Working Through It

The world is kind of terrible, but we can get through this.

I’ve been in a writing rut lately and am finding my way through it. I feel bad because I don’t think I am giving subscribers enough content, but I also feel uninspired. World events can do that to us sometimes. Everything feels like too much: the media’s obsession with Biden’s age, the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, and the overwhelming desire for things to be normal for a little while. Do we know what “normal” looks like anymore? I sure don’t.

This isn’t my first time working through a terrible span in our country. I worked through 9/11, the financial crisis of 2008, the pandemic, too many school shootings to count, and much more. There are days when I fight hard to keep at it for my authors and days when I want to stare into the ocean and wait for the news cycle to calm down. If I’m being honest, I don’t see the news cycle calming down soon. The Republican National Convention is this week, immediately followed by the Olympics and the Democratic National Convention. In between that, there will undoubtedly be more punditry than we can handle.

Writing can feel especially difficult during these times, but you must stay the course as an author. You must also understand the challenges publicists and marketers face when the media and its audiences are focused on current events. When I was working on a particular book during the pandemic, a book editor at a nationally known newspaper was so unprofessional toward me that I did what publicists hardly ever do: I called them out on their behavior. After a few emails, it came down to that person having a terrible day because of internal turmoil at the newspaper, and we became friendly. This is just the tip of the iceberg of what publicists must deal with daily. We must remember that it isn’t personal, and so much is terrible now that it affects everyone differently. That goes for authors and publishing staff, too. No one sets out to fail a book, but sometimes, the world makes it hard to draw people’s attention to new releases.

If I had a crystal ball, I could tell you how books released this fall will fare. Alas, I do not, so here is my advice to authors and publishing people: Be patient with each other. Use your judgment if it seems like a bad day to pitch people. Remember, we are all in this together. Trust your publicist when they tell you there is a better time to pitch a particular angle. Show grace towards the media. Panicking over things that have yet to occur gets you nowhere. Stay in your lane of topics. All the marketing in the world can’t overcome a monster news cycle. Instead of making assumptions, ask questions. Don’t take yourself too seriously—laugh. And finally, keep the perspective that it’s just books. None of us are saving lives (unless you do so in some other capacity). Creative endeavors take time. A little patience and empathy go a long way.

END NOTES:

I was quoted in two pieces last week! The first was this Esquire article about how celebrity book clubs really work. The second was this great read about The New York Times Book Review in Current Affairs.

I’m happy to participate in Off Assignment’s Masters’ Series NAVIGATING LITERARY PUBLICITY. You can sign up here. This is the complete line-up (my session is third).

A new Substack you should check out:

Peternelle van Arsdale

has started an excellent newsletter. She’s an experienced book editor with loads of advice to offer. Here is her latest.

And finally, the Nordstrom Anniversary sale is happening now. I apologize in advance to your wallets.

-Kathleen