by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Today is the launch for the first book in a new series—Quilt or Innocence in the Southern Quilting mysteries.
How often will I track its sales numbers? Rarely.
7 Tips for Releasing a Book Without Losing Your Mind:
Get off the grid. That’s right. Take yourself offline. It can be done! The longer I stay offline when I’ve got a release, the more relaxed I feel.
Don’t watch your numbers. Sales numbers will fluctuate…and most of the time we don’t know what’s behind them. It’s sort of like the flapping butterfly wings creating the hurricane.
Don’t read your reviews unless you can be objective. You don’t even have to be objective…being analytical about the reviews is good enough.
Write your next book. Always a good idea to get a jump on a sequel or another standalone.
Write guest posts. Not only will a well-crafted guest post keep you distracted, it will also help circulate that book cover and headshot of yours.
Don’t sweat the stuff that’s out of your control. My book cover and book description for today’s release didn’t appear on Amazon until close to the launch day (I wasn’t the only one this happened to.) This was out of my control…I didn’t worry over it.
Don’t be so wrapped up in your book that every tweet, every blog post, every Facebook update….every message you send out into the world, basically, is about your book. Not only will that drive you crazy, but it’ll drive everyone else crazy, too.
How do you keep yourself distracted when you’ve got a new release?
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And now….for the Crazy Cozy Blogfest! :) Hart
Johnson and I have releases today—the first books of two new series. Our blog hop means that we’ll pop by all the registered blogs and read pitches for the nuttiest cozy mystery premise. Our two favorites will receive signed copies of both our books.
Here’s mine. And this was a lot harder for me than I thought it would be! I think that’s because I spend so much of my time coming up with logical and saleable cozy projects. I’m thinking that my own entry isn’t going to be nearly as entertaining as everyone else’s!
Crazy Cozy Spoof Pitch:
Protagonist: My sleuth is a middle-aged professional sandcastle artist and each book is set at a different beach. Perfect for the beach reading audience! (Okay, on some level, I’m still going…hmm. I could write this…) She’s also a former bounty hunter with lots of experience in bringing in bad guys (now this is where I can no longer sell this book…ha!) And it’s hard for her to walk away from this profession—she still longs for the excitement.
Sidekick: Someone who’s obsessed with metal detecting and travels to these beaches with the sleuth (why not?)
Theme: I guess this would be pitched commercially as beach hobbies?!
Victim #1: I think I’ll go with a cruel lifeguard, here, going along with the beach theme. So, a lifeguard…maybe with a drinking problem. (Shoot…I’m still thinking I could write this…) The victim is found at the beach, dead. He was passed out on the beach and the killer smothered him with a beach towel.
Suspects: In one single day of treacherous rip-currents, three separate swimmers lost their lives while this lifeguard was incapacitated and on duty. So…yeah, lots of people want to kill him. We’ll also throw in a wife who he’s mistreated for years, as the wife’s brother helpfully informs the sleuth. And, what the heck—maybe we’ll also include a jealous husband because the lifeguard was involved with his wife. Even this life guard’s dog doesn’t like him.
Victim #2: The mistreated wife. Bludgeoned with the sleuth’s-sandcastle-creating shovel.
Killer: No, the dog doesn’t do it, only because I can’t think of a way he could have smothered the lifeguard with a beach towel. We’ll have the killer be the wife’s brother. He’s in grave financial straits and knew that the lifeguard and his wife had just won a settlement on a medical lawsuit…he killed them both to get the money. Oh, and the killer is a professional clown. Just because. :)
Looking forward to seeing everyone else’s! And, if you’re looking for a quick summer read for yourself or a friend, Hart and my books aren’t nearly this wacky! And they’re available now: Azalea Assault and Quilt or Innocence. You can find them online or in bookstores in print and in ebook.
Thanks everyone!
Congrats on the new book, Elizabeth! Looks great.
