When I started writing FOR THE LOVE OF DOG, it wasn’t called that yet, and it was nothing more than a handful of notes about the human-dog bond scribbled in the early hours of the morning.
Violet was two years old. Astrid was three months. Little did I know, we were a couple weeks away from the pandemic.
Once everything shut down, I set my notes aside because my hands were full of other things.
But it kept calling to me.
So, I set my alarm for 5 am each morning and chipped away at words until one or both tiny humans awoke.
This was the mood board I created when I was drafting, and I pinned this with a pic of the boys above my desk:
Between 2020 and my book coming out in September 2025, I wrote and rewrote it six times. I pitched agents and took calls with potential partners. My agent pitched publishers. The publishing process was a roller coaster. And, now, here we are. Almost one year after the book finally came out.
Now, as I approach the one-year anniversary of FOR THE LOVE OF DOG, I’m reflecting on everything I’ve learned and how different the reality of publishing looks from the outside.
4 Things I Didn’t Know About Publishing Before I Published a Book
Because I didn’t fully understand these until I had a book on the market!
- Unless you’re John Green or Rebecca Yarros, the marketing is on you. Outreach to indie bookstores, event planning, and promotion fall squarely on the writer’s shoulders.
- Returning a book costs the author money. As in, the big “read and return” trend on social media? Every time someone reads a book and returns it to the bookstore, the author has to pay for the return out of his or her royalties.
- Reviews matter more than almost anything else. Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, StoryGraph… wherever you read books, the reviews factor into the algorithm of that platform for when/if you’re shown. Unfortunately, Amazon’s reviews and to a lesser extent Goodreads’ reviews help drive sales of books, too.
- The timeline to profitability is long. Authors don’t get paid until they’ve either earned out their advance or earned out their portion of the expenses in a profit-sharing deal. So, as I near my book birthday, I still haven’t made anything.
And if I’m being very honest, I’m feeling kind of blue about a lot of this. However, I’m not one to wallow. I’m revising my marketing plan and developing a more robust PR plan. In the meantime, I’m also planning on giving away copies, just for fun and to celebrate.
Want to Help Celebrate?
- ? Leave a review! Seriously, this is THE BIGGEST thing that can help an author. It’s the make-or-break of book sales.
- ? Request it at your local library: Most libraries have a simple online request form. It costs you nothing, but supports both the book and community access!
- ? Give a copy as a gift: Consider picking up a paperback, ebook, or audiobook for the dog lover in your life.
Here’s how I’m planning on structuring the giveaways (please note this is the draft version so subject to change):
- 3 books on Instagram following the ‘gram’s super specific giveaway rules + another 2 copies once I hit 2,000 followers
- 3 books on Facebook, probably for a photo contest
- 3 books here on OMD, likely with a Raffle widget
- 3 books on Substack
Other opportunities
- If you know anyone who hosts a TV show or podcast, I’m free to talk anytime! 🙂
- Same for bookstores! Or libraries! I’ve done tons of library visits this year and will make time for as many as will host me!
- A READING GUIDE! Someone at a library this past weekend asked me for one. She wanted to share it with her book club. It had never occurred to me to make a reading guide, so I’m outlining it this week and should have it ready soon. Want a copy? Want to share it with your book club? Want me to call into your book club or visit in person? Leave a comment!
Thank you so much for being here and supporting this journey from my 5 AM scribbles to real bookshelves. Have you read the book yet? What questions do you have about the publishing process?