I think Beth Revis might have linked one of your posts about Dustborn which I'll still recommend.
I'm to the point that wh/if (when/if) I get my book together, I may go the way of Wattpad. I'm not looking to make money. Maybe test it with a short story.
This was hard to hear, but you're right that it does help me to feel like there's not as much pressure on me.
I wonder how all of this applies to debut authors though. What do you think a debut author can do to help make their story do well? Is it the same answer as above?
I think what a debut can do to help position their book for success is slightly different than a more veteran author. For starters, you don't have an established readership yet, so you can't reach out/market to those readers.
The best things a debut can do, in my opinion, is to start building that readership. I think newsletters are still one of the best tools. If you have a list of email addresses of the people who want to hear from you, you always have the ability to reach out to them and tell them about your books/events/etc. (Social media just isn't the same. You're at the mercy of the algo when it comes to visibility.) As a debut, you can start to build that readership by talking about your upcoming release. Share your process, post teasers, answer questions, etc. The goal is the same as a debut as it is as a veteran: Get people interested in your story. Make them aware of it, then encourage them to preorder/buy.
I always think it's smart to head to your local bookstore and introduce yourself. As if you can do an event there. See if they're open to running a preorder campaign with you. Even if they can't accommodate you now, for this book, they now have a face to put to the name on the cover. You've made the human connection and hopefully you can continue to develop a mutually beneficial relationship over your career.
Ultimately though, I think the best thing you can do as a debut is to write the next thing. This is actually the best thing you can do at any point in your career. You want to give your book a good shot at success, yes, but so much is out of your control, and there's that saying about eggs and baskets. This applies here too. Keep writing so that you can build a backlist.
And my very last piece of advice is to talk to your agent. If you're unsure where to invest your time, get their opinion! They'll let you know if they think something is worth the time/money or not. Agents are also great at helping authors set realistic expectations. A lot of debuts put a ridiculous amount of pressure on themselves. And true, you don't want your book to flop. But plenty of authors debut to mediocre or average sales and go on to have long careers. This one book is not going to make or break you, even if it feels like it might.
I think Beth Revis might have linked one of your posts about Dustborn which I'll still recommend.
I'm to the point that wh/if (when/if) I get my book together, I may go the way of Wattpad. I'm not looking to make money. Maybe test it with a short story.
Thanks for your reasonable and rational thoughts about all this, Erin!
Thanks for reading!
I appreciate these reminders and reality checks 🤍
Sometimes I feel like I'm writing them for myself as well as my readers. We all need these gentle reminders from time to time. 💗
This was hard to hear, but you're right that it does help me to feel like there's not as much pressure on me.
I wonder how all of this applies to debut authors though. What do you think a debut author can do to help make their story do well? Is it the same answer as above?
I think what a debut can do to help position their book for success is slightly different than a more veteran author. For starters, you don't have an established readership yet, so you can't reach out/market to those readers.
The best things a debut can do, in my opinion, is to start building that readership. I think newsletters are still one of the best tools. If you have a list of email addresses of the people who want to hear from you, you always have the ability to reach out to them and tell them about your books/events/etc. (Social media just isn't the same. You're at the mercy of the algo when it comes to visibility.) As a debut, you can start to build that readership by talking about your upcoming release. Share your process, post teasers, answer questions, etc. The goal is the same as a debut as it is as a veteran: Get people interested in your story. Make them aware of it, then encourage them to preorder/buy.
I always think it's smart to head to your local bookstore and introduce yourself. As if you can do an event there. See if they're open to running a preorder campaign with you. Even if they can't accommodate you now, for this book, they now have a face to put to the name on the cover. You've made the human connection and hopefully you can continue to develop a mutually beneficial relationship over your career.
Ultimately though, I think the best thing you can do as a debut is to write the next thing. This is actually the best thing you can do at any point in your career. You want to give your book a good shot at success, yes, but so much is out of your control, and there's that saying about eggs and baskets. This applies here too. Keep writing so that you can build a backlist.
And my very last piece of advice is to talk to your agent. If you're unsure where to invest your time, get their opinion! They'll let you know if they think something is worth the time/money or not. Agents are also great at helping authors set realistic expectations. A lot of debuts put a ridiculous amount of pressure on themselves. And true, you don't want your book to flop. But plenty of authors debut to mediocre or average sales and go on to have long careers. This one book is not going to make or break you, even if it feels like it might.
I've rambled a bit, but I hope that's helpful!
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer! This is amazing info! I appreciate the thorough response!