I Didn’t Really Think This Through…

“Unintended Consequences”
Outcomes or effects of actions or decisions that are not anticipated or intended by those who initiated them. These consequences may be positive, negative, or neutral and can occur in various contexts, such as social policies, technological advancements, or personal choices. They often emerge as a result of complex interactions within systems, and they may only become apparent after the initial action has been taken.

ChatGPT

“Write a book,” they said. “Publish the book,” they said. “It will be great,” they said. I can’t argue with that. But, I have to say, the outcome is not exactly what I thought it would be. More precisely, I should say, I didn’t really think too deeply about what the aftermath of publishing would be.

It’s been exactly 38 days since the release of my novel, Nothing Really Bad Will Happen and I am only now realizing that I may have bitten off more than I can chew. Or more than I want to chew. It’s like how I am when I go out to dinner—about three-quarters of the way through the entrée I tire of it. So I have a choice – keep pushing through and get the job done. Or save it for another day and move on to something more exciting – dessert!

That’s how I feel right now about marketing the book. The first few weeks, when there was a lot of buzz and activity, were pretty exciting. Every day, a book (or more!) was sold. I had a few speaking engagements which went pretty well.

Now, there are days when not a single book sells. This was expected. But instead of it motivating me to do more outreach, I just want to get going on my next project. I know if I don’t continue to market the book, the chance of sales growing organically is pretty small. And, besides (I tell myself…) I didn’t publish this book for the money. But I did do it to get the story out there. So, I know it’s up to me to keep going.

I think I know what the problem is.

Marketing requires that I speak to living people. Not my favorite thing. It also opens the door to possible rejection. One of the reasons I self-published was to avoid that painful experience. Marketing also requires you expend lots of effort with no promise of getting the result you desire—like physical exercise—something else I avoid!

I do want this book to be successful. I do want the story shared with as many people as possible. So—I will put on my “big-girl” pants and keep going. I shared my experience with the Daily Sprinters the other day. (My writing buddies!) About half of the group is planning to publish their family history book beyond their families. I offered myself up as the guinea pig. Maybe sacrificial lamb is a better term. No? How about “cautionary tale?”

Another unintended consequence of this writing project is the relationship I developed with the members of the group. One of the things I absolutely love about the Sprint group is having a safe space to celebrate our successes but also our struggles. If you’re a writer, I encourage you to find (or create!) a group where you can feel the support I do.

In a future post, I will share what may be the most unexpected consequence of writing this book—my relationship with Judaism. Until next time, as always—thanks for joining me on this journey!

Note: All images were created by AI – http://www.ideogram.com