success too. See my note above under “Be transparent about your experience” if you feel like that’s not true.

Stop working

Don’t overload yourself, but remember that the work doesn’t end after release. If you want to keep putting books out, you know by now that with the way publishing is set up, you have to start now on what you hope to see come to fruition three years from now. Pace yourself, but don’t lose your momentum.

Compare publishing journeys

My second book’s release date was pushed six months and I was so frustrated, watching people from my debut group reveal their second covers and start promoting their second books. What a waste of energy that was. Now, with my second book only two weeks away from release, I am so aware of how little that six months matters to my readers. Sure, we want books to keep coming out, but we can’t control all the variables involved in release dates. It’s hard not to watch what’s happening around you but if you can, remind yourself that your journey is YOURS alone. Keep putting positivity out there and try your best not to obsess over what other authors are/aren’t doing. Before SKY came out, a veteran author told me “It’s a marathon. Not a race.” I think I’m beginning to understand what she meant.