Thanks so much for this post. I think you bring up some incredibly important points about where the industry falls woefully short of supporting debut authors. I want to add that for writers of color and speaking for myself in particular, the publishing landscape feels particularly bleak. We not only have to learn those finishing school skills (teach ourselves through trial and a lot of error), we also have to do it in a way that is culturally coherent and forgiving of the alienating behavior that is occurring within this industry - that we see, hear and experience every day. Yes, there is racism. There is also performativity. There is also colorblindness. All of which hurt and confuse writers of color, and key up anxiety in an already anxiety-filled publishing landscape. Do publishing houses contract DEI educators? Mental health educators? As someone who cares deeply about my project, who is risking a lot if I publish my story, this is not only a major concern for how I am treated, but also raises questions about how my work will be supported if I am lucky or smart or tolerant enough to advance to a pre-publication stage. And it's not just about race or racism. I feel similarly as someone who writes about trauma. I don't think the industry is doing enough to support or understand writers around any of these issues and if those basic teachings you identified are not even being provided adequately to somewhat normative, high functioning individuals, how can people come to this work who face other kinds of barriers?
A shout out also to SparkPress (my next book comes out from them) and SheWritesPress who actually *do* have an author handbook they give to every one of their authors!
Something else I think it's important to call out is that debut authors are under *enormous* pressure to sell a lot of books (in an industry they don't understand, with nuances and timelines and stakeholders they have no access to) and are told that their future book deals depend on how well their first book sells. So it's not just rampant ego and jealousy causing people to do crazy things, it's also a very real pressure based on the realities of the publishing industry.
Speaking from both sides of the aisle here--as an editor I never had an author implode quite so epically as Corrain, but I did have a few bad experiences that were ALL in connection with young/inexperiences writers who each had relatively young/inexperienced or otherwise “arm’s length” agents. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. I did my level best to help them along, which made me Bad Cop, and then had to wash my hands of a couple of those when it became clear they had no intention of taking my advice or had in fact been lying to me. It sucks for everyone. And on the author side, as an author--even with my wealth of experience in Publishing and my natural tendency toward being mature, responsible, and accountable (not coincidentally the 3 tenets of my book GROW THE F*CK UP, which I also think newbie authors should read 😂), I too experience the envy, the feelings of injustice, the anxiety, and the creeping baser instincts that would definitely (and rightfully) burn bridges if I gave into them. And while I absolutely agree that it would help new authors to read your book to prepare them in a specific way--EVERYBODY BUY A COPY!!!--I personally think that what every debut author needs is a good therapist and a gift certificate to the nearest rage room!
Your book helped me so much before my indie debut came out in 2021. I specifically remember the advice you gave about not being public when you didn’t like a book. (Goodreads was my Mecca in college so I cleaned that up) I’ve since done ‘Yearbook Superlatives’ posts for all the books I read each year so I’m able to share my favorite without giving an unnecessary critique that no one asked for. So glad your book exists. It was the professional coaching session I needed in my toolkit.
Thanks, @courtneymaum, for this timely post. I think you're talking about good manners and professionalism here, which is a refreshing point of view on this whole nightmare, which I've been following, aghast. I remember my first book contract that came when I was in my early thirties, a book that won an award eventually (I was invited and didn't know enough to go to the awards ceremony), where I felt i had to act like I knew the ropes of publishing, because my agent (a good one) and editor were terrifically unable to guide me through the process of how to BE as a soon-to-be-published author. I felt too dumb about all of it so I didn't ask questions that I should've. It came out well, in the end, but how much better it would be if we got a manual or something! Your book helped me but I read it too far down the line, so it mostly filled in gaps that I hadn't learned yet from all the books that came after that first one. I hope more debut authors get a copy of your book before their deal, so they know how to be polite, kind, keep their personal boundaries, and treat publishing like the profession it tries to be.
