OK, I am aware that mistakes happen and that we learn from them and that I'm only human. Some mistakes are little and some are big. So here is my big one.............. ARCS, Networking and publicising!!!
Dear oh dear, I know that being new to it all I am pretty much flying by the seat of my pants and learning as I go, but I so wish I had known and researched all that before releasing Brunswick. I mean I am a totally unknown writer and I release my first book with absolutely NO platform what-so-ever!!! That was just silly, I think my common sense was having a break that day!!
Brunswick sat there with no momentum at all. No one was looking out for it and no one had heard of it (save for a few friends and family members). Even now as I am getting ready to release my second novel, Brunswick is only just starting to get the coverage and reviews that should of been there backing it up from the start. What a terrible Mummy I have been to my baby!!! The reviews and blog tours etc that Brunswick is receiving and getting involved in now is because of the networking and publicising that I have done. But it was AFTER THE FACT!!!!! When Brunswick was finally released it sat on the shelf alone. It had no reviews, no mentions, no cover reveals or even discussions about the fact that it was a debut novel from a debut writer. NOTHING. Nobody had read it and so nobody was able to say "check out this book" and nobody knew who I was so nobody said "hey check out this debut writer".
Even now that I have put myself in the thick of it with other authors, readers, bloggers, reviewers, publishers and agents, Ann Haines and her book Brunswick are only just starting to poodle along the literary road. It is yet to gain any real momentum and (fingers crossed) take off on its own. I know that this is a long journey and if you are lucky enough to be a successful writer that it can take a huge amount of time. Still I can't help but think that it would have had more chance and gained more momentum if I had actually put it out there and asked for exposure first.
Well, lesson learned. My second book 'Mary' was going to get released at around the end of May but I have now pushed the release date back to Friday 6th July. I will be offering ARCs to bloggers and other authors that would like to read and review it for me so that, this time, the book will not be up there alone. It will have the back up from the reviews and hopefully it will have its name out there in a few discussions. I am hoping that by doing this I am giving it a better chance than I did before. Of course I can't guarantee that this is right, but from what I have learned from my previous mistake and from others advice as well, I am willing to give it a try. It seems that patience and perseverance is the key to most of what I'd like to achieve, so lets give that a go aye? This time though I intend to be a little more savvy!!
Happy Blogging
Ann
xx
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