I know it’s so hard out there right now. Thank you thank you for sharing and the honesty. Your stories mean so much and it is so important for folks to see the highs AND the lows. Sending you love & appreciation for everything!
I second this. Thank you for sharing, Erin! I’m glad you hopefully know that attendance is not an accurate reflection of the excellence of your work and how much people appreciate you and your writing!
Thanks for the kind words, Marisa. I do indeed know that attendance is not a reflection of an author's self worth or their book's quality. Much like how poor sales numbers don't equate worth/quality either. Yet even knowing this, it can still sting when the disappointing things happen, and you really do need thick skin so you're able to dust yourself off and keep going in spite of everything.
I appreciate your transparency so much, Erin. Having just returned from Yallfest, this message could not have come at a better time for me. It's easy to dream of success, imagining yourself surrounded by adoring fans, but it's hard to focus on process, factor in luck, and return to the work after rejections knock you down. We do the work because we love it. I choose every day to pursue excellence over success. The prize is in the process.
Thank you so much for sharing this, Ms. Bowman! Many authors, especially younger authors like myself, find negative things as a constant weight just sinking us further from hoping to succeed.
But as you said, a writing career is a JOB. We still have to work, keep at it, despite all the ups and downs.
We can only learn and grow to be better people and writers if we take all the experiences and disappointments we go through into application. NO ONE gets it easy. Hard work pays off and it does show, so this article was such a blessing and good reminder for me to keep up the hard work no matter what!❤️
"...can make you feel naked, ridiculous, and small. It’s demoralizing."
Oh, I've so been there! Drove four hours for a signing with two people who stayed mainly because they seemed to feel sorry/embarrassed for me. Not exactly the glamorous event I was hoping for. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Thanks so much for sharing this, Erin, and here's to doing the work...even when it's nothing like the movie montages.
Fun story: two people wondered into my empty event and chatted with me for a few minutes, also (I think) because they felt sorry for me. 😂 This career is not for the faint of heart!
As someone who aspires to be an author one day, I have heard this from MANY published authors. I am not sure why singular book signings are still a promotion tactic because it seems like a waste of time for little to no reward. Your suggestion of conventions seems more fruitful. Do you have any insight why singular signings are still even considered a viable promotion tactic?
Singular signings used to work a lot better than they do today. Attendance numbers were always hard to predict, but pre-pandemic, readers were still attending book events. Now, people's habits seemed to have changed and they just aren't attending events the way they used to.
Part of this could be because the market is very flooded. There are SO many books being released every season. Plus, the pandemic changed how people shop and value their time. If they carve out time/money for an event, they tend to go to an event with an author they adore, not take a chance on someone they're unfamiliar with.
At the end of the day, the reason singular author signings are still pushed/encouraged by publishers is because there is very little cost/risk for the author. Assuming you are simply driving to a nearby bookstore, all the event costs you is your time and gas money. Many of the festivals and cons I spoke about involve hotels and airfare—plus many are invite only. They are simply not accessible for all authors. So if/when an author can't line up a festival/con and turns to their publicist/publisher and asks "what can I do to promote myself" the first piece of advice is always to make connections locally, starting with a signing at a local store.
As a social worker, several times in my career, my free community service presentations had marginal audiences.
Yes, it is certainly a moment to “brush yourself off” and continue.
Take care,
Judith LCSW
Yep! Nothing you can do but dust yourself off and keep going.
I know it’s so hard out there right now. Thank you thank you for sharing and the honesty. Your stories mean so much and it is so important for folks to see the highs AND the lows. Sending you love & appreciation for everything!
Thank you for the kind comment!
I second this. Thank you for sharing, Erin! I’m glad you hopefully know that attendance is not an accurate reflection of the excellence of your work and how much people appreciate you and your writing!
Thanks for the kind words, Marisa. I do indeed know that attendance is not a reflection of an author's self worth or their book's quality. Much like how poor sales numbers don't equate worth/quality either. Yet even knowing this, it can still sting when the disappointing things happen, and you really do need thick skin so you're able to dust yourself off and keep going in spite of everything.
I appreciate your transparency so much, Erin. Having just returned from Yallfest, this message could not have come at a better time for me. It's easy to dream of success, imagining yourself surrounded by adoring fans, but it's hard to focus on process, factor in luck, and return to the work after rejections knock you down. We do the work because we love it. I choose every day to pursue excellence over success. The prize is in the process.
100% this. If you can't find joy in the process, a career as an author will be full of
disappointment.
Thank you so much for sharing this, Ms. Bowman! Many authors, especially younger authors like myself, find negative things as a constant weight just sinking us further from hoping to succeed.
But as you said, a writing career is a JOB. We still have to work, keep at it, despite all the ups and downs.
We can only learn and grow to be better people and writers if we take all the experiences and disappointments we go through into application. NO ONE gets it easy. Hard work pays off and it does show, so this article was such a blessing and good reminder for me to keep up the hard work no matter what!❤️
Thank you for the kind comment. So glad the piece resonated with you!
You know I am in BIG agreement with you on all this.
Great minds think alike, and all that 😉
"...can make you feel naked, ridiculous, and small. It’s demoralizing."
Oh, I've so been there! Drove four hours for a signing with two people who stayed mainly because they seemed to feel sorry/embarrassed for me. Not exactly the glamorous event I was hoping for. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Thanks so much for sharing this, Erin, and here's to doing the work...even when it's nothing like the movie montages.
Fun story: two people wondered into my empty event and chatted with me for a few minutes, also (I think) because they felt sorry for me. 😂 This career is not for the faint of heart!
🖤🖤 please believe I would have loved to be there to pick your brain.
💗💗💗
As someone who aspires to be an author one day, I have heard this from MANY published authors. I am not sure why singular book signings are still a promotion tactic because it seems like a waste of time for little to no reward. Your suggestion of conventions seems more fruitful. Do you have any insight why singular signings are still even considered a viable promotion tactic?
Singular signings used to work a lot better than they do today. Attendance numbers were always hard to predict, but pre-pandemic, readers were still attending book events. Now, people's habits seemed to have changed and they just aren't attending events the way they used to.
Part of this could be because the market is very flooded. There are SO many books being released every season. Plus, the pandemic changed how people shop and value their time. If they carve out time/money for an event, they tend to go to an event with an author they adore, not take a chance on someone they're unfamiliar with.
At the end of the day, the reason singular author signings are still pushed/encouraged by publishers is because there is very little cost/risk for the author. Assuming you are simply driving to a nearby bookstore, all the event costs you is your time and gas money. Many of the festivals and cons I spoke about involve hotels and airfare—plus many are invite only. They are simply not accessible for all authors. So if/when an author can't line up a festival/con and turns to their publicist/publisher and asks "what can I do to promote myself" the first piece of advice is always to make connections locally, starting with a signing at a local store.
Thanks for the industry insight! This does make sense, especially with what I've heard about befriending your local bookstore.