Before You Launch:
Dos and Don’ts of a Debut Novelist
Now that I’ve turned in my first contracted novella my thoughts are drifting to marketing and promotion. Though my story will debut in about eight months, there are things I can be doing now to have the best debut possible.
I once heard that someone else’s experience is the best teacher, so I’ve gathered some successful debut novelists to share the dos and don’ts of debuting!
Do enjoy it! Every single moment. Take pictures of the signing of the contract. Enjoy the feeling of not being able to stop smiling. Enjoy every single bit of this great accomplishment. Even the very fist email with the dreaded revision letter! This is what you’ve worked hard for. This is your dream. This is all part of being a published author!
Don’t forget to breathe. Seriously. It’s so easy to get caught up in all the excitement, the joy of finally knowing you’re going to see your book in print, that it can become all-consuming. Take time to sit and read something else. Go for a walk. Spend time with family and friends. Eat and sleep. Sleep is hard, I know, but necessary.
– Catherine West, debut novel Yesterday’s Tomorrow
Educated in Bermuda, England and Canada, Catherine West holds a degree in English from the University of Toronto. Catherine and her husband live on the beautiful island of Bermuda, with their two college-aged children. Catherine’s debut novel Yesterday’s Tomorrow, released March 15th.
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Do aim high. This means doing everything you can do help your book succeed, which begins with writing a great book. Don’t hold back some of your great ideas for another book thinking you won’t have enough to go around. You do, trust me.
Don’t have overly high expectations. Have high hopes, yes, but thinking you’re going to be on the NYT bestseller list or win a Pulitzer Prize first time out of the gates is a recipe for disappointment.
-Gina Holmes, debut novel Crossing Oceans
Gina Holmes is an inspirational novelist, whose debut Crossing Oceans appeared on the CBA best seller list. Besides being a wife and mother and nurse, she founded the award-winning web-site, Novel Journey.
Her next novel, Dry as Rain will release in September 2011.
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Do invest in a professional headshot. You’ll be asked to send one over and over. Photoshop can do wonders for your self-esteem. Trust me. I’ll be using mine for a few decades.
Don’t whine. When the pre-launch stress hit, my oldest daughter was quick to remind me: “A year ago, when you sent the book off, you would have been thrilled to have these problems.”
-Christa Allan, debut novel Walking on Broken Glass
Christa Allan is a true Southern woman and writer of not your usual Christian Fiction. She weaves stories of unscripted grace and redemption with threads of hope, humor, and heart. She’s the mother of five adult children, a grandmother of three, and a teacher of high school English.
Her next novel, Edge of Grace will be released in August of 2011. Her essays have been published in The Ultimate Teacher, Cup of Comfort, Chicken Soup for the Coffee Lover’s Soul and Chicken Soup for the Divorced Soul.
