Building back from a disappointing publication...

Why it can happen, and what you can do...

Hello everyone,

I wanted to write this post after a couple of requests from authors, and because I know that feeling disappointed by your book publication is, sadly, something that happens a lot. (Obviously, I wish it didn’t!) For context, one author commented recently to say: ‘It is very painful that mostly bad track is not the author’s fault; editors leaving, losing your champion etc can have a big impact. Can we have a post on how to build back from a disappointing publication?’

So to start this post logically, let’s talk about what a disappointing publication might look like. It could feel as though the book is out there but that it isn’t reaching readers - that it’s available, but that nobody is really buying it. You might feel as though your sales are declining, and that perhaps you are not getting much marketing and publicity support, or that you don’t know what is a normal amount to ask for or to expect. You might feel as though your book is languishing in the Amazon rankings without a clue how to boost it higher up. You might have had several book contracts with a publisher but then not be contracted for more. There are, sadly, a myriad of ways that a publication can feel sad and frustrating and disappointing, and I don’t think there’s much point pretending otherwise in a newsletter that is supposed to be honest. Of course, on the flip side there are lots of amazing publications and I want that for all of my authors, and not every book can be an enormous bestseller. The market shifts, things can change, and it’s important for us as publishers to set out what success looks like (as it will not be the same for every book).

For some books, success might be hitting a traditional bestseller list. For others, it might be getting an orange bestseller flag in an Amazon category, or accumulating a certain number of reviews, or selling more copies than the previous book. It might be getting a Waterstones order, or a supermarket order, or a review in a national paper. It could be getting invited to a literary festival, or receiving a lovely message from a reader who connected with your book, or hearing your Mum say that it’s been chosen for her local book group. Everyone has different markers of success, and it’s important to know what yours might be. Of course, everyone wants to shoot for the stars and I’m certainly not telling you not to, but as an editor I also have to have realistic and clear expectations for the books I publish and ideally, those should be communicated to an author (but this often does not happen, and it’s true that lots of factors are outside of an editor’s control!) Publishers do prioritise certain books over others, and they do know that some books will connect with more readers than others. It is not always linked to advance - I know books that have had low advances but done very well - and our job as publishers is to try to estimate how many copies a book might sell and then reach that target (to put it in a very, very simple way). As a writer, a lot of that is not within your control and I really do know that that can feel very hard. But it’s important to think to yourself about what success as a writer really means, too. Does it mean quitting your day job? Does it mean consistency, and repeat contracts? Does it mean just getting that debut novel you’ve always dreamed about out there? Does it mean hitting the top 100 on Amazon but never seeing your book in a physical shop? Does it mean a Netflix deal? Does it mean having a nice extra source of income that you can buy shoes with? It can mean whatever you want it to mean, and taking the time to think about that can be helpful when it comes to regaining control.

To go back to the original comment, sometimes editors do leave and move to other publishing house - usually for a new role. This is quite common; it’s a small industry, and editors can leave for a variety of reasons that include pay, promotion, to follow a colleague, to start a new list, to work on a different genre, to take on more management, etc. The same as any other industry, I suppose, though in publishing I think it’s fair to say there is a reasonable amount of movement and everyone knows each other, so often people are headhunted and end up moving jobs even if they weren’t on the hunt. Of course, sometimes editors decide to stay in a company to remain working with their list of authors (you contractually cannot usually take an author with you or approach them for a set period of time after leaving one publishing house) and nobody likes leaving authors behind - I have done this and it is by far the worst part of leaving a company; it feels really sad and it’s hard to do (though people do sometimes reunite in the future!)

For an author, hearing that an editor is leaving can be worrying. It can feel as though your champion is leaving (especially if it is the person who originally acquired you) and it can be unsettling not knowing who you will end up working with next. However, in a good publishing house, it really is true that we work together as a team, so we do our best to ensure that authors do not feel abandoned, that (of course!) newly recruited editors are the right fit for the list they will be taking over, and that knowledge and information is shared across the divisions so that the impact of an editor leaving is lessened. Plus, an editor cannot buy alone - they have to have the support of the team in order to get sign-off, so it isn’t the case that your acquiring editor is the only one who loves your writing! But I know that from the outside, not all of that is always visible, and that it can feel hard to get that phone call saying your editor is moving on.

