Surviving A Book Launch As A Card-Carrying Introvert

I’ve always been a behind-the-scenes kinda gal. Maybe that was one of the reasons I was drawn to fiction – I thought it wouldn’t be “me” in the spotlight, it would be my books. That was before social media became the way of the world.  

I took to the writing life like a bear to a cave. Oh happiness! But the deeper into the writing life I delved, the scarier it became. Authors need platforms, I was told. That meant sticking my head out of the cave once in a while. It took nudging from my writing buddies, but I did it. And I even started enjoying some of it.

It was the “once in a while” that worked for me, though. As long as I had my cave/writing time, I was able to stay grounded. What I wasn’t prepared for was the dual-personalities I’d need to be a writer. I had the introvert, troll writer down, that was easy. But the public author was way harder. Especially during book launch time.

My second novel released earlier this month. The experience was quite different from my debut: easier, in that I knew what to expect, harder because I knew what was coming. Here’s what I learned about how to cope with the expectations of a book launch:

Admit defeat

I’m a planner. I map out my months, weeks, days. Weekday mornings always have the first three hours blocked off for writing. And as an enthusiastic project manager, I make a 6-month marketing plan so that I know what time to devote to promotion and how to work that around my writing time.

I learned from my first book release that there weren’t as many hours in the day as I thought there would be. I also learned that despite perfectly laid out marketing plans, the schedule will never hold. That doesn’t mean I didn’t map out every step I needed to take for this second book.

But I knew that the social media rabbit hole would suck days and weeks from my plan and that every hour (or day) of marketing and promotion requires recovery time. I learned that scheduling writing time for anything other than blog posts would be an exercise in frustration. And I’d learned that I agonize over every email and social media post to the point that I have to allow an insane amount of time for those tasks.

Admitting defeat doesn’t mean I shred the marketing plans. Admitting defeat is knowing that life will take over and my carefully thought out plans will end up going through multiple revisions. And knowing that means I can more easily adjust when it happens.

Embrace the chaos

Book promotion is like those lazy river rides where you’re floating, nice and slow one minute, bucking rapids the next. Hold on tight during the bumpy parts, try not to hit the walls of the ride or run over anyone (or get run over), and pretty soon you’ll be back to a speed where you can catch your breath.

I’ve learned when to hold my breath during the crazy times and when to release it. I’ve learned not to fight the anxiety over a day spent on social media sites instead of writing. And I’ve learned where to draw the line on what I can share.

Hide

Although perhaps the biggest lesson I’ve learned is when to hide. I know, that doesn’t jive well with promotion when your new book is about to hit shelves, but sometimes that’s exactly the time to listen to your inner troll and retreat into the cave.

Self-promotion isn’t for weak-kneed introverts. The pressure to be “on” at all times, to answer messages and tags the moment the notifications pop up, can drain you faster than a nail in a tire. Every few days I take a few hours or an entire day and log off social media and emails. I read or hang out with my son or watch a movie and crochet.

And every day, I give myself whatever time I can without electronics. The book will still release whether I’m there breathing on my keyboard 24-7 or not. But without the down-time, I can’t enjoy the journey and my mood will reflect in my interactions. So, yes, when I feel the electronic equivalent of “hangry” coming on, I retreat to my cave (preferably with a bag of gummy bears).

I love interacting with readers and I cherish hearing from people who felt a connection to my stories. That part of being an author is so different from the writing part though, that we need to remember to nurture our introvert side (at least those who have that side).

—

About Orly

Orly Konig is an escapee from the corporate world where she spent roughly sixteen years working in the space industry. Now she spends her days chatting up imaginary friends, drinking entirely too much coffee, and negotiating writing space around two over-fed cats.

She is the founding president of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, a member of the Tall Poppy Writers, and a quarterly contributor to the Writers In The Storm blog.

She’s the author of Carousel Beach (May 2018) and The Distance Home (May 2017).

Website: www.orlykonig.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OrlyKonigAuthor/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/orlykonig/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/orlykonigauthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/OrlyKonig

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OrlyKonig

About CAROUSEL BEACH

Orly’s Konig’s Carousel Beach is a powerful novel that untangles the secrets of love, heartbreak, and misunderstandings between three generations of women, perfect for summer beach reading and book clubs.

A cryptic letter on her grandmother’s grave and a mysterious inscription on a carousel horse leads artist Maya Brice to Hank Hauser, the ninety-year-old carver of the beloved carousel she has been hired to restore in time for its Fourth of July reopening in her Delaware beach town. Hank suffers from Alzheimer’s, but on his “better” days, Maya is enthralled by the stories of his career. On his “off” days, he mistakes her for her grandmother―his secret first love.

While stripping chipped layers of paint from the old horse and peeling layers of fragmented memories from the old man, Maya untangles the intertwined secrets of love, heartbreak, and misunderstandings between three generations of strong willed women.

“This captivating novel has all the ingredients for the perfect beach read or a lively book club discussion, leaving readers with a tear in their eye and a smile in their heart.”–RT Bookreviews (Top Pick!)

 

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: Contemporary Women Writers, How To and Tips