Dear 2021 Debuts,
It's your debut year, a wonderful and stressful time in your life. I may not be able to hold your hand in person (yet), but here are a few things I've learned along the way:

Publishing can make you feel like it's your job to sell books. Unless you own a book store or a major distribution chain, it's really not. Let me repeat that: You are not a bookseller. It is not your job to sell books.

Your job outside of writing your next book, is to support your debut. What does that look like? Communication. Leverage your contacts. Put the asks out there. Coordinate with your publisher. Do virtual events. Maintain your social media. Sales numbers are not on you.

Leverage your contacts: People want to know what's going on in your life. Let them know! It's really okay to reach out and share the info and buy links for your debut. Most people really appreciate the information. Don't be shy, but also don't stress about it. Keep it simple.

Coordinate with your publisher: Don't be afraid to communicate. When in doubt, ASK. If you love writing blog posts, ask about blog tour opportunities. If you love virtual events, ask about those. Make a list. Ask about all of it. Offer YOUR ideas. That's being a team player!

Circle up with your agent regularly during debut year. Set up mtgs/communications in advance. Share those lists, ask for input, be proactive. No one will be annoyed with you. They should appreciate your energy and professionalism. Follow through and keep moving.

Leverage your writing groups during debut year. You all care about each other. Support each other. Small group giveaways and virtual events can be productive. Teamwork spreads the work over several people. Group by genre, category, or theme. Have fun with it!

On pre-order campaigns: You don't have control over which books will buzz and which won't. Only do a pre-order campaign if you love running giveaways or doing social media. Otherwise, keep it minimal. Communicate the info and save your energy for tasks that make you happy.

On swag: Pandemic times are weird for swag items! Normally, you'd do a ton of in-person events in debut year. Not likely in 2021. HOWEVER, many people are thrilled to get mail right now, so leverage media mail rates to build connections. Mailing signed bookmarks is always a hit.

Invest in bulk mailers! I use poly bubble mailers with the easy tear strip. Bought in bulk, they cost 25cents each. You will go through them over time! These are the ones I get: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00891E1K2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Bookmarks: I design my own bookmarks but if that stresses you out, ask around! There are so many great, affordable designers out there. Many are also authors. I print my bookmarks at GotPrint. They often have coupons and excellent speed/quality.

Swag other than bookmarks: In a normal year, I'd say go for it (if it makes you happy)! This year, I'd save your money unless you have a unique opportunity to distribute swag. This advice varies across categories. Swag is more popular in YA than MG. Again, do what brings you joy.

Moving on to events! Debuting in a pandemic is tough for all kinds of reasons, so let me stress this first: your sales may not change at all no matter how many events you do. Do virtual events to connect. They're a career builder, not a sales generator. Especially now.

If you want to do virtual events, reach out to your local library, local bookstores, your writing group, your agent, your local college, schools, educator friends, and any pro organizations you belong to. Do not be afraid to inquire. Joining an established audience is easiest.

When you inquire about virtual events, keep in mind that there are a limited number of spots. You shouldn't expect to do 50 virtual events in 2021 unless your book is being heavily promoted by your publisher. Keep your eye on equity & offer to help more than you ask for help.

Don't do virtual events by yourself. Unless you are debuting with a huge marketing push, I recommend group events. This way, you can chat even if no one shows up....because that happens ALL THE TIME. To everyone. Even best sellers! Don't put that pressure on yourself.

If you can, record your virtual event and post it to your author Youtube to get more mileage. Yes, you need an author Youtube. That content is much more valuable in pandemic times than it was when I debuted in 2016 Remember who your audience is when you're speaking. Be strategic.

If you absolutely HATE being on camera...don't do it. Consider using a still picture during a virtual event. Consider making a slideshow of images for a Youtube video and only use your voice. There are options. Get creative if it brings you joy, skip it if it's stressful!

What kind of videos may help your debut during a pandemic? Basics are good. Make a 5min or less summary video about your book. Link it on your website and all social media. Other popular videos: first chapter read-alouds, Q&A of common Qs, illustration previews. Keep them short.

Whatever you spend your time on, leverage it across all platforms. Put pics of those bookmarks on instagram. Share your videos on your twitter. Put everything on your website, even just in simple blog post format. Basically, give yourself credit for everything you do.

On websites: All you need for a debut website is book cover, description, links, short "about me" section, & CONTACT INFO. Buy a good URL. Your website can be one page. It does not need to be fancy. Just up to date, with some pictures & contact info. You do not have to blog!

On newsletters: Everyone's inboxes are SLAMMED this year. During your debut year, focus on collecting contacts and don't stress about a newsletter. If you would LOVE to do one, go for it. Otherwise, it's more important to build contacts than email people every month.

On reviews: I read my reviews during my ARC stage when friends were cheerleading because felt good. I quit reading reviews on release day. The book belongs to the readers after that. Reading reviews can make it hard to write the next book. I recommend skipping them.

On building reviews: Do not be afraid to ask people to write reviews. They are helpful. There is no magic number on Amazon so don't worry about that. DO ask friends/family/debut group to review for you. Most people are happy to copy/paste a tweet. Ask privately if you want!

DO UNTO OTHERS....I can't stress this enough. In kidlit, we're lucky that writing is such a team sport. Review your fellow authors. Review the books you admire. A one sentence review counts. Keep an eye to equity when reading and reviewing. Follow through!

CELEBRATE! Let me repeat that: CELEBRATE! EVERYTHING! Especially during a pandemic, when you can't collect hugs and handshakes and smiles in person, please take the time to celebrate every achievement in your debut year, no matter how small. I used a jar:

Now that I've debuted, and released a second book during a pandemic , I can confirm that the most important thing you can do during your debut year is to WRITE MORE. That may be really tough now, but try to find your path forward. Your debut needs your next book.

I took four years between books, because that's how long it took. That's fine! I think the next release will be 2yrs. What matters is that you keep exploring. Find your safe space again & hide there. Scribble your heart out. More on my book 2 process here: https://writerunboxed.com/2020/07/08/what-about-book-two/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20WriterUnboxed%20%28Writer%20Unboxed%29

I think the most important thing to keep in mind when writing during your debut year is that you are the same person you were before you were published. What you have to say matters. Talk to yourself. Let your process take you where you need to go. Don't overthink it. Just write.

If you're under contract and the deadline is freaking you out, please tell your agent. You are not a failure it you need that deadline off your back to write. It's okay to ask for more time. You deserve the time to do a good job, and to be happy with your work.

During my debut year, I found it useful to turn to my writing when I felt overwhelmed by the foot race of publishing. First of all, the hustle is better spent on writing than promoting. Second, YOU LOVE TO WRITE! Remember that. You put a book into this world. That's amazing!

Just say THANK YOU. If you're like me, you find it super uncomfortable to receive praise. Get used to saying thank you. Just keep repeating yourself. It's okay to be mortified lol. Just say thank you and let yourself sit with it. It gets easier with time, and you deserve it.

Hold tight to your writer friends. I watched people burn through friends my debut year. Don't kiss asses. Don't play that game. Just be a friend. Make genuine connections, be generous, and be grateful. Your writer friends will still be there in four years.

Debuting is special. You broke into the publishing industry, and that is no small thing. Every time something happens that makes you feel diminished, look at those pages you wrote. Look at your accomplishments. No one can erase that. You DID that.

Good luck to the debuts of 2021! During a time when releasing a book can feel like tossing a piece of your heart into a black hole, please know that your words matter. Humanity needs your art. Especially during a pandemic.