Courtney! I found you through Before and After, and shouted it out on Twitter when my debut was coming out last year. Honestly, the advice to work on a new book to take your mind off freaking out about your debut was some of the best I've ever read, and I'm still sticking to it even as my second book is coming out. Reading your book helped me navigate the expectations/reality of being a debut author so, so much.
I was not aware of this scandal because I got off Twitter/X and was head-down working yesterday, so I am grateful to read a hot take from someone I trust. (I recommend your book all the time -- what a critical marketplace hole it fills!) It's a very sad story for so many reasons, but what I really appreciate, Courtney, is the way you approach it in terms of what we can do going forward. You are looking not to judge or bash or point fingers but to identify and find a solution -- a ROOT solution. ("Authors, behave better" is not terribly helpful.) I applaud every change you call for and would add that anyone working with writers at the beginning of projects (and the messy middle and the revision and pitch stage) as well as anyone working on launches, marketing, and PR, should also be talking about publishing realities and writer expectations.
I’m a psychiatrist and I spent 90% of my OWN therapy sessions this past year talking about my debut book launch! And all of my expertise still didn’t prevent me from burning out and suffering through much of what you describe. This industry is so hard. Launching a book requires an entirely different skillset than writing one. Thank you for this post and for your work Courtney.
Dec 13, 2023·edited Dec 13, 2023Liked by Courtney Maum
I remember the first time I was asked to go on TV to promote my very first book. It was a morning television show. It was in another city and, in order to get there on time, I had to spend the night in a bed-and-breakfast with my husband and our four kids (including a breastfeeding newborn). No one at my publishing company offered any advice about anything -- including the fact that it might not be a great idea to wear a shiny, shimmering top that would end up looking like vintage bridesmaid wear on TV. Even just having a crash course on taming my nerves would have been such a gift for this exhausted, postpartum mom introvert. This is one of the reasons I always reach out to other people I know who have just written their first book. I want them to know about the emotional rollercoaster ride that awaits them. Because it really is quite the ride.... Thanks for pointing out that this really is an industry responsibility -- that it takes a village to raise an author!
Yes! It's abysmal how little guidance writers get for handling all the pressure and confusion and intensity of the business of being published. As my colleague Henriette Lazaridis and I move ahead with launching our new publishing company, Galiot Press, we are coming up with plans for how to coach writers on a number of aspects of being published authors. I wish all publishers did this.
Thank you so much for this one, Courtney - this is so thoughtful, articulate and even-handed (I first caught wind of this on the piranha-feed at Twitter) - and I am grateful for your book, the podcast The Shit No One Tells you About Writing, and other resources that are helping me to get ready to navigate these waters, myself.
This is so true, and so insightful! I worked in the cafe of a a motorway service station when I was 19, and spent at least half a day reading manuals & safety guides before I was even allowed to clear tables or stack the dishwasher. We definitely need more of this in publishing! I feel a *bit* more on it now I'm going through the publication process with the second novel - but part of that is down to reading 'Before and After the Book Deal'.
Dec 13, 2023·edited Dec 13, 2023Liked by Courtney Maum
Every single word of this. Wow. Wow. Thank you. I am a first time author with a book that releases next June from a big 5 imprint (Harper Collins, Nelson Books) and it's been such a wild ride. I own your book and it's been a HUGE Help. I keep taking notes form everything you say. I have a good agent and a good editor too but it still baptism by chaos. Thank you for validating these feelings.
This is frankly a subject (the lack of training as to how to behave) I never thought much about but agree with what you've written 100% percent. I'd like to think maturity is part of the reason you don't see this happening as much with older writers - when you're young, so many things that seem like the end-of-the-world important are ... well, not. This is a sad story all around and worse, it's getting played out across a wide canvas. I, too, thought your book was one of the few I've read that "told it like it was" and it should be required reading for every debut author. Looking for a holiday present for a new writer - Courtney's book.
