This is the End (or maybe the beginning)
Ask experienced writers for advice about the writing process, and they will usually say at least one of the following: Take chances. Jump off a cliff. Face your fears. That is what 38 first-time authors did over one year ago, after selling our first novels. We took a chance, jumped off the marketing cliff, and created a group to help promote our books…
There were a lot of good reasons for joining the Class of 2k7. It’s always exciting to be the first to do something, and weren’t we all about firsts? Here we were, first-time novelists, walking into a new phase of our literary careers. Some of us already had a sense of the market, some of us did not. Some of us were introverts. Some were leaders or teachers or people holding down jobs to help support our families and our writing.
It has been a complicated but fun year-it’s worth reflecting. For most of us, being part of the Class of 2k7 has been a little bit like riding a roller coaster for the very first time. At first it seemed manageable-maybe a little fast, but we could handle it. Then came the first big hill, a slow uphill climb, a lot of work. And fear. Without knowledge of what would come next. And then, as each of our books was released, we all felt the tumbling forward, the momentum, the rush. Reports came in from members during their publication weeks. Every author had unique experiences and emotions, but there were also some universals: exhilarating thrill, excitement. Also fear and, sometimes, disappointment…or at least a mildly anti-climactic wondering why getting a book published didn’t change our lives over night the way we’d spent so many years thinking it would.
There were many highlights. Movie deals and book tours, fan letters and good reviews. Articles. TV spots. We got together at BEA and ALA and made presentations at two SCBWI events. We also had to face challenges. We had to figure out how to divide a lot of work and how to include the quietest members. We had to work as a democracy to set priorities and goals among people who did not always see things the same way. Maybe most challenging for the group was that not all our members were treated equally by the publishing world around us. Some of us had publisher-sponsored book tours and promotional campaigns, while others were almost totally on their own and the Class was our best chance for wider publicity. We had to compromise and work together in hopes of finding group efforts that would benefit everyone, and make the most of our limited amount of time and energy.
We have all learned a lot. In the final analysis, the greatest benefit had nothing to do with the market or sales or reviews. Not that all the publicity hasn’t been great, and not that we haven’t benefited from the association. Yes, it has been helpful. But it hasn’t been the best part. The best part of belonging to the Class of 2k7 was belonging-having a big gang of other authors to share the things you can’t always share out loud with the world at large.
Stuff like:
It is scary.
My review sucks.
My reviews have been great.
Has anyone seen my book on an actual shelf?
Will I ever be able to finish my next novel?
And: cheer for me-I just sold something new.
Even though we are all trying to succeed at the same thing, we rejoice in our individual successes. Writing can be a lonely profession. Whether you blog or join a critique group or go to school, inevitably you must put your butt in the chair and write. You work alone. It is great to have a group of writers to recognize you and your work.
To be able to cheer and cry and get excited for a community has been a privilege. We’ve experienced this amazing year together. In the future, we know we will see other classes. If you’re a writer, no matter what kind of publicity and marketing schemes you hatch, we hope that you will always remember that one of the most crucial elements toward writing success is having a supportive community. We have had one. As the year ends, we hope you will hear more from us as individuals. We’ll be in touch!