Aside from promotion, what’s the first thing a new author should do after publishing their first book?
1. Start work on your next one. A new novel is the best way to promote the old one, and working on a new novel is the best way to keep yourself busy and productive during the rollercoaster of publicity. This is my key advice, but there are two other things I also do...
2. Mark the milestone. On the day I signed my publishing contract, I bought a small glass jar with some shells in it from an second hand shop. I keep it on a shelf in my house. Everytime I see it, I think of the excitement of that day. When my first novel came out, I cooked a nice dinner and my husband and I celebrated with a glass of bubbles. In some ways, that was nicer than the actual book launch because I wasn't feeling nervous about my speech!
3. Take photos of your book in the wild. It's incredibly special to see your book in a library, a bookstore, or in the hands of a friend or stranger who's about to read it. This is your books' most special birthday and you'll cherish all those photos in years to come! I have a slightly skewed photo my mother took of my book in a newsagency (a shop that sells newspapers, magazines and birthday cards) in St Helens. My book was set in that area and the staff were excited and created a wonderful display of my book. I cherish this photo now!
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| Mum took this picture in the St Helens Newsagency, 2013. |
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