Eight years ago today, my very first published novel hit the shelves. Unlike nearly every other book I’ve written, THE MOMENT BEFORE shot out of me fast. It was not the first YA book I wrote, rather, was conceived after THE EMPRESS CHRONICLES went on sub and didn’t get picked up. Yes, folks, TMB was my revenge book. A book fueled by rejection, grief and, I must admit, anger.
Armed with determination and “I’ll show them,” TMB splatted out of me in two months. (Two drafts, actually). Under the initial name RAISING CHEER, TMB sold quickly, and dragged its older sister along in a two-book deal. Oh, the good old days.
Back in 2014, in-person book events were still a thing. Even a year later, in 2015 (or as I like to call it, the year before the idiots took over the country), much of the fun of launching a book was the sky’s-the-limit creativity in planning a tour. High school and bookstore visits. Writer-in-residence gigs. So many tactile, IRL events!
In contrast, the past two years have been challenging for writers. My debut adult novel, FAULTLAND, came out in March of 2021, and all the events were over the transom. The dreaded Zoom. Such a different experience for a writer. Everything about promoting remotely feels wrapped in PPE, you know? A step removed. And I wonder if the reading experience feels this way, too. Buffered by collective anxiety and uncertainty. I, myself, am “listening” to books more often than reading them these days. Blame my fragmented attention span. And, I’m not alone. According to recent analysis, this last decade has seen audiobook sales increasing14.3% year-over-year (at this writing, an audiobook for Faultland is also in the works).
In my darkest imaginings, I worry that the future of literature might go the way of Melania’s eyes, reduced to NFTs, where the symbol of the thing replaces the thing itself. But the proponents of crypto-creep in the world of artistic remuneration seem intrigued by the possibilities, where an entrepreneurial writer might fund their art through savvy blockchain subscriptions, engaging readers more directly. (In a way, just by having this Substack partnership, I’m sort of already doing this!)
At the end of the day, I’m a brick-and-mortar girl at heart. Still in the chair beating sense into my Word doc one sentence at a time. That said, in honor of my eight-year-old’s book birthday, I have a digital party favor for you (in browser view, click on the “read now” to initiate the download of an excerpt from my favorite chapter of THE MOMENT BEFORE. It’s safe! I promise!)
Those were the days. Thanks for the birthday party!