4 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Got Published

Lessons learned from a lockdown debut

When I was preparing my final edits for Embers, my debut novel, three years ago, I thought the work for me would be more or less done by publication day. I could lean back slightly, let the marketing team at my publisher, the algoritms of social media and vast extent of readers that Amazon would expose me to, naturally generate outreach and circulation of my book. Of course I would share articles from the blog tour and podcast interviews I took part in on social media, but that should be enough. What else could little me do? I had another book in the works, and a full time job - I couldn’t spend all my spare hours on promoting my debut.

Two years later, in March 2023, I received an email from my publisher that they were returning the rights of my book to me. Due to financial and other difficulties that arose as a consequence of lockdown, they’d been forced to cut a number of authors who didn’t hit the necessary sales percentage off their list. Embers was one of them. After a brief run of two years, that felt like it barely got started due to lockdowns and myself moving country three times, Embers was no more. I felt cheated, in a way - that I hadn’t really been given a proper chance.

Of course, there are undoubtedly many reasons why Embers got cut. Over time, though, three things that I could have done differently stood out to me. Perhaps they wouldn’t have saved my book, but I believe they can make a difference in how effectively your book “takes off” immediately after publication.

1. In-person events aren’t the only ways to market your book

The UK was in its second - or was it third? - lockdown when Embers was published. Publication had already been delayed by Covid, from November 2020 to March 2021, leaving me full of frustration and nervous energy. With lockdown, it felt like publishing into a black hole. With no possibility of live events, I thought : “I can’t do any more, I just have to wait until restrictions are lifted.” By the time they had, enough distance had been put between myself and publication day that I felt there was no point. I was disheartened. I might as well just get on with the second book. Looking back now, I realise there were a number of things I could have done to promote the book during lockdown. Live readings on Instagram and Tiktok; giveaways; Instagram lives with a Q&A; reels on Instagram and Tiktok to show the various steps towards publication or even just my own excitement about it all; a regular newsletter on my website to gain a following of readers well in advance (6 months)

2. Build an online presence - early

What all these examples show is the importance of building an online presence as an author. A persona readers can buy into. A real person with a certain style they can feel a connection to. A human with a specific concept, brand and vision that appeals to them. If they like the image of you, they may like your work and be more inclined to buy it. At a recent training session on this daunting aspect of writing by the Society of Authors in Norwich, one of the panelists explained that the author, really is central; followed by subject matter (this may be more the primary factor for a non-fiction writer). A personal connection with an audience is essential.

3. Be yourself - don’t get distracted by self promotion

I believe one of the mistakes I made when considering how to promote my book on social media was firstly in that word, ‘promoting,’ and secondly by comparing myself to others. I’d see all these reels where authors had edited several different short clips into one, added music and visual effects, and felt “well if this is what one has to do, I’m a lost cause. I don’t want to become a video editor in order to spread awareness of my book.” Because I wasn’t “techy”, I didn’t think I’d have anything special or eye-catching to show and say that would capture people’s attention. Why would people be interested in just me, unfiltered and unedited, sharing everyday pieces of my writing and daily life? Wouldn’t that just seem narcisstic and attention seeking? I’ve never enjoyed being the centre of attention; as a child I was shy and preferred having my nose buried in a book than speak to people. So I took to hiding behind “safe content”: the odd event, interview or review share, my usual travel posts, things that didn’t totally reveal me as a person. I’m not saying out yourself completely - but do give readers a reason for why they should invest their time in you. Let them get to know you at least a little bit. The interest in authenticity, vulnerability and simply being is still, I think, underrated on social media, buut more powerful than you might think. Ultimately, this is how I think we truly connect with people and get the kind of reading audience we’re looking for. I’m still unpacking all of these old uncertainties and insecurities when it comes to my online presence. I am far from figuring out all the steps to take. But that’s ok, it’s natural for these things to take time.

4. Stick with your book - even if it feels weird

I moved on very quickly from Embers and stopped regualrly talking about it online after a couple of months. Four years had passed in between getting the publication contract and the book getting published. I’d gone from being in my early twenties to mid-late twenties. I’d changed a lot. I wasn’t the writer who had written Embers. I didn’t feel motivated to promote something made by the “old me”. I wanted to move forward: develop, progress. These are great and necessary things as a writer, but I was obsessing about them. For a while, I didn’t want anything at all to do with Embers. Almost pretending it didn’t exist so I could start from a blank slate. Covid no doubt had a role to play in that.

In the fast-spaced internet world, things will disppear in the cyber space if they aren’t regularly lifted and talked about. People who read your book will forget about it and you within a year. So even though you are aching to move on to the next book, the one which in your mind you as better, more mature, better executed, building on all the lesson you learned while writin the first, it’s important to celebrate the first one. Raise awareness of it by, as lesson 3 said, being yourself, as well as promoting it. Be proud of the fact that you, the old you, got it out in to the world.

It still feels a bit strange to do readings and events on Embers now. Three years have passed since publication, seven since I started writing it. I’m one year through my PhD and juggling finishing my second book and starting my third one. Instead of averting my face slightly abashed when mentioning Embers, I try to speak of it with pride and fondness, showing what elements of my writing then I have taken with me into my new work, but also the ways in which I have evolved. Writing Embers allowed to be the writer I now am. Importantly, stickingg with your novel doesn’t start on publication day, but way in advance, even a year early, to build that interest and excitement and hype.

In the end, it all comes down to feeling comfortable and at peace with the work that you do, both in your writing and online. Trust your gut, follow your instinct and do what comes naturally. Don’t overthink it. Doing things, though, is important. But that is going to look different for everyone.

I hope that these reflections can be of use to other writers navigating the online world. And if not, well I hope it provided an interesting read :)

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Until next time,

Josephine