This week has been Mage Breaker’s launch week and, man, has it been a busy week! Busy, but exciting. It’s basically been a whirlwind of self-promotion mixed with excitement, but also tempered with realistic expectations. I want to sell ALL the books, but I realize that’s not a realistic outlook.
It’s a steady race, not a sprint. This book’s going to be around for a LONG time. That having been said, there’s still a small part of me that continues to ask “yeah, but what if?” It’s kind of the same as playing the lottery. You know what to expect but you keep that little spark alive.
Mage Breaker’s official in-person launch party was last night at Skylark Bookshop downtown. First of all, a HUGE THANK YOU goes out to Skylark for hosting! They’re such a great, cozy bookstore and they really do a lot to support authors near and far.
And, now, onto the chewy center of this blog post.
It was my first ever launch party! So, naturally, I was nervous and really wasn’t sure what to expect. My realistic brain told me to prepare for a few people to show up–mostly friends and family–and just to enjoy the moment of having released a book. But that little lottery-playing part of my brain hoped for a huge crowd.
First of all, no, there was not a “huge crowd.” But this isn’t a bad thing and I’m actually ridiculously content with the people who showed up for me. Why is this? I learned that a successful launch party doesn’t require a throng of people cramming into a bookshop. It’s what we authors all dream about but, for 99% of us, it’s not reality. Let me explain.
If you’re a hard-working small author like me, literally everything is what you make it. You can’t expect random strangers unfamiliar with you to file in and listen to you speak about your book. If this were true, we’d ALL be going to bunches of book launches. But we don’t. We support familiar authors, friends, and family.
And this is key. It’s crucial. Your support system is going to be largely your friends and family. The people who show up are there to support YOU. They may not even read your books, but they’re invested in you. Cherish them and draw your strength from them, because they’re awesome. Invite everyone you know and love to come see you and don’t feel like a failure if it’s “only family and friends” who come out to support you. BECAUSE THEY ARE COMING OUT TO SUPPORT YOU!!!
But let’s delve a little deeper. Your other supporters are your fans. And this right here is the difference between “selling books” and finding your readers. Not everyone will read your books and not everyone who reads your books will like them.
BUT…that’s not your concern as an author. You can’t appeal to everyone. So DO NOT forget about those readers who become your fans. Don’t chase what you can’t have and neglect your actual supporters!
At almost every event now I have one or two readers who show up see if I have new books out. Sometimes they simply want to say hi and hang out for a few minutes. Other times, they enthusiastically grab my latest book and literally start reading right there.
THESE ARE MY TRIBE AND I LOVE THEM! I absolutely can’t express the joy it brings me when I meet someone who’s been waiting for my next book or wants to ask me a question about a character or just wants to tell me how much they hate me because I did X to character Y (ha ha, too bad!).
And it’s not unique to those who physically show up!!! Remember, the Internet makes being an author a global thing, and many people can support you from afar. These people are just as awesome!!!
It’s not about quantity. It’s not about packing bodies into a bookshop if those people aren’t interested. Being an author isn’t a sales position. Being an author is about connecting, meeting new people, and loving words. Never lose sight of this.
Never.