I've said it before, and will say it again - Before and After the Boo Deal has been an absolute bible for me. Thank you for continuing to talk openly about the industry.
Hi Courtney,
Thanks so much for this post. I think you bring up some incredibly important points about where the industry falls woefully short of supporting debut authors. I want to add that for writers of color and speaking for myself in particular, the publishing landscape feels particularly bleak. We not only have to learn those finishing school skills (teach ourselves through trial and a lot of error), we also have to do it in a way that is culturally coherent and forgiving of the alienating behavior that is occurring within this industry - that we see, hear and experience every day. Yes, there is racism. There is also performativity. There is also colorblindness. All of which hurt and confuse writers of color, and key up anxiety in an already anxiety-filled publishing landscape. Do publishing houses contract DEI educators? Mental health educators? As someone who cares deeply about my project, who is risking a lot if I publish my story, this is not only a major concern for how I am treated, but also raises questions about how my work will be supported if I am lucky or smart or tolerant enough to advance to a pre-publication stage. And it's not just about race or racism. I feel similarly as someone who writes about trauma. I don't think the industry is doing enough to support or understand writers around any of these issues and if those basic teachings you identified are not even being provided adequately to somewhat normative, high functioning individuals, how can people come to this work who face other kinds of barriers?
A shout out also to SparkPress (my next book comes out from them) and SheWritesPress who actually *do* have an author handbook they give to every one of their authors!
Something else I think it's important to call out is that debut authors are under *enormous* pressure to sell a lot of books (in an industry they don't understand, with nuances and timelines and stakeholders they have no access to) and are told that their future book deals depend on how well their first book sells. So it's not just rampant ego and jealousy causing people to do crazy things, it's also a very real pressure based on the realities of the publishing industry.
Speaking from both sides of the aisle here--as an editor I never had an author implode quite so epically as Corrain, but I did have a few bad experiences that were ALL in connection with young/inexperiences writers who each had relatively young/inexperienced or otherwise “arm’s length” agents. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. I did my level best to help them along, which made me Bad Cop, and then had to wash my hands of a couple of those when it became clear they had no intention of taking my advice or had in fact been lying to me. It sucks for everyone. And on the author side, as an author--even with my wealth of experience in Publishing and my natural tendency toward being mature, responsible, and accountable (not coincidentally the 3 tenets of my book GROW THE F*CK UP, which I also think newbie authors should read 😂), I too experience the envy, the feelings of injustice, the anxiety, and the creeping baser instincts that would definitely (and rightfully) burn bridges if I gave into them. And while I absolutely agree that it would help new authors to read your book to prepare them in a specific way--EVERYBODY BUY A COPY!!!--I personally think that what every debut author needs is a good therapist and a gift certificate to the nearest rage room!
Your book helped me so much before my indie debut came out in 2021. I specifically remember the advice you gave about not being public when you didn’t like a book. (Goodreads was my Mecca in college so I cleaned that up) I’ve since done ‘Yearbook Superlatives’ posts for all the books I read each year so I’m able to share my favorite without giving an unnecessary critique that no one asked for. So glad your book exists. It was the professional coaching session I needed in my toolkit.
Thanks, @courtneymaum, for this timely post. I think you're talking about good manners and professionalism here, which is a refreshing point of view on this whole nightmare, which I've been following, aghast. I remember my first book contract that came when I was in my early thirties, a book that won an award eventually (I was invited and didn't know enough to go to the awards ceremony), where I felt i had to act like I knew the ropes of publishing, because my agent (a good one) and editor were terrifically unable to guide me through the process of how to BE as a soon-to-be-published author. I felt too dumb about all of it so I didn't ask questions that I should've. It came out well, in the end, but how much better it would be if we got a manual or something! Your book helped me but I read it too far down the line, so it mostly filled in gaps that I hadn't learned yet from all the books that came after that first one. I hope more debut authors get a copy of your book before their deal, so they know how to be polite, kind, keep their personal boundaries, and treat publishing like the profession it tries to be.
