Sinking back into oblivion as a first-time author
Coping with invisibility and the dreaded second book syndrome
After spending weeks, months or even years in the pupal stage, the average butterfly only lives for two weeks. Some species can survive for much longer, depending on factors such as the climate and their ability to enter a sort of hibernation called diapause. The migratory Monarch Butterfly can live for up to eight months in Australia if conditions are favourable. But eventually, their time will run out.
Being an author with a new-release book feels a lot like being a butterfly. After years of behind-the-scenes work, your book is finally in shops, in libraries, in readers’ hands – and that feeling of being seen, finally, is addictive. But it’s also short-lived.
New books are published continually. So many new books! And bookshops and libraries only have a limited amount of shelf space. For most authors, this means that after several months your book will begin to disappear from those bookstores and fewer readers will be talking about it, which is totally understandable. It also feels pretty awful.
In indie spaces, the advice on tackling this period of dwindling sales is to write and release another book as quickly as possible, which makes sense. Unfortunately traditional publishing doesn’t work at the same pace as indie publishing. On top of that, second books can be notoriously difficult to write and to sell.
At Newcastle Writers Festival this year, I attended an excellent session called ‘First Time Lucky? Overcoming Second Book Syndrome’ in which Amy Lovat, Courtney Collins, Hayley Scrivenor and Jessie Tu spoke openly about their experiences of releasing a second book. All had successful debut novels, and all faced challenges, both internal and external, to producing a follow-up book.
When writing a second book, the mind games can be intense. If their first book was a breakout success, an author might worry that they’ll never be able to repeat it. Conversely, if a debut novel sells poorly it will be much harder to convince a publisher to take a chance on another book. Either way, most authors feel pressure to produce a second book that’s demonstrably better than the first. But it also needs to appeal to readers who loved the first book, readers who keep asking when that next book will be out.
The more authors I speak to, the more stories I hear about second books that were rejected by publishers. Some of those books were contracted as part of a multi-book deal and for others the publisher had first right of refusal. The reasons given varied, but were often to do with publisher and reader expectations: either the publisher had a different vision for the direction of the author’s career or the publisher felt that the tone of the book the author delivered wasn’t sufficiently in keeping with reader expectations based on book one.
I naively thought I might dodge second book syndrome, having already completed the first draft of my next novel when I signed the contract for All You Took From Me. But I was wrong. Over the last year I’ve reworked that manuscript more times than I care to admit while simultaneously dealing with the extreme highs and lows of releasing and publicising my debut novel.
I’ve loved every minute of the festivals, bookshop and library talks, radio and podcast interviews – connecting with readers is what it’s all about. But I’ve also found myself dwelling on factors outside my control, like reviews, and spending too much time on social media, which in turn negatively affects my mood. The upside of reduced visibility nine months down the track is that I’m now spending far less time on social media and finding more balance in my life.
So how to cope with the emotional challenges of a first book disappearing from shelves and the stress of everyone asking about book two when you don’t have an answer for them yet?
Here’s what I’m doing:
Finding pleasure in the craft of writing. There’s nothing like nailing a description that captures the universal in a unique way, writing a scene that moves you as a reader or experiencing total immersion in a story world to keep you coming back to the task of writing.
Saying yes to publicity opportunities that work for me. Most of the events and interviews I’m doing now have come about because someone has read my book and enjoyed it enough to reach out, which is a gift that I’ll never take for granted. But I’m taking a break from actively pitching for a while and using that time to create new work.
Reconnecting with family and friends. In the post-release months I invested a lot of my time in promoting the book, sometimes at the expense of time with the people who keep me grounded. I’m trying to put that right.
Reducing time on social media. This is tough, because I’m part of a great community on social media, but I am trying to set limits for my own good. Disillusionment with Meta is helping on that front.
Attending other authors’ events. Book launches are especially good for the soul. What could be better than a joyous gathering of readers and writers to celebrate books? They remind me what an extraordinary privilege it is to have had a book published at all and what a wonderful community we have.
Interviewing other authors about their books and sharing what I’ve learned with others. This is a great way to stay connected with the writing community and readers in between books, to stay visible and to give back.
Writing about it on Substack ;)
For those who missed this year’s Newcastle Writers Festival, my Date with a Debut panel was recorded and will be released as a Words and Nerds Date with a Debut podcast in the near future. I also have a couple of events coming up in the Blue Mountains which I’ll add to my website and share on social media soon.
In the meantime, I’m interested in how other authors cope in this liminal space between books. Any and all tips are welcome!
This is super-relatable, Lisa. Not sure I have any advice but as time goes on, I find more and more solace in focusing on the writing and not on the selling/pitching. It's a daily battle to avoid comparison-itis but I try to remember how happy I felt to have one book in the world and remain grateful for all that has happened since. I'm especially grateful for the incredible people I've met - this is perhaps more significant than sales numbers. Publishing is an odd business where quality of course matters, but luck and timing seem equally important. I've now realised that I probably wouldn't enjoy the pressure that comes with being a mega-bestseller, nor would I enjoy being away from family for extended tours and publicity. I also sense that even the most successful authors perhaps never quite feel they've 'made it' because there are always bigger and better goals ahead. How much is enough? All you can control is your writing. That's it. And that's where to invest the energy.
A poignant reminder for us all, Lisa. I recall going into BigW at the end of September the year my debut came out (released in June) and the employee was literally scooping my books of the shelves to make space for the "Christmas" big names. I wanted to sit down on the floor and cry! How were people supposed to discover my books after 3 short months? I was told I was lucky to have even had books in BigW because so many authors don't get that, which is true.
As has already been said, so much of the tough times in this industry are completely out of our control. Luck, timing and publisher investment play a much bigger role than the quality of the book, sadly. So we remind ourselves why we write: to tell stories that resonate with readers. That's all we can do. Oh and hope. We can always hope!