It’s so hard to believe that it’s been nearly a month since the launch of my collection of short stories, Walking With the Muse. That first month after a book launch is always extremely intense from both an emotional and marketing perspective. It feels like a massive sugar-rush. It’s a rollercoaster of the triple-A’s—accolades, anxiousness, and anticipation. Excitement runs high as those first few sales are reported, reviews start rolling in (if you’re lucky), and the waves of hype ripple outward similar to the butterfly effect.
About two-to-three weeks into a launch most of your loyal readers and inner circle have all got their hands on a copy of your book. The months that come after this are where it all begins to get a bit more challenging.
I call it The Tapering.
This is when sales begin to taper off and things begin to get progressively quieter. Life slows down again, peoples' attention move on, and then you have decisions to make. The Tapering is precisely the time period that will make or break an author. At this point most authors, myself included, tend to walk away from the book, let it languish, and simply turn your attention to the next project.
The entire process is extremely taxing, psychologically, and only those who’ve been through it can truly understand what it feels like. If you navigate The Tapering properly you could out the other side a much stronger person and a better writer.
Lately, I’ve noticed that I’ve been going through a period of truly appreciating other indie-authors who have had the courage to walk this particular crucible. I have a deep respect for anyone who subjects themselves to this kind of life. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an amazing life, but it’s demanding in a myriad of ways.
For the past year, I’ve been ordering/reading copies of other authors’ books and leaving reviews.
What began as a kind of trauma-bonding has transformed into a new hobby that I’ve come to enjoy the hell out of. It's been so rewarding. There's such a strong community of authors out there. When I read one of these books I feel like I get to know the author a little better, the parts of themselves they might hide from the world come through in their pages.
What I’ve learned is there is an endless amount of talent existing right on the fringes of the mainstream literary world. Many of these authors are no less talented than popular authors, the only difference is they haven't had their lucky break. Much like underground music—there’s also often something incredibly special, more human, and more honest about an indie-author’s work.
My most recent acquisition is a signed copy of a book of poetry from author Dwayne Lawson-Brown. Dwayne was the organizer and emcee of the poetry reading I attended in Washington D.C. a few weeks ago. I have Biscuit Box queued up to read this weekend.
My only wish is I would've started hobby this earlier in my career. Better late than never, I suppose. If you're looking for something fresh and interesting to read please consider purchasing something from an indie-author. It might just make a world of difference in their lives, and yours.
All for now. Make this a wonderful day.
Hi Eric, A thought-provoking post.
Having taught students to write I know how important encouragement is and how easily a budding talent can be crushed. But when you embark on publishing you're the most vulnerable you've ever been and any negative feedback even from weak critics or mean spirited readers can be devastating.
You're right,it's incredibly taxing, and so, encouraging others with talent is probably the most generous thing you can do that can make all the difference in their life. Congrats again on your book and also on reaching out to other like-minded authors.
Thanks John! I think being an indie-author might be the best way I can imagine to become anti-fragile. It's truly like bootcamp for the soul. Being faced with so many challenges, at times, can make you feel like Neo in the Matrix fighting off an endless number of Mr. Smiths. Lol. I really enjoy sharing what I've learned with others or just helping to support them in general.
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I think when the attention starts to fade, it should be tempting to move on to the next thing instead of continuing to support what you have already created.
It totally is!
That is an excellent recommendation. Small publishing houses and self-publishing can face an uphill battle and a very limited market. There was a time here when the government decided to publish work for anyone who claimed to be a writer—ranging from cookbooks to poetry and self-help books. There was no quality control; it was simply publishing for the sake of publishing. The country became flooded with books lacking literary merit, which caused small publishers to go bankrupt and left many readers disappointed with Venezuelan literature. I know many writer friends who work office jobs to save up enough money to publish their books. Others have turned to competitions, hoping to win prizes and get their work published. What I love about you is the clear understanding you have of this craft. You have certainly walked this path many times. Hugs, Eric
Thanks Nancy. It can be so troublesome to navigate the world of self-publishing. I think the main issue is most authors' forte leans more to the creative side and they aren't as interested in the business aspect of publishing. That certainly was my main stumbling block when I first got started. To be successful you have to wear both the creative hat and the business hat when it's necessary—even though the latter isn't always much fun.
That would have been horrible to be flooded with so much spam in book form! This is a lot like the self publishing market worldwide now. Opportunists try to get rich fast and publish lots of nonsensical books like coloring books and AI-generated slop and offer them for sale on Amazon. The market is flooded because publishing is so cheap and easy now.
I think we all have to be a little crazy to tackle this in today's world. A person has to have a deep love of the craft or else it just isn't worth the work and the hassle. I wish you a wonderful week Nancy!
I can't imagine how hard it must be. My wife and I were down in Columbus this past weekend and we stopped into a half priced book shop. There are just so many options for people to pick from. It has to be so difficult for smaller independent folks like you.
It's so challenging that, honestly, sometimes it all feels like folly. There are so many voices clambering for fewer and fewer readers, as attention spans continue to dwindle. There are bright spots though. This last book is one of them. My previous two--Ephemera and Poetry from the Edge of the Apocalypse had dismal sales. Walking With the Muse outsold both of those two in the first few weeks.
Something shifted in me during this launch. I've rediscovered the indie author community, and I'm getting a lot out of connecting with other authors, reading their work, and using my platform to try to help expand their audiences. It's been fun not focusing entirely on promoting my own stuff and sharing some of what I've learned. When I decide to hang up my hat I can see myself continuing to help others.
That is cool. The second part I mean. Also the part about this book outselling the other ones!
Thanks! I'm not going to be buying a yacht anytime soon but it's nice for a book project to be in the black for a change. : )