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Published Authors Share Wisdom from their Debut Journeys

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Publishing a book is the scariest, most exhilarating thing I’ve ever done. It’s hard to believe that my debut novel, The Kindest Lie, will enter the world in less than a month. One of the best parts of this journey has been sharing it with Julie Carrick Dalton and Sarah Penner, writers who are also debuting this year. Three different publishing imprints. Three very different books. Yet one shared obsession when we meet every Sunday afternoon on Zoom: Will my book be successful? Have I done enough to give my novel the best shot at success? What is success?

I turned to a few authors I admire (many who debuted in 2020) to hear what they’ve learned along the way. These writers, like most, were incredibly generous with their wisdom. Whether you have a book coming out this year or someday (and you will), save these nuggets of insight and pull them out when you need them.

What I wish I had known…

“I wish I’d known how overwhelming marketing and promotion can be, immediately after your book is released. Readings, panel discussions, interviews, book clubs, social media posts—all of these take up an amazing amount of time, and it’s important to keep your writing going. So, the best piece of advice I can give is to set aside at least an hour a day to devote to your next project. You won’t be sorry!”
-David Heska Wanbli Weiden, author of Winter Counts 

“I had such a great debut year and learned so much as a result. What I wish I’d known going into my debut year is to not be ashamed to ask for help. As Black women, we’re so used to carrying everything on our shoulders. This mind frame bleeds into everything we do. With publishing, you have a whole team behind you with years of experience in navigating the difficult terrain of editing, marketing, publicity, etc. That doesn’t mean you won’t have an opportunity to educate them on how to improve upon this in our evolving landscape between publishing and social justice; it does mean you can use their assistance to grow your platform and give voice to you and your art.”
-Catherine Adel West, author of Saving Ruby King

“As a decades-long career coach to lawyers, I pretty much “coached” the heck out of myself as my debut month approached. But the one thing that most surprised me was how quickly the satisfaction, for me, of a good review dissipated compared to the malingering of a bad one. For every author affected by bad reviews, there is one for whom negative criticism remains instructive and constructive. Sadly, I am not that author! So, having a handle on how criticism would resonate with me, and how to handle or even avoid it, was one thing I wish I’d known.”
-Natalie Jenner, international bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society

“I wish I had known how kind, generous and compassionate readers are. I have received many letters since the publication of The Mountains Sing and I count them among my precious gifts. I also wish I had known how busy the year could be. I have done more than 100 virtual events during the last nine months since my novel’s publication, many of them have been with bookshops, libraries, festivals, and book clubs. It was challenging to manage the time difference since I live in Asia and sometimes I had to do events at 2 or 3 a.m. my time, but I loved every single event in which I have taken part. I am just so grateful for the support my novel has received.”
-Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, PhD, bestselling author of The Mountains Sing

“I wish I had known how strong the temptation would be to compare my publishing path, and the success of my book, to others. From the moment you sell your book to the end of the year your book is published and beyond, there are countless ways you can compare your book to others: marketing budgets, pre-pub tours, galley print numbers, Bookstagram attention, industry reviews, most anticipated lists, best of the year lists, press reviews, best seller lists, the list goes on and on. It really is true that comparison is the thief of joy. When you compare your publishing path to others, you rob yourself of the experience of your dream coming true!”
-Louise Miller, author of The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living and The Late Bloomers’ Club

The best advice I’d give debut authors… [Read more…]

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Publishing in a Pandemic: An Insider Interview with a Book Publicist

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The first half of this year has been a monumental test in flexibility and resilience for authors and everyone in publishing. My debut novel, The Kindest Lie, will release on February 9, and that publishing date has changed several times as the William Morrow team attempted to position my book and others in their catalog for optimal success during these uncertain times. Recently, I joined the team of A Mighty Blaze, a new organization that formed to help authors and books find their readers … [Read more...]

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People often ask me what I’m reading and sometimes I forget. What’s the name of that book again? But then some book titles stick to my brain like a gecko clinging to a wall. They take root inside me and often the book itself proves to be just as unforgettable. In brainstorming the title for my own debut novel, I turned to experts who advised that authors should keep titles short for a variety of reasons: Something short will be easier for people to remember. Fewer words will fit more neatly … [Read more...]

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The usual writing advice tells you that once you find your genre as an author, you should stick with it. Readers might not follow you to the new genre, they say. Readers want to know what to expect, they say. And writers say: But what if I have a really great idea in a different genre? What if I lose my taste for what I was writing before? What if my agent tells me the market is overcrowded in the genre I've been writing and gently suggests I try something different? Like much writing … [Read more...]

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I recently shared a post on Twitter about a friend who won a writing contest. I was excited for him. Sharing his news seemed like an obvious move. Author Cai Emmons responded to my post with a simple comment: "You are a great literary citizen." I got a bit choked up when I read her comment, which seemed silly, even to me. Why did her response matter so much to me? I thought about Cai’s comment a lot over the next few days. It mattered because I cannot control what people think of my … [Read more...]

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David Corbett, here. I’m teaching at the History Writers of America Conference in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia today, so I'm handing over this month’s post to a writer I very much admire, Hilary Davidson. Before she became a full-time, award-winning, bestselling novelist, Hilary was a journalist, starting as an intern at Harper’s Magazine in New York then joining the staff of Canadian Living magazine in Toronto. After deciding that she’d rather write than edit, she left her day job to … [Read more...]

Breaking out of the Genre Pigeonhole: Tips From a Romance-Turned-Mainstream Novelist

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Under the pen name Anna Schmidt, Jo Schmidt has written over thirty novels that have collectively sold over half a million copies. She is also the author of Parkinson’s Disease for Dummies and several books on eldercare published by AARP. Her latest novel, The Winterkeeper (March 2019) is her first literary fiction release. A former marketing and communications professional for two international corporations who has also taught at the college level and run a Mom-and-Pop adult daycare business … [Read more...]

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Please welcome bestselling author Randy Susan Meyers to Writer Unboxed today! Randy's latest novel, WAISTED, tackles the hot and important topic of body image. More about Randy from her bio. Randy Susan Meyers' novels are informed by over twenty years working with criminal offenders and families impacted by emotional and physical violence. With Waisted she tackles an issue both personal and political: body image. Reviewing Waisted, Booklist wrote "Meyers exquisitely explores body image, … [Read more...]

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A friend of mine recently asked me why I write. She found she couldn’t answer the question herself, not anymore.  She’d lost the love, and she was hoping something I’d say, as well as the other writers around her, would trigger an awakening in her. She wanted to find her path back to the career about which she had once been so passionate. I think we all go through this at one time or other, when life at home becomes difficult, or when everything in your writing career goes wrong. The rejections … [Read more...]

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Recently, I presented a research paper at a publishing conference which was themed around the experience of negotiating, and signing, book contracts. The paper, based on a series of interviews with Australian-based authors, publishers and agents, looked at all kinds of questions around book contracts. One of the questions which aroused a lot of interest was the idea of the contract ‘red line’—when do you know, whatever side of the publishing table you’re on, that you need to walk away? I thought … [Read more...]

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