1. This made me go back into my promo spreadsheet for my forthcoming book (Autofocus, 2025, Yoga with Adriene poems) and add a new column - will this FEEL GOOD or will this SELL BOOKS? One interesting thing that happened was I thought of a few new things for the SB category - but immediately was like, is that cringey? Am I too embarrassed to do such an obvious sell? Some of the SB column moves didn't have the "cool factor" of a media placement. Many were people specific (intimacy) and my imposter syndrome reared up immediately when I thought of doing things without the gatekeepey distance of media space / recognition. Obviously I can overcome this with logic, but I didn't even realize it was subconsciously there until reading your piece - thank you! It makes me wonder more broadly, are authors embarrassed to do direct work / intimacy / community re: their book because they feel it somehow de-legitimizes it?
2. "...are they feeding the author’s ego or the audience of the book?" In my experience, there's this lull of what now after your book is accepted for publication. It's a big emotional high / point of validation and then you of course want more. I feel like getting or trying to get these "prestigious" placements is part of trying to fill that void, whether authors realize it or not. I get it - because you spend so many years writing your book, working to get it accepted somewhere, editing it, putting it out. And it never feels as important as it should - it never will be to anyone but you. No one will ever match your energy, your love, for your own book. But we WANT that so we keep trying, instead of like, organizing a community yoga retreat where everyone gets a copy of the poetry book with their reg fee (also, hello, this will be coming in summer 2025).
3. "My mother, totally (she’s an overachiever), she’ll save that Boston Globe page in her little collection of papers to get the book the next time she’s out." OMG I thought it was only MY mom who had this little collection of papers. In a basket on the counter or next to her couch. Every time I'm home I try to go through it with her, clear it out, and she insists on keeping these beloved scraps!
AH, ERIN! I read this, this morning and was like okay, here are my thoughts and then I must have set my phone down and forgot about it but,
1. yes yes yes to number one, this is the things always even when you're not "promoting" something, right? But also the question of de-legitimizing makes so much sense to me. It's like at every step of the way you sort of need someone else to say "this is good..." for it actually to seem good--and also then there's this objective entity saying, "check this out, it is cool" rather than you being like ... hey, you'll love this!
2. oh my gosh the lull. We talk about it all the time, we also talk about how much the lead up to book release is an anxiety-inducing period of time and authors sometimes feel scrambled or nervous or anxious or all of those feelings combined and I always say, authors turn back into themselves after book release and whatever happens in those weeks leading up is someone else. Not everyone, of course, but there's definitely like a combustion feeling to the whole thing. I also think the idea of "success" is totally a factor here, ESPECIALLY when you've been told that THIS is what success looks like by the industry (and potentially other authors). There are so many DON'Ts in publishing, it feels like, and I wish we had more yeses, more permission? A community yoga retreat sounds amazing, and I also saw a super viral tweet the other day of someone saying they do Adrienne's stress reliever practice all the time, in any place, multiple times a year, something something. If you can find it, those are your people!
3. YES! it's such a tangible record of love and safekeeping. I love it, and it is intense. ha.
I love the question of how to reach *my* audience. It gives me something concrete to focus on that I can do while my publicist focuses on the bigger fish. Thank you as always for such an insightful post!
You are so fucking smart!
1. This made me go back into my promo spreadsheet for my forthcoming book (Autofocus, 2025, Yoga with Adriene poems) and add a new column - will this FEEL GOOD or will this SELL BOOKS? One interesting thing that happened was I thought of a few new things for the SB category - but immediately was like, is that cringey? Am I too embarrassed to do such an obvious sell? Some of the SB column moves didn't have the "cool factor" of a media placement. Many were people specific (intimacy) and my imposter syndrome reared up immediately when I thought of doing things without the gatekeepey distance of media space / recognition. Obviously I can overcome this with logic, but I didn't even realize it was subconsciously there until reading your piece - thank you! It makes me wonder more broadly, are authors embarrassed to do direct work / intimacy / community re: their book because they feel it somehow de-legitimizes it?
2. "...are they feeding the author’s ego or the audience of the book?" In my experience, there's this lull of what now after your book is accepted for publication. It's a big emotional high / point of validation and then you of course want more. I feel like getting or trying to get these "prestigious" placements is part of trying to fill that void, whether authors realize it or not. I get it - because you spend so many years writing your book, working to get it accepted somewhere, editing it, putting it out. And it never feels as important as it should - it never will be to anyone but you. No one will ever match your energy, your love, for your own book. But we WANT that so we keep trying, instead of like, organizing a community yoga retreat where everyone gets a copy of the poetry book with their reg fee (also, hello, this will be coming in summer 2025).
3. "My mother, totally (she’s an overachiever), she’ll save that Boston Globe page in her little collection of papers to get the book the next time she’s out." OMG I thought it was only MY mom who had this little collection of papers. In a basket on the counter or next to her couch. Every time I'm home I try to go through it with her, clear it out, and she insists on keeping these beloved scraps!
AH, ERIN! I read this, this morning and was like okay, here are my thoughts and then I must have set my phone down and forgot about it but,
1. yes yes yes to number one, this is the things always even when you're not "promoting" something, right? But also the question of de-legitimizing makes so much sense to me. It's like at every step of the way you sort of need someone else to say "this is good..." for it actually to seem good--and also then there's this objective entity saying, "check this out, it is cool" rather than you being like ... hey, you'll love this!
2. oh my gosh the lull. We talk about it all the time, we also talk about how much the lead up to book release is an anxiety-inducing period of time and authors sometimes feel scrambled or nervous or anxious or all of those feelings combined and I always say, authors turn back into themselves after book release and whatever happens in those weeks leading up is someone else. Not everyone, of course, but there's definitely like a combustion feeling to the whole thing. I also think the idea of "success" is totally a factor here, ESPECIALLY when you've been told that THIS is what success looks like by the industry (and potentially other authors). There are so many DON'Ts in publishing, it feels like, and I wish we had more yeses, more permission? A community yoga retreat sounds amazing, and I also saw a super viral tweet the other day of someone saying they do Adrienne's stress reliever practice all the time, in any place, multiple times a year, something something. If you can find it, those are your people!
3. YES! it's such a tangible record of love and safekeeping. I love it, and it is intense. ha.
💗💗💗
I love this post so much I hit subscribe! I love your ideas for promoting the chicken book. ♥️
I so appreciate you saying so! 💌
Love this part "...ACTUAL book sales to ACTUAL readers?" and the caps
I love a wee bit of emphasis. :)
This is brilliant. Brilliant!
I appreciate you saying that, Jennifer, thank you!
Can I quote during a couple of upcoming classes?
Of course!
thank you! I will share a link of course.
I love the question of how to reach *my* audience. It gives me something concrete to focus on that I can do while my publicist focuses on the bigger fish. Thank you as always for such an insightful post!
Sending you all the excitement and luck!
Excellent points Cassie! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Hanna!
obsessed with this as i am with all pine state's work
It’s MUTUAL.