Navigating the Challenges of Your Debut Year
Navigating the Challenges of Your Debut Year
By Julie Tollefson
Kate Michaelson’s debut novel, Hidden Rooms, came out in April, and the months leading up to publication were filled with unknowns. “It’s probably the most rewarding difficult thing I’ve done,” Kate says. “It’s hard to write a book. It’s hard to get the book published, and when it makes it into the hand that actually enjoys it, it’s like a miracle.” Drawing on her experiences both before and since her book came out, Kate offers these five tips for writers facing the unknowns of publication.
1) Connect with the writing community — Kate, who has an MFA in poetry and a background in academic writing, began writing Hidden Rooms during the pandemic. Being new to fiction, she sought support in the writing community. One complication, though: the unfettered spread of a deadly virus that limited in-person meetings.
Despite the challenges, she found a local critique group that met regularly (masked) and provided her with crucial feedback on her work.
“They’re the best group of people I could have found,” Kate says. “So knowledgeable about craft and structure. They’ve become friends over the past few years.”
She also joined online groups, including the Guppies chapter of Sisters in Crime — a support group for writers breaking into publishing — which provided forums for discussion. “Groups like that were pivotal to me,” she says. “Other people asked questions I hadn’t even thought of because I didn’t know enough.”
Kate built her community among librarians and booksellers, too, and formed connections with them even before her book came out. She’s a member of a bookclub run by one of the booksellers in her area, who offered to host the launch party for Hidden Rooms.
When another bookstore opened recently, Kate visited the store, bought some books, and introduced herself to the owner. That bookstore now stocks Kate’s novel and has hosted an event for her.
“If we want people to buy our books, we have to support bookstores and authors. I think that’s part of being a good literary citizen,” Kate says. “I have yet to meet a librarian or bookseller that I don’t absolutely love. They’re passionate about connecting readers and writers. It’s just been a joy to meet those people and really helpful when it comes to getting your book out there, asking for blurbs, and putting on events.”
2) Get comfortable being uncomfortable — For Kate, the stresses of publication came with a dose of anxiety about the non-writing aspects of publication — appearing on panels, attending conferences, and putting herself and her story out in front of crowds.
“Part of why I write is because sometimes I’m not great at getting my thoughts out in conversation,” she says. “But it’s been an amazing experience. Getting out of my comfort zone has led to some really rewarding experiences and meeting wonderful people.”
Among the unexpected rewards? “How willing other writers are to help you, with advice or sometimes a blurb, especially if you’ve been a good literary citizen, developed relationships, and helped them,” Kate says.
3) Find the types of promotion that fit your personality (or, you do you) — You don’t have to be a TikTok star, Instagram influencer, or talk show darling to promote your books effectively. Focus your energy on the types of promotion you enjoy.
For Kate, this self-discovery came with a few surprises.
“I’m not really comfortable doing a long pitch or really trying to sell it, because that’s not who I am,” she says. Likewise, she’s not at ease with social media.
But she’s learned that she really enjoys doing events where she gets to talk to readers about her book and the writing process. She also writes articles for various websites, contributes to blogs, collects email addresses at events, and produces a periodic newsletter.
One less-welcome surprise was how much promotion falls on the writer. “A publisher can only take you so far,” she says. “You’ve got to be really willing to do some on your own by reaching out to bookstores and generate buzz about your book.”
4) Before your book comes out, prepare content that’s related to your book or your writing journey — Use the months or weeks leading up to publication to brainstorm how best to promote your book.
“I feel like there’s a lot of anxious downtime, after you finish edits and you’re waiting for the book to come out, a year and a half to two years from contract to launch,” Kate says.
Peel back the layers in your book to uncover aspects that are unique and that readers will connect with.
The protagonist of Hidden Rooms, for example, wants to prove her brother innocent of murder. At the same time, she’s searching for answers to her own unexplained health issues. Kate’s exploration of family, chronic illness, Midwestern hometowns, and her personal quest to solve a medical mystery — all represent potential topics for blog posts and articles.
Seek out websites and blogs that are a good match for your book. Sites like Shepherd.com look for writers to contribute lists of books that share common themes.
Get your lists and plans in order long before publication day.
“This is something I learned the hard way,” Kate says. “I started doing it late and was a little more frantic and frazzled.”
5) Don’t move the goal posts — Celebrate every step and every achievement along your path to publication. Don’t get caught in a cycle of always looking ahead to the next level without appreciating how far you’ve come.
“You can always sell more books or get bigger advances or more and better reviews,” Kate says. “When I started out, I thought if I complete a novel, I’m going to be proud of myself. That’s not to say I don’t have goals for my career that I work toward, but it’s important to celebrate what you’ve already done and accomplished.”