Publishing in Quarantine: My New Releases

Publishing is always weird. There are so many moving parts in this business, and whether you have a traditional publisher who navigates some of it with and for you or you do it all independently STUFF HAPPENS!

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Luckily, improvisation and creativity go together, so we find new ways to move forward.

When conventions had to cancel for quarantine, content was moved online.

When book launch celebrations and events couldn't be held in person, social media and digital meeting spaces grew to fill that need.

When production and delivery delays occur, we learned to roll with it and be grateful for readers that will support us even when there are snags.

So far, quarantine has meant that two conventions I was scheduled to be a part of were cancelled. One of them has moved a fair amount of the content online, which helps, but it's not the same kind of charge I get from doing it "live and in person" even if online means potentially a broader audience because you're not limited by time and space.

I had TWO book releases under quarantine so far. I don't actually know how they are doing sales-wise yet, since there's lag between information on sales going to my publisher and being conveyed to me. I'm trying not to worry over it. The nice thing about books is that they don't "spoil"--you can read them a long time after they were released and still enjoy them. I'm lucky in that my creations have a long "shelf life" in that way.

It's *still* exciting! Even when I can't have an in-person launch party or sell my books from an author table at a book fair or convention, I still get a jolt just knowing that my book babies made it out there into the world. Look at the set now! There are five sisters in the Menopausal Superheroes family now!

Personally, I'm buying more books than usual, but I know that books are on the inessential list for families that are struggling financially. We're lucky in la Casa Bryant, with both parents still able to work full time, from home. My mortgage payment doesn't rely on my book money. I teach, too, so I'll make it even if the quarantine means fewer sales.

I'm glad my publisher put book one in the series on longterm sale. It's a good time for escapist fiction, and 99¢ is within most budgets, even on lockdown. (BTW: Falstaff Books has *all* their first-in-series books on 99¢ sale for the time being)

Take care of yourselves out there. These are strange times, indeed, and more strange times are likely on the horizon. Remember that heroism comes in all shapes and sizes. May you find the strength you need for whatever battles you must fight!