(Newsletter No. 6)
What a year it’s been. Honestly, it’s hard to believe it’s been a year. The time went by so fast, and yet I feel like I’ve learned and been through so much that I’m hardly the same author from a year ago. Here are some of my biggest takeaways from year one as a published author:
1. Start promoting way before you publish. It takes time to build interest and hype. You don’t even have to have a book yet. You could just be writing one.
2. Trad publishing is slow. It may take months to get things resolved if problems occur. Buckle up, stay in touch, and be considerate of those helping you.
3. Things will go wrong. Remember the dream come true is holding your book in your hands, having it out there for people to read. Awards, positive reviews, author events, & other wins are frosting…and not having a constant stream of wins doesn’t make you a failure.
4. Other authors’ successes do not equal your failure. We write in different genres, have different tropes, different strengths, different weaknesses. That someone is better at marketing than I am or fits into a more popular trend does not make me a worse writer or mean my book sucks. I purposely took on a niche, and that may mean my series never gets a ton of recognition.
5. Celebrate the wins but don’t live for them. Five-star reviews and raving reader posts are great, but that feeling won’t last. Enjoy them. Share the joy with your followers. Then go back to writing.
6. Write (or edit) the next thing. I’ve been much happier these last few months focusing on finishing up my series and thinking about my next project than I’ve ever been chasing reviews or marketing.
7. In order to write someone’s favorite book, you’ll have to write someone’s least favorite book. You can’t please everyone, and readers often have different scales by which they judge and review. Just thinking about myself as a reader, I know it’s very rare for me to read a book or a series and be able to say that I loved everything about it. I’ve been sucked into so many books but wished some things were different or that something in the plot would go a certain way. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy those books. In fact, I’m invested in many of them, but I’m not always the book’s biggest fan.
When you do find those readers who get you and WANT what you’re writing, that’s everything. It makes it all worth it. Because we all have different preferences, it’s impossible to give your true audience the book they need without disappointing other people. Accept it.
And on that note, stay out of your reviews. If you’ve put in the work with editors and beta readers and know the book has a shine, those aren’t learning opportunities. Getting lower ratings can be a downer, but this is one of those few things where quantity matters over quality…to a degree. A reader who gives you three stars but picks up the next book in the series is a WIN. But you don’t have a responsibility to hear all their criticisms. That’s for other readers to consider when they’re looking to buy your book.
I hope some of you will find those lessons helpful, that maybe they’ll save you some time and heartache on your own publishing journey if you’re a writer. Being an author is a very mental and emotional game, and taking care of your mental health has to be a top priority…or you won’t be able to continue doing it.
Let’s Party!
I didn’t do my debut right a year ago. I barely celebrated, and that needs to be amended. So, on Sunday, June 9th (Talismans’ book birthday), I’ll be running my first ever book box giveaway to thank my supporters at every level. There will be three boxes:
· A Talismans of Teregrin themed box
· A Firebreather’s Curse themed box
· A Menace of the Morphers themed box
Each box will contain that signed paperback, a bookmark, a quote magnet, and a laptop sticker with one of the eight powers from the series. If you win, the sticker will represent the power you would have if you were a teen Experiment in The Talismans of Teregrin!
How will I know which one to give you? I’m excited to announce that my website personality quiz is finally up and running! You can find it on the site menu or use this link: katymetzgerwriter.wixsite.com/katymetzger/giftings-quiz
To enter the giveaway:
On SUNDAY, JUNE 9TH...
· Post a screenshot of your results (the image) to Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, or Threads
· Tag me
· Tell me which box you want to win: Book 1 (Talismans), 2 (Firebreather’s), or 3 (Menace)
· Include these instructions for others to play.
Thank you everyone for such a wonderful year!
Katy
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