#SATurday: How I Feel About Releasing My Novel

How I Feel About Releasing My Novel

Happy 4^th to all you Americans out there! Before you start shooting off fireworks, I thought I’d share a funny little article. As many of you know, my novel—Minutes Before Sunset—releases this month. EEK! And Minutes Before Sunset begins on Independence Day. In fact, Independence Day plays a HUGE role in The Timely Death Trilogy. You know, light vs. dark and all that firework jazz. (Not to mention a certain death…but moving on.)

We’re getting so close to the release date of Minutes Before Sunset, and my silly feelings are all over the place. I’m nervous. Actually out-of-my-mind nervous.

But, Shannon, haven’t you released books before? In fact, haven’t you released these exact books before?

Yes. I have. And that doesn’t change a single little thing. My nerves are still on fire, and even though that sounds like another fireworks metaphor, I mean it more like my heart has been beating so fast that I’m hot. And in the sweaty way. Not in the wet T-shirt sort of way. (…Can I even say that? I don’t even know.)

As an author, I think many expect us to get used to these nervous feelings. In fact, I think I always thought authors probably adjusted too. But now that I am an author, I’ve realized the nerves just change from instance to instance. For example, when my first novel—November Snow—released in 2007, I was nervous, but I believe I was also in shock and a little embarrassed to even tell anyone. I was still in high school, after all, and my experiences in high school weren’t exactly popularity and parties. I basically kept my novel to myself, aside from a few students and a couple teachers supporting me here and there (and one teacher even blatantly telling me they didn’t support me). So, my first novel’s nerves were raw nerves, nerves I didn’t even know how to feel since I didn’t know what to expect. Fast-forward six years to the original release of Minutes Before Sunset and those feelings were quite similar. I had been out of the game long enough that the industry had flipped completely. We’re talking the Kindle released and self-publishing boomed. I was starting over all over again. Now that two years have passed since then, and I’m on this release, I’m nervous about many different things. So I thought it’d be fun to try to show a somewhat accurate version of how nervous feelings takeover my thought process. This is probably an average day for me.

Okay. July 28. It’s (insert number) of days away. Right? ::checks calendar for the umpteenth time like I could possibly forget the release day:: Right. You remembered. It’s (insert same number) of days away. And on that day, the new version will release. Oh, god. It’s releasing.

Will original readers like this new version? I love the new cover. It even has new editing and typography inside. The format for thoughts and telepathic communication are even different, something original readers suggested. Maybe they’ll notice? Maybe no one will notice. I hope they notice. Wait. How will I even know if they notice?

Will new readers try the trilogy? Am I doing the right thing by re-releasing the trilogy again or am I losing readers who wanted something new? What should I give readers next and when would they want it? Wait. Concentrate on what you’re doing now. Sales? Should I worry about sales? Reviews? Will reviews be different this time around?

How will readers like the last book? I’m so glad Death Before Daylight is finally getting its chance to release. Wait. What if the world ends before September 15 and no one gets to read Death Before Daylight? Well…then, I guess you have bigger problems. And that’s probably not going to happen. But you might get a cool story idea out of this scenario if you keep thinking about it…wait. Concentrate. How can you make this better for readers? What giveaways can you do? When can you write in the prequel? When could you post the prequel? Should you tweet and ask? Is that what you should tweet next? Is there anything you can tweet next? Just be yourself. Have fun. This is fun. Why am I sweating? I need more coffee. Maybe I’ve had too much coffee. What day is it again? Oh, we’re (insert same number) of days away from the release of Minutes Before Sunset.

I’m not even kidding. This is my brain.

Welcome to authordom.

~SAT