Things People Don't Tell You After You Publish A Book

Have you FINALLY reached the stage where your manuscript is all polished off and you're ready to publish it into the world? First of all, congratulations on that wonderful achievement! That's one impressive accomplishment and you should be proud of yourself.

And secondly, before you publish your book, there are some things you should know.

1. There will be those who LOVE your book... and then there will be those who don't

You can't please everybody with your writing, so don't be discouraged if a negative review or two or ten pop up. People are picky readers (myself included), so take what they say with a grain of salt. It can be discouraging to read their negative feedback, but remember: just because one person doesn't like your book doesn't mean you're a failure.

2. People will DM you

If you're advertising your book on social media like Instagram or Facebook, be prepared for people to send you messages. It can be something like a simple "Thank you for writing this marvelous book; I'm absolutely in LOVE with it!!" Or it can go in the opposite direction. Interacting with readers is imperative to your book's success, plus it can be a fun and rewarding experience to bond with people and create relationships. And who knows; maybe someone will reach out and want to interview you(:

3. You will gain a fan club

Don't be surprised if you have some mega fans of your writing; be stoked that people adore your creativity. These wonderful individuals are your personal fan club and they'll advertise your book for you, whether that be word of mouth or posting reviews of it on their social media pages. It's an amazing feeling to see a community gathering and rallying around your book!

4. You never stop advertising

If you thought that once your book was published you could sit back and relax, think again! You need to constantly market your book in order to gain traction and find your target audience. Post quotes, reels, or sneak peeks of your novel to get people interested. If you're writing a series, you ESPECIALLY need to advertise, particularly if you want individuals who read your first book to read your second one.

5. Some days you'll sell LOTS of books, some days you'll sell zero

That's the joy with the sales industry: You never know what to expect. Everyday is different and you can try to predict how the day will go, but you'll be wrong more often than right. So my motto is this: Be grateful for any success you have! You've already succeeded by fulfilling your dream of writing an entire book; be thrilled about that!

Conclusion

There were several things I was surprised by after publishing my first book, and these are just a few of them. But I hope it helps prepare you for what'll come your way after your book is introduced into the world(:

You got this!(:

>> Berlyn Hayes

Interested in reading my books? Check them out on Amazon!

HEIRS OF SECRETS - YA fantasy, BOOK 1

PRODIGY OF REVENGE - YA fantasy, BOOK 2