So You’ve Debuted Your Novel, Now What?
So you’ve debuted, now what? Some advice from authors who’ve been there!
Keep writing! Don’t neglect your own writing. This may seem like an inane thing to say, but you’d be surprised how many hours of the day can zip by in the time it takes to answer a few interview questions or peruse a couple of blogs or write your own. This is your job now. Unless you intend to be a one-hit wonder, you should be working on your next novel. Carve out time during the day and just write.
Keep it all in perspective. Some of us will find great success. We may even hit the NYT Bestseller list. Or we may not. Remember who you are first and foremost. Whether fame and fortune come your way or not, why did you start this journey? Are you enjoying the fruits of your labor? I don’t mean financially, but emotionally, spiritually – is this making you happy? I hope your answer is yes. This is all about using the gift God has blessed you with, being satisfied that He is in control of the outcome, not us. It is a wonderful thing to be able to do what you love every day. Do appreciate that, and remember, this is supposed to be fun! Enjoy the ride. But keep your seatbelt on!
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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Don’t expect to sell your next book right away. One writer compared publishing your first book to a dolphin jumping through a hoop. You are still in the same pool as before.
Don’t let a negative review get you down. Learn from it if it’s accurate or dismiss it if it’s not. And honestly, do you really trust someone who only raves about you?
Don’t give up. Keep doing everything you did before. Attend conferences. Read books on writing. Submit short stories and articles to magazines. Meet with critique partners. Read in and out of your genre. And…oh yeah…write. So that your best book will always be your next book.
Angela Ruth’s first romance novel Love Finds You in Sun Valley, Idaho released with Summerside Press this year, and her first middle grade novel The Water Fight Professional releases next summer through Blooming Tree Press. To help encourage aspiring authors, Angela started IDAhope Writers in 2008, a local chapter of ACFW.