Courtney! I found you through Before and After, and shouted it out on Twitter when my debut was coming out last year. Honestly, the advice to work on a new book to take your mind off freaking out about your debut was some of the best I've ever read, and I'm still sticking to it even as my second book is coming out. Reading your book helped me navigate the expectations/reality of being a debut author so, so much.
I was not aware of this scandal because I got off Twitter/X and was head-down working yesterday, so I am grateful to read a hot take from someone I trust. (I recommend your book all the time -- what a critical marketplace hole it fills!) It's a very sad story for so many reasons, but what I really appreciate, Courtney, is the way you approach it in terms of what we can do going forward. You are looking not to judge or bash or point fingers but to identify and find a solution -- a ROOT solution. ("Authors, behave better" is not terribly helpful.) I applaud every change you call for and would add that anyone working with writers at the beginning of projects (and the messy middle and the revision and pitch stage) as well as anyone working on launches, marketing, and PR, should also be talking about publishing realities and writer expectations.
I’m a psychiatrist and I spent 90% of my OWN therapy sessions this past year talking about my debut book launch! And all of my expertise still didn’t prevent me from burning out and suffering through much of what you describe. This industry is so hard. Launching a book requires an entirely different skillset than writing one. Thank you for this post and for your work Courtney.
I remember the first time I was asked to go on TV to promote my very first book. It was a morning television show. It was in another city and, in order to get there on time, I had to spend the night in a bed-and-breakfast with my husband and our four kids (including a breastfeeding newborn). No one at my publishing company offered any advice about anything -- including the fact that it might not be a great idea to wear a shiny, shimmering top that would end up looking like vintage bridesmaid wear on TV. Even just having a crash course on taming my nerves would have been such a gift for this exhausted, postpartum mom introvert. This is one of the reasons I always reach out to other people I know who have just written their first book. I want them to know about the emotional rollercoaster ride that awaits them. Because it really is quite the ride.... Thanks for pointing out that this really is an industry responsibility -- that it takes a village to raise an author!
Yes! It's abysmal how little guidance writers get for handling all the pressure and confusion and intensity of the business of being published. As my colleague Henriette Lazaridis and I move ahead with launching our new publishing company, Galiot Press, we are coming up with plans for how to coach writers on a number of aspects of being published authors. I wish all publishers did this.
Thank you so much for this one, Courtney - this is so thoughtful, articulate and even-handed (I first caught wind of this on the piranha-feed at Twitter) - and I am grateful for your book, the podcast The Shit No One Tells you About Writing, and other resources that are helping me to get ready to navigate these waters, myself.
This is so true, and so insightful! I worked in the cafe of a a motorway service station when I was 19, and spent at least half a day reading manuals & safety guides before I was even allowed to clear tables or stack the dishwasher. We definitely need more of this in publishing! I feel a *bit* more on it now I'm going through the publication process with the second novel - but part of that is down to reading 'Before and After the Book Deal'.
Every single word of this. Wow. Wow. Thank you. I am a first time author with a book that releases next June from a big 5 imprint (Harper Collins, Nelson Books) and it's been such a wild ride. I own your book and it's been a HUGE Help. I keep taking notes form everything you say. I have a good agent and a good editor too but it still baptism by chaos. Thank you for validating these feelings.
This is frankly a subject (the lack of training as to how to behave) I never thought much about but agree with what you've written 100% percent. I'd like to think maturity is part of the reason you don't see this happening as much with older writers - when you're young, so many things that seem like the end-of-the-world important are ... well, not. This is a sad story all around and worse, it's getting played out across a wide canvas. I, too, thought your book was one of the few I've read that "told it like it was" and it should be required reading for every debut author. Looking for a holiday present for a new writer - Courtney's book.
I've said it before, and will say it again - Before and After the Boo Deal has been an absolute bible for me. Thank you for continuing to talk openly about the industry.