An editor leaving isn’t the only reason a publication can feel disappointing - it can also be due to poor take-up from retail (discussed more in this post about sales), bad reviews from the media or readers, a lack of connection in terms of the messaging and the cover of your book (i.e. readers aren’t drawn to it, it doesn’t gain any organic traction), or just a general lack of energy around it. Below are some of the things I think authors can do to try to counteract this, or ‘build back’ from it. I hope they are helpful and I do want to stress that this is only my take, and that not all of them will be for everyone! Again, it comes back to what success feels and looks like to you, and what kind of writing career you want to have. So, in this example scenario, let’s say the following: you are an author who has had their latest book out; it hasn’t sold very well, and has all felt very disappointing. You might be in contract with your publisher for one more book, or you might be totally out of contract. What do you do?

1. Talk to your agent. Make a plan! I’ve done this with mine before and it’s really great to chat things through in an honest and strategic way. Decide what you want to write next - do you want to change genre and follow the market for a bit? Do you want to change names? If you accept you are not quite where you want to be, what next step can you take together? What is the agent’s take on it all, how does your publishing experience compare to those of their other authors? Do they think your publisher has done a good job? Why do they think this latest publication hasn’t worked in the way it could have? Agents are very knowledgeable people - they work with all of the different publishing houses and editors and can hopefully give you a realistic take on what they think has gone on here. And talking to you about these things is part of their job, so don’t feel afraid or embarrassed to ask.

2. Use a pseudonym. Believe me, I hear you when your internal voice says ‘but why should I?’ and I must stress, this is only an option! You don’t have to. But I want to be realistic about where the industry is at present (in order to be helpful) and it is a fact that I have seen many, many authors revamp their careers by writing a new novel, under a new name, sending that out on submission and getting a new deal. You don’t have to keep it a secret in the future - lots of people have open pseudonyms, or linked names - it’s all about how the publisher can pitch you and how retailers can view you if you can separate yourself from a previous poor track record. Some of the biggest hits of the last decade were under pseudonyms. I promise! If you want it to feel connected to you on a more emotional level then you can try a middle name, a married name, or initials.

3. Try IP! This stands for intellectual property, and most publishers do a good amount of it these days (I like doing it, it feels creative and fun!) With IP, the publisher comes up with an idea (usually something that they have workshopped with the rights and TV teams in-house, and in a genre they know will sell well) and then finds an author to write it (so a reversal of the traditional process, as it were). I have seen many authors have life-changing success with IP; it’s not for everyone as it means you give translation and Film/TV rights to the publisher in most cases, but the publisher can often sell those for good money and it can be the launch of a new strand of your career. IP contracts differ from house to house, so make sure you have a good agent check yours. If you do want to do IP you can tell your agent and ask them to give your name to editors; we are always looking for IP authors and asking agents for recommendations. So this comes back to point 1 - having a good chat with your agent about what you’d like to do. Agents also have been asking me recently about audio originals - this is becoming a burgeoning area of the market, and Audible often pay well for separate deals. This does mean a traditional deal can be harder (as the publisher might want audio rights) but again, it comes down to what you want, and if you want to try different ways of publishing, and to make money, then talk to your agent about audio options.

4. Think about genre. You may not want to write for the market, but if you really do want to see big commercial success then it is not always a bad idea. If you have always wanted to write a romantasy, now might be the time! (Of course, then it becomes saturated, and the cycle repeats…!) My point is, if you are feeling low and frustrated with your current situation, writing something uber-commercial could be a route to try, not least because you can then try to be taken on by a very commercial house (such as Bookouture) who offer paid advertising to every title. Remember, some writers do multiple things at once, so if you want to write for a more commercial market but try your hand at another project at the same time, you are well within your rights to do so.

