SO YOU WROTE A BOOK

As I was writing my book over the course of five years, my husband kept asking,

“What’s taking so long?”

We writer people hear this all the time. Writing a book is a freaking marathon, not a sprint. Although it would be fun to run just as fast as a Paul Doiron, an RL Stine, or a Karin Slaughter.

Well, I finished that sucker. Called it TRAPPED, a mystery for teens and adults, and published in July of 2023 with Maine Authors Publishing (MAP). There is nothing that compares to holding in your hands a book of your own creation. The joy! The relief! The satisfaction as you graze your hand over the smooth, matte-finished cover, fan all 247 pages, and catch a glimpse of that new author photo.

It’s one thing to write a book. It’s another thing to sell it. Because everyone wrote a book

during COVID. Because finding an agent, let alone a publisher, is like searching for a

penguin in Arizona. So, writers like me self-publish. Which means, I’m wondering how

I’m going to get rid of the 560 copies of TRAPPED sitting in my garage.

Let’s just say it’s taking a lot of effort and gas money and time away from the craft of

writing that put me in this position in the first place. To be clear, I’ve gotten plenty of help

and support from friends, family, and especially the amazing MAP, which is a hybrid

publisher. Yes, you pay to publish, but MAP provides a built-in network of authors and

sales opportunities and plenty of resources. However, the absolute best part of

publishing is meeting new people at events, libraries and book signings; sharing your

book with a prospective retailer; and connecting with fellow writers.

The first months after publishing seem to go like this: You’re flying high, kudos all

around, strong, early book sales, endorphins firing away, euphoria x 10. Then it’s like,

Oh crap, now what do I do? Any or all of the following will do, and for sure it’s an

incomplete list:

• Social media. Of course, but what a time suck! Get your website done before publishing, then dive into Facebook and Instagram, Insta being far more effective. I have neither the time nor courage to take the Booktok plunge.

• Traditional media. Local television (I was interviewed on WABI TV5’s Book Club); your own (daring and time-consuming) or someone else’s podcast; or radio interviews. Be sure you have a unique angle in order to pitch successfully.

• Establish online sales. Amazon (via MAP), Amazon Kindle, website. My website (brookmerrow.com) has not produced a lot of sales. Books published with MAP can be ordered directly through maineauthorspublishing.com.

• Launch party. I never did one, but it’s a great way to blast off.

• Reviews. Seems you need some kind of connection to score a print/digital review. MAP helped me on that front. A Kirkus review is nice, but that’s going to cost you. A library listserv might run a review for you.

• Awards/contests. You can pony up to enter Indie book publishing contests, which seem to proliferate in step with the rise in self-publishing. Now there are so many awards it’s hard to figure out which are legit. I entered a couple and did get recognition as a National Indie Excellence Award (NIEA) finalist. I guess anything helps.

And now for the hard part, feet on the ground: As far as actual sales, MAP canvasses

Maine bookstores regularly, but I’ve found it’s also necessary to go door-to-door to

create (and continue) relationships with retailers. Don’t stick just to bookstores. You’d be

surprised how many other stores and gift shops carry books. For example, Raye’s

Mustard in Eastport takes my book (and many other Maine authors), as does Beals

Lobster in Southwest Harbor. MAP also provides opportunities to sell books at events

and festivals where it will host a booth. These are wonderful opportunities to socialize

and hang out with your own writer-people. Like many authors, I’m independently selling

other events. Of course, you’ve got to measure the costs (space rental, tent purchase,

gas, meals and lodging) against the number of books you hope to sell.

One way to deal with all this more efficiently is to collaborate with a few fellow writers,

which I’ve found to be super helpful. Working together, we all cover more ground, make

more contacts, and sell more books as we share the load and carry along copies of

each other’s books.

When I first started marketing, my goal was to break even. Not gonna happen, although

there are a good number of independent authors who accomplish that. But over these

months, I’ve realized breaking even is not the end game. Publishing TRAPPED has

been inspiring. I have a support system through MAP, and authors I have come to know.

Every writer’s story is different; it’s been so fun sharing ideas, advice, and experiences,

and commiserating when things get tough. Like they always say, it’s the journey, not the

destination.