I sit with a cup of coffee in one hand and my phone in another, watching a very entertaining and positive review of my book Fernando by Tin Minute Book Reviews on YouTube. I’m smiling as I watch because her review captured everything I wanted in a reader from this book. I was so proud of myself, and it reminded me of one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as not only a self-published writer but a writer in general. Quality over quantity wins every time.
One of my biggest struggles as an author has been marketing. Many self-published writers can testify to how much of a hassle it is being in charge of selling your own work. But one of the reasons why it is such a hassle is because of the pressure to have books constantly coming. After the rush of releasing a book dies down, I’m usually asking myself “What’s next from Chanel?” I often spend way too much time focusing on my next release which leaves no time to focus on promoting my current stuff. With this new age of instant gratification and lack of patience and attention spans, we see authors releasing a new book every two weeks it seems. Sometimes I question if I’m off my game because I’m not writing and releasing 24/7. But I should never feel this way, and neither should you.
As many of you know, Fernando was my first release in over a year. I spent most of that time in-between writing erotica under a separate pseudo name to keep myself busy, which I've also taken a break from. When Fernando was finally released this past March, I felt like I had a fresh start again, and my main focus was getting this book out there. The reviews are coming, readers are checking for Fernando and I feel like I’m slowly getting my groove back! This book is amazing, and I don’t think I’d have the energy to make my books as memorable as they are if I didn’t take my time and give them the attention they deserved.
With two other books lined up for later this year, one just being a collection of poems, I’ve remembered the importance of taking my time and putting in work to sell my stories. So my advice to you is to take your time. Love your books like they are your babies. If you have too many children back to back, that can be overwhelming right? Well, look at your books the same way. You don’t need a new book every month to stay relevant. Your hard work, no matter how long it takes, will speak for itself.