After the High: How to manage author wellbeing after your book launch
I anticipated publication could be a stressful time, and made a plan as to how to manage this, which I wrote about in a previous blog post. However, post-publication I have been struggling quite a lot, so I wanted to both revisit this plan and reflect on what I’d do differently.
Pre-publication: so far, so good
The pre-publication plan itself went well: by following the steps I outlined, I was able to keep myself on a pretty even keel.
The one thing I didn’t anticipate was how much the following fear would hit just before publication: that people who had offered to support me and said they were looking forward to reading Flat 401 would be disappointed by it. I got through this by reminding myself that their support for me was not contingent on the book itself, that many people had already liked the book, and that it was OK for me to tolerate the uncertainty and variety around what people’s reactions might be.
The real struggle came post-launch.
Post-publication: what have I learnt?
The launch of Flat 401 was beyond anything I’d hoped for: joyful, supportive, and full of connection. I felt surrounded by encouragement and love, both in person and online. It was a huge high.
But, as with any high, there’s often a low that follows. In the weeks after, I was hit by that contrasting withdrawal of attention, praise and celebration. Getting COVID didn’t help - it knocked me out physically and kept me from my first Harrogate Crime Writing Festival as a published author. Missing Harrogate meant missing out on further celebration with my peers and also being able to form further connections to promote Flat 401. It also decreased my level of physical activity, which is known to contribute to low mood.
I’m coming out of the low now, and wanted to share some reflections that might help authors approaching their own publication date.
Looking back, I think that if I had my time again, I’d plan in more positive reinforcement for the post-launch weeks. (The concept of ‘reinforcement’ is a central one in behavioural theories of depression – the idea here is that a lack of a positive response to our efforts makes us less likely to make an effort, leading to a vicious cycle of decreasing activity, reduced opportunities for positive reinforcement, and increasingly low mood.)
Next time, I’ll try planning more things that are unrelated to sales or publicity but are still rewarding. Time with friends. Regular exercise. Activities that create their own sense of achievement and pleasure. That way, I think the drop-off wouldn’t feel so sharp.
I’ve also learned to spot when self-promotion is tipping into something unhelpful. It’s important to me (particularly in the current climate) to support my publisher’s efforts but the truth is, most author promo doesn’t dramatically shift the dial on sales, and when you pour effort into something with little visible return it can feel punishing rather than reinforcing. When I noticed how frazzled I was feeling, I gave myself permission to not do any active self-promo for a week.
I can already see the benefit.
And, as always, I’ve kept writing. Because writing is not only reinforcing, it also gives me a sense of flow – I can immerse myself in it, which has been shown to be good for wellbeing.
The glow of launch was amazing, and I’m so grateful for the support I’ve received, the connections I’ve made, and the ongoing efforts of my publisher and agency team to get the book out there, but this experience has shown me that post-publication well-being is something I could benefit from planning for.
I hope that these tips about seeking out alternative sources of positive reinforcement, and limiting your focus on self-promo and how your book is doing, might help other authors adjust to weathering the quieter weeks that follow.