Musings on the Launch of Book Two
I thought bringing out book two of my Samuel Craddock series
couldn’t be as exciting as my first book, but I was wrong. It’s better, because
I’m more clearheaded. When my first book came out last July, I felt like I was
walking over a river that had just iced over. Was I on thin ice? Would I fall
through and be swept away by the tricky combination of launch parties and
bookstore readings and promotion on social media? Could I behave in ways Miss
Manners would approve of?
With the launch of the second book in the series, The Last Death of Jack Harbin, today,
January 7, I’m excited, but I’m also more aware of what it means to launch a
book. Here are a few lessons I learned:
1)
Launching a book isn’t an event--it’s an ongoing
process. I had some hazy idea that all activity prior to the book launch was
preamble, and that after that day everything would settle back to normal. Not
true. There were wonderful pre-launch surprises—enthusiastic reviews; heartfelt
support and promotion from fellow-writers; amazing support from friends and
family—that were as thrilling as “the launch.” More importantly, the “launch”
kept going for months afterwards. This time around I’m stretching my readings
over several weeks rather than feeling desperate to do them all at once.
2)
There really is an audience out there. I knew
that writers got emails of appreciation from strangers, but somehow I didn’t
think it would actually happen to me. I figured that my friends would buy my
book, but once the launch was over few copies would be sold and the book would
sink into oblivion. Surprise! I still get notes every week from people who just
bought the book, or whose book club just chose it for their next read.
3)
I lucked out. My publisher, Seventh Street
Books, has done far more in the way of support—editing, cover design,
promotion, and sales—than many publishers I hear about. That doesn’t mean I can
sit back and let someone else do the work of selling my books, but it means
that I actually have people in my corner!
4)
I can’t do as I please anymore. Oops. That’s a
big one. This is not exactly a complaint—it’s more like an adjustment. I spent
years writing books that came very close to publication—but never made it. What
that meant was that I could follow whatever writing whim struck me. Now I have
not only contractual obligations, but also obligations to my readers. And that
last part is big.
“My readers.” What a great phrase.
Probably the most exciting part about launching book two is that I have
something to offer my readers. I hope they love it.
Bio: Terry Shames is the best-selling author of A Killing at Cotton Hill and The Last Death of Jack Harbin, Seventh
Street Books. Her books are set in small-town Texas and feature ex-chief of
police Samuel Craddock. Terry lives in Berkeley, CA with her husband and two
rowdy terriers. She is Vice President of Norcal Sisters in Crime and on the
board of MWA Norcal. For more information, please visit her website: www.Terryshames.com.
Comments
May your launch never land, but continue into the stars.
Realizing that, as an author, you have reader obligations and "public person" restrictions can be frustrating. But it's so worth it to get your work out to an audience. Congratulations!
Mary Montague Sikes