A member of an author group I belong to asked this question and received a plethora of advice. There was marketing advice, advice on how to get reviews, and advice on how to deal with reviews, and how to set up book signings. It was intriguing to see the how other authors responded.
My advice to anyone after their first book is published to start a new project is if you haven’t started the next book, start right now before you even think about looking at your reviews. Why? Because if your reviews are glowing, you can get caught up in the “oh my, I’ll never be able to write anything as good as this book” and talk yourself into a good case of writer’s block or worse be very disappointed when those reviews do not translate into fantastic sales figures. If your reviews are negative you can also talk yourself into the “a five-year-old with a pack of crayons could have written a better book, why did I ever think I could write” kind of writer’s block. I’ve had friends who have struggled with both types of blocks. I don’t personally struggle with writer’s block because I’m blessed with a mind that is so easily distracted, I can forget about reviews and keep writing. I also am good at disassociating and enjoy my imaginary friends and writing is my refuge. For those of you out there who are about to be published, congratulations on your accomplishment. Take a moment to enjoy and celebrate. Then get back to work!
*** Thanks to Scott for this platform. I promise to be around more in the future. ***
Brenda Murphy writes short fiction and novels. She loves tattoos and sideshows and yes, those are her monkeys. When she is not loitering at her local tea shop and writing, she wrangles two kids, one dog, and an unrepentant parrot. She reviews books, blogs about life as a writer with ADHD and publishes photographs on her blog Writing While Distracted.
You can find her on Facebook by clicking here.
Website: www.brendalmurphy.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Writing-While-Distracted
SaveSave
SaveSave