5. Take control of what you can. I wrote a whole post about this here, and it’s worth remembering that just because your book currently feels as though it’s languishing, you can help it to reach readers by promoting it, talking about it, putting yourself forward for events and festivals. You’ve worked hard on this book. It’s probably brilliant. Don’t feel you have to give up!

6. Ask your publisher about practical, in-house options. Could they try your novels in Kindle Unlimited? (Most publishers use this now, with a couple of exceptions; my personal view is that it can be very successful, but authors have to give permission to go into it, and it might not be a part of your publisher’s current strategy). What price promotions are they putting you forward for? (Make sure you alert readers when these happen). Could there be scope for a cover and title change, if something really is not connecting? Often, publishers do think about the latter but assume an author will not want to, but if you show them that you are open to working in a collaborative way to reach more readers, then great! Of course, unfortunately, there will not always be resource in a publishing house to revamp books, but you or your agent should have that honest conversation with your editor, and see where you get to. If an author asked me this I would absolutely take it seriously, and we have definitely changed covers and titles in the past. It’s also worth thinking about rights - if your agent kept US rights but has not sold them, you could consider giving those to your publisher and allowing them to distribute into the US (which opens up a brand new market for you!).

7. Consider your targets. If you are in a multi-book contract with a publisher, and unhappy with how things are going, it might feel as though you are stuck (you’re not; if things feel really bad, you can try to buy your way out of a contract and cancel it. This does happen). Hopefully, though, you can build on where you are. Can you schedule a time to meet your editor for coffee and talk it through? Can you build a stronger relationship there? And what could be realistic markers of success, based on where you are: you might want to improve sales by 10% on the next book, or 5%, or more! You might want to hope for one retailer on board. You might want to hit the Amazon top 1000. Information is power, so find out your current sales and ask yourself what numbers might make you feel better with the next book (or take sales out of it, and focus on reviews, connecting with readers, doing a brilliant event in a local indie bookshop). Ask yourself what matters to you the most, and go for that. You will not suddenly be able to control how many supermarkets you get into, or how much marketing spend you have, or who Waterstones pick as their next Book of the Month. So be realistic, be kind to yourself, and be rational. Tell yourself you are reaching readers with your books, even if the numbers are not huge. I always feel that if my books help even a handful of people feel better for a bit, then it’s worth it! I know in hard times in my life, I have found books an amazing source of escapism and comfort and I love the idea of providing that for others. Don’t lose sight of that!

8. Read about other people’s experiences. I find it super inspiring to hear about the journeys other writers have had. Not everyone has found it easy, and you are not alone. Once you accept the reality that it can be hard but that you’re going to succeed anyway, your mindset might shift a little, and hearing from other authors is always a good way to gain perspective. Go to literary talks and ask the authors about their journey in the Q+A at the end. Read interviews with authors online. Talk to them on social media. Understand that everyone is in the same boat, and that the path to success can often include publications that are disappointing - but that doesn’t mean your trajectory is set forever.

9. Keep the faith! This is, of course, the hardest one, and I get it. But please, take a moment to remember how many people try to get published, how amazing it is that you have got this far, how impactful books can be on readers’ lives and how you are contributing to that, and focus on what you can control, not what you can’t. Publishing is a long game, and it’s a confusing one. But it can all change overnight for some authors, and if you write the best books you can and work collaboratively with your publisher and your agent, there is no reason why you cannot build back from a disappointing publication and find future success. It might look like some authors are overnight successes, but I promise you this is extremely rare. Writing can be a slog; so can publishing, and there is always a goalpost that moves or a hoop you have to jump through that you didn’t anticipate. It’s like life in that way!

I hope this helps those who are feeling sad or disappointed, and if it does, please share it with your networks. Feel free to also add your own experiences or comments below, and any tips that I might have missed.

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Phoebe x