Elizabeth – Congratulations!! I am so very excited for you! I’m getting my copy today, that’s for sure. And thanks for sharing your idea of how to release a book and still keep your mind ;-). I think the idea that stands out most to me is to just keep on writing and not pin so much on that one release that you let it get to you. I wish you every success with Quilt or Innocence and I know it’ll be great.
Great tips on staying sane during something so important.
I love your spoof and now am going to change my profession to sandcastle builder.
Yes your book would make a great summer (at the beach) read.
Teresa
Congratulations on the book release today. Can’t wait to read it. It’s on my desk to be read next right after I finish Hart’s THE AZALEA ASSAULT. Looking forward to meeting your new protagonist and the professional sandcastle artist sounds like fun too.
Great blogfest. I enjoyed participating.
Wishing you much success.
Mason
Thoughts in Progress
Congratulations with your new book. I will add it to the cart next time I order stuff from Amazon >:)
Cold As Heaven
Good luck with your new book! Nice to meet you :)
Congratulations, Elizabeth on your new book. These are such valuable tips –
Good luck with your blogfest – it’s a fun concept but I’m just not someone who could come up with a viable entry.
Karen
Congratulations, Elizabeth! Posted about the blogfest and your books, so hope you have a good turnout today.
Like your tips for not going crazy. I can relate. Although I confess I’ve been watching my books’ rankings at Amazon UK for a few weeks now.
How fun! Love the sand castle idea even if it is a spoof. Congrats! And I think that’s the best idea ever – get offline and relax the day of the launch.
Congrats on Release Day! This is a fun blog hop.
Love your tips, especially the Write your next book idea.
Thanks for coming up with this blogfest. At first I had no idea what the idea was but I quite enjoyed it. I hope you do well in sales.
Too funny–oh, my first five or six ideas I was also thinking… no wait… I could write that! You got all the important details in here! I wasn’t so diligent.
I don’t think I can stay offline… maybe for later books. Not for this one. So insanity here I come…
Kathleen–Thank you! I had fun writing it.
Cold as Heaven–Thanks! And thanks for coming by. :)
Alex–Ohh…now you’re tempting me! I don’t think I usually show up on the UK site that much…I *might* have to check into that. :)
Laura–Think I’m going to have to–I’ve got a million errands for the kids today! Ack. :)
Margot–Thanks so much! And yes–not having an “only child” for a book is so important!
Teresa–Yes, wouldn’t that be fun? I think I’ll change my profession to a professional sand castle builder, too! (Of course, mine would love awful because I’m not artistic!)
Mason–Loved your entry in the blogfest! And I know you’ll love Hart’s book–I got a sneak peak. :)
Clarissa–Glad you enjoyed the blogfest! I enjoyed reading your entry. :) And thanks for the good wishes!
Siv–Thanks! Good to meet you, too. :)
Hart–I think we’ve convinced ourselves that we can write *anything*! There’s a danger in that. Ha!
Yeah, I watched pretty obsessively for my first one, too. Gave me a stomach ache! I *did* take a look this morning at our numbers..thought they looked good!
Aw…I wasn’t that extensive, since I stuck with the template since there wasn’t an example to build my blogpost in the blogfest out of.
That was one strange run-on. :p
Great advice for staying sane during a book launch, Elizabeth! And congratulations on releasing your latest book! I’ll be looking for it!
Congrats and what a great off the grid way you girls are managing this. I’m having much too fun for a rainy tuesday! I like your crazy cozy – sign me up!
Congrats on the new book :) I need to hop over to amazon and place my order…now to create a cozy proposal :) looks like fun!
congratulations!
fantastic advice & fun beach cozy mysteries! love the setting & setup!
ohhhhh a cozy set on a beach, that would work for me :) Congratulations on the release!!!
Have a wonderful day,
Sylvia @ Playful Creative
Clowns creep me out so I can totally relate to the killer being one. Congratulations on your new book!
As for distracting myself when I (self-published) my book — I find medication and drinking to be reliable distractions.
