PubDate minus 4
When speaking with a client this week, I mentioned that The Little Ambulance War of Winchester County will be released on the 10th of September, he commented that I achieved a milestone. And he repeated it, then he corrected himself, saying, “That’s not a milestone, you met the objective.” I waved my hand in front of the camera wanted to interrupt. He saw me. “It is just a milestone isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“The objective is sales.” By that I mean revenue.
How true. The milestones hit involved writing a novel (done that several times). Finding a publisher, (success exactly one time). Getting through a year of preparations and marketing so that we can launch the book successfully. But we’ve all put money and time into the project. I love to write, but the rest of the effort qualifies as work, and it can be expensive. In modern publishing, I’ve hired my own marketing team. I pay for additional editor time. And while the publisher promotes in their way, the author (me) is expected to be an equal partner in that effort. Giveaways, travel, advertising on social media, building a social media persona, and paying editors and advisors. I don’t begrudge the costs, because no commercial endeavor is free of cost and free of risk.
On the first of July, I did nothing with social media. Now I have a robust mailing list, posts that reach out, and a goodly sized following on GoodReads. Elina, my marketing professional, worked every week to bring these ephemeral numbers up from zero. And we did it successfully.
What happens next? A novel drops in a Vermont forest on Tuesday 10 Sept 2024 will anyone buy it? Will anyone listen to me read it as an audio book.
I am, the entire team is, four days from “pubdate” and even yesterday in a meeting I said, we’re looking past that point. Let’s plan October, build a budget for 2025 and think about the short story series and book #2, “Stolen Mountain”. As much as I want to spin in circles with worry. There is nothing more I can do about effecting the sales during the first week.
Suddenly next Tuesday, I become a published novelist and start heading to public events and must start planning the release of novel #2. It is a job and it requires work and courage.