This week, a friend – a fellow author – wrote to me, complaining that a lot of press for his new book might not arrive till after the holidays. I did what I could, helping him set up a reading and recommending some media outlets that might publicize the event. This is what we do, after all. I have been helped enormously by friends and by complete strangers, people who offer to read early drafts and others who volunteer their time to peruse and possibly blurb. Authors who share contacts and help spread good news. This is what we do.
Bu sometimes, things simply go wrong. This is what I wanted to tell my friend. And as I encouraged him, I found myself remembering. The time one of my books came out on what appeared to be a flawless autumn Tuesday – until we heard on the news that a plane had crashed into one of the Twin Towers. (Two, maybe three weeks later, I was already made up for my appearance on “Good Morning America” when news of anthrax in Congress got me bumped.) The timing of my first mystery – a quiet late summer day – until we heard that the levees had broken, following a hurricane that hit Louisiana hard. There were the editors who quit, were fired, or went on leave (never to return) in the middle of projects. The book that came out in the U.S. in November – and was out of print the next month. Yes, weeks before Christmas. (“Don’t worry. We’ll have it back in print in January,” I was told.)
All of this hurts. Not only does it hurt because we put our heart and soul into these projects, only to see them languish. It hurts because future projects – deals, distribution, etc. – are determined by how our past works have sold. I long ago lost my chance to be a hot new thing. Now I’m simply a working author, plugging along.
In that light, I’ve tried to encourage my friend. Not to be overly optimistic but to help, how I can. And to point out the obvious: We write, because is what we do. And will keep doing, with the help and encouragement and love of our friends and readers.
Thank you, all.
*Also the title of a song by the wonderful Robin Lane, who knows a thing or two about plugging away. Check out the new compilation of her best-known band’s music – including, yes, “When Things Go Wrong,” here.