First post of 2017 :).
Hope the year has been good to you so far.
A lot of thoughts have been running through my mind lately. For Ash’s book, the cover is being created as I type, and I’m SO excited. My cover designer said that I should have options to look at next week. Yay!!! Like ADORKABLE, this manuscript/book has been complete for a while, and I love it. No really, I love this book. I love the characters–Ash obviously, but the female MC is awesome. I relate to her on so many levels, and I really hope readers will love them like they did Sally and Becks.
And here’s where the self-doubt comes in.
See whenever I post about how ADORKABLE is doing on Goodreads or Amazon, I’m seriously not bragging. It’s because I still have trouble wrapping my mind around it. Why did all those people read, review, rate the book? I have no idea.
How did they find it?
What made them want to read?
Why did they give it a good rating/review?
Again…how did they even find the book???
My answer to all of these questions is the same: I got lucky.
Or at least that was part of it. As much as I love the book, as much time and effort I put into writing, editing, re-editing, researching, I’m pretty crap at marketing. I have no idea what I’m doing. Even with this post, I don’t know if it’s okay to tell people these things or if I should just keep my fears to myself. But here it goes:
I am afraid that my next book won’t do as well as ADORKABLE. There I said it. I’m afraid that readers who loved my debut won’t like this one–again, a book that I really do love so much. I’m afraid that the people who didn’t like ADORKABLE will read this one, and realize that yep, this is still the same writer whose work I hated the first time–which will undoubtedly be followed by a scathing review.
But I also know that I’m a tough cookie :).
I won’t let these fears hold me back. As I stumble/fumble my way through everything it means to be a self-published author, the one thing I will do is keep trying.
Anyway, I know ADORKABLE‘s success had something to do with luck (maybe everything). But I also know this (and if the majority the post was lemons, here is your lemonade): I worked hard, wrote a book that I loved and somehow, some way, it found its way into the hands and hearts of readers who loved it.
If that’s luck, I’ll take it.
Happy reading,
Cookie O’Gorman
I am so excited about this post. I don’t remember exactly how I found Adorkable, but I was definitely on Amazon, and I’m pretty sure it was a recommend read based on other books. It was also special priced. The cover and was so cute and so was the description. I love this book. I love to read Ash’s story. I’m so excited it not years away.
Hi Karen! I love that you found it as a recommended read–and that you liked it! :). Yay!!! And lol, yes, Ash’s book will be coming out soon so no long wait. Thank you so much for your comment!
Wow… adorkable was awesome.. im sure this one would be too.. no doubt about it.. btw cant wait
Yay, thank you! I’m so glad that you enjoyed ADORKABLE–and thanks for the encouragement about my next book :). Hope you have a great day!