THAT’S A WRAP
Thanks to Catherine Wallace Hope (Once Again, 10/6/2020) for creating this gorgeous graphic of all the 2020 Debuts books.
It’s the last day of my debut author year, and I can’t resist just one final post. In this blog, I promised to reveal the ups, the downs, and everything in between of the debut novelist experience. My prior posts provided some details as they happened, but here is my year-end wrap up.
What were the memorable “ups” of the debut author experience? There were so many, but here are some that really stick out:
Finding out that Maureen Corrigan reviewed my book in the Washington Post and called it a “lively suspense diversion.” I’ve listened to Ms. Corrigan for years on NPR’s Fresh Air and never in a million years would have imagined her reading my book, let alone giving it a positive review. Yes, I was (am) a little starstruck.
Hanging out with some of my fellow 2020 Debuts authors in Los Angeles just prior to lockdown. (See my 3/4/2020 post, Debutantes Having a Ball.) Although I’ve been able to make some strong connections with authors and readers through social media or Zoom, there’s something so special about meeting someone in person, sharing a plate of food, drinking to one another’s future success. It’s what I miss most during the pandemic. That and hugs.
Every single time someone reaches out to me to tell me they loved A Good Family. You don’t have to be a fancy book critic or even a particularly well-read person — if you read my book and enjoyed it enough to tell me so in an email or on your podcast or in an Amazon review or Instagram post, you’ve just made my day. Seriously. And I can assure you that pretty much every debut author — even (or especially) the ones who appear successful or super-cool — feels the same way.
Seeing some of my 2020 Debuts and Writers Grotto friends’ books appearing on NY Times and other bestseller lists, NPR’s best-of round-up, Goodreads Readers Choice semi-final and final ballots, Reese’s Book Club and Good Morning America monthly picks, PEN America and the Center for Fiction and other literary award lists. I know how long and hard they’ve worked for that success. And how cool is it that I now have famous author friends!
What were the memorable “downs” of the debut author experience?
I’m not gonna lie: checking my Amazon Author Central numbers and seeing how few copies of A Good Family have been sold. My only solace? The report says e-books and Kindle aren’t included in the numbers, so I’m hopeful the actual numbers are better than the Bookscan reports.
Seeing MOST of my 2020 Debuts and Writers Grotto friends’ books NOT appearing on NY Times and other bestseller lists, NPR’s best-of round-up, Goodreads Readers Choice semi-final and final ballots, Reese’s Book Club and Good Morning America monthly picks, PEN America and the Center for Fiction and other literary award lists. I know how long and hard they’ve worked to publish their books, and it hurts not to see that work rewarded in the form of sales or attention or awards — or ideally all of the above.
What were the memorable “in betweens” of the debut author experience?
All the launch events I was able to have for A Good Family with my super-supportive writer friends Vanessa Hua, Hannah Bae, Kevin Smokler, and Angie Kim, as well as other events I participated in to celebrate other authors’ books such as Lydia Kang (Opium and Absinthe), Tosca Lee (The Line Between), Samantha Verant (The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux), Finola Austin (Bronte’s Mistress), Karen Dietrich (Girl at the Edge), Sarah McCraw Crow (The Wrong Kind of Woman), and many more. (See the Events and Bio pages to watch/listen to my chats.) I count this as “in between” because, as great as these events were, we’d normally be holding them in bookstores where we can interact with readers and one another. Like I said, I miss the hugs.
Learning how to use Canva to create social media posts to highlight 2020 Debuts and Writers Grotto and #ownvoices books. I count this as “in between” because, while it’s fun to spend hours matching my friends’ books with just the right Little Free Library or local foodie favorite, I know what I’m really doing is procrastinating from writing my next book. (Busted.)
For all of you who have supported me this year — particularly my family, friends, 2020 Debuts and Writers Grotto members, and of course my readers — thank you for making this a year to remember. And for those of you aspiring authors out there who wonder if all the pain and effort and rejection is worth it, I can assure you: it absolutely is.
Happy new year, and keep buying books from your local booksellers in 2021!