A Matter of Opinion

Every time I release a new book, I sit on tenterhooks prior to its "birth." Did I do a good job? Did I promote it correctly? Will people like it? Should I throw in the towel and give up my "second job" as an author?

Starting a new series is always a crap shoot, but with every book  I write, I remember that I wrote this book for me. From my heart. Some people are going to like it, and some people aren't. My biggest challenge is to make sure the readers understand what they're getting into, so someone who isn't likely to appreciate it doesn't pick it up and find something they didn't sign up for. Even if I've successfully targeted readers, some people will like it, and some people won't.

I'm pretty excited by the fact that the first dozen or so reviews for COOKIE THERAPY were all five star reviews (from people I don't know, for the record). But there's always "that one person." The Amazon reviews are still averaging just shy of five stars, but over at Goodreads there are a couple of people who disagree (which is their prerogative). Ultimately, I'm proud of the book, and I stand by it. You know the old saying, "You can't please everybody." This is especially true if you're an author.

EPITAPH arrived into the world yesterday, and one of the ARC readers emailed me ahead of time, while I was still sitting on those tenterhooks wondering if the book was going to resonate or fail miserably, to tell me "it was great." {sigh of relief} I'm watching to see how the rest of the advance copy readers feel. What if they hate it? Then again, what if they love it! (So far, so good - and once again, I'm humbled.)

This is all part and parcel of being an author. I want to reach people, to give them a few hours of enjoyment. To tell a story. That's my goal. Those people who like the stories? Those are the ones who keep me going, and the ones who don't? If they have something constructive to offer in their review, I take that into consideration when writing the next book. How can I make the story better? Am I reaching the right audience? Or is it just a matter of opinion - someone who prefers brunettes to redheads? Love the book or hate it, feedback is important to an author.

Regardless of how the reviews come in, EPITAPH 2 is written and on its way to the editor. I have a head start on EPITAPH 3, but if the series turns out to be a dud, if the premise tanks and people don't like the ghost stories, well, then it's back to the drawing board. I'll go back to the small town stories. If people like the series, I have a bunch more siblings who have stories to tell! Either way, I took a chance, told the stories I wanted to tell, shared my imagination with you. Thank you for giving me the opportunity!