BIG congrats on the launch of your new Southern Quilting Mystery series, Elizabeth! I love the title (Quilt or Innocence), the cover’s beautiful, and I know I’m going to love what’s inside. Fantastic tips on book launch day, too. I especially agree with focusing on writing the next book. Very good advice…because your readers are going to want your next book soon!
Beach Towel *snorts* – that was hilarious. You could totally pitch that book, though. I loved the sand-castle building bounty-hunter, *guffaws*.
Congrats on the new series/new release, Elizabeth!
Congratulations on your release! I love the beach setting in your spoof pitch.
I like the sandcastle maker/bounty hunter angle. Could make for an interesting risk!
Congratulations and thanks for the tips! I enjoyed your story, and am looking forward to your book.
Kathy M.
Karen–Thanks so much for coming by! I appreciate it. :)
Chihuahua Zero–I enjoyed yours! And I’m a rule-breaker…mine was way too long. That’s because I just turned in a proposal a week ago that was about that long and organized about that way. But it didn’t have bounty hunters in it. :)
Jodie–Sanity has never been one of my strong suits, either! :) Thanks for the good wishes.
Jan–Thanks for being part of it! Hope the sun comes out soon!
Maryellen–I’ll look forward to yours. :) And thanks!
Carol–It’s made it a really fun day!
Tara–Same to you! I loved your crazy cozy. :)
Sylvia–Thanks so much! I appreciate your participating in our big day!
Helena–They scare me, too. That Stephen King and his “It” messed me up for life.
Ha!! Well, a celebratory glass or two…why not? Sure helps take the edge off. :)
Cleo–Thanks so much! There’s always another book to write, isn’t there? Good thing for us that you feel the same way about keeping on writing–I love Clare Cosi in your Coffeehouse Mysteries!
Carrie-Anne–I keep wanting to do a beach book. :) At least I could spoof one!
Kathy–Thanks so much! And thanks for participating…I enjoyed visiting your blog!
And don’t forget to breathe!
Congrats, Elizabeth.
Diane–Breathing…yes, that’s something I’ve forgotten to do a lot today!
Gwen–Yes, wasn’t that set-up realistic? ;) Ah, yeah, but there were moments there when I was convinced that, with a few tweaks, I could sell it. Ha! I think it’s the lack of sleep talking, at this point…
amyandthepen–Ha! Exactly. :) And then we’ve got the ticking clock scenario, because who knows when the tide is going to come up and wash everything away…
LOL! I thought this was going to be more advice on how to promote, but it was about stopping the madness and writing!
Thank you for this.
Oh, and the former bounty hunter as professional sandcastle builder… I would SO buy that.
I don’t have time to do one of these myself right now, but I’m gonna have fun reading through the entries.
Elizabeth,
Congratulations on the new series! I’ll be giving my s-i-l quilting books for Christmas, with a mystery right on top!
(And Cleo, the woman in front of me at the library today had TWO of your Coffeehouse mysteries!)
All very good tips. Yeah, just get off the grid. Go out with someone special and celebrate with something to eat then a movie.
Good luck with Quilt or Innocence!
I was planning on participating in this and then after finishing my entry realized I didn’t read the rules correctly. But I made a post anyway and promoted your books! And I had fun reading some of the other entries. :-)
http://juliedeguia-writer.blogspot.com/2012/06/crazy-cozy-blogfest.html
Oh my gosh, you’re good at even creating wacky stories! That mystery COULD be written :)
I love, love, love your tips for a book release. I’m not there yet, but one thing I think I’d do would be to obsess over it. But you’re right, once it’s out there, there’s only so much the writer can control.
Congratulations on your book release!
Belated congrats to you—your day off-grid was an inspiration & now I wish you great success…also with the sandcastle theme—you seem able to conjure them. Tks also for scanning my effort—never tried a cozy before in my life—but what fun it was to do.
Hi Elizabeth .. “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” – should be our maxim all the time … I’m sure too many of us worry constantly unnecessarily!
Cheers – you do so well and it’s always so inspiring to read .. Hilary