Kindle Scout calls the 30 days in which a submitted novel can be nominated for publication a “campaign”. I suspect they’re thinking of it in terms of a “marketing campaign”, and it is. More on that in another post. What I want to talk about here is the emotional and personal element of the campaign. Only a few days in and I can already feel the impact.
Immediately after pressing the “submit” button to start this wild Kindle Scout ride, I sat and shook. That’s how emotionally invested in Sky Garden I am. I believe in the book. It’s as well written as I can manage, it’s been polished and perfected, and it has themes I believe in. Themes of hope and resilience.
I need both hope and resilience to get through these 30 days of nominations.
A couple of hours after Sky Garden was listed on the Kindle Scout website, it hit the “Hot and Trending” list. I immediately took a screenshot.
One thing I’ve learned about writing and publishing is to enjoy the golden moments. And in fact, this one was extra-special because I could attribute it to the kindness and support of so many wonderful people I’ve met online. I asked for help — for nominations of Sky Garden — and they responded immediately. That generosity of spirit, that sense of being surrounded by love, will be a gift that outlives this Kindle Scout campaign. I am very thankful.
But there are also down moments in a campaign. Sky Garden not only falls of the “Hot and Trending” list, it seems to vanish. Wicked whispers of dread emerge from the shadows of my imagination and tell me that Sky Garden is awful and I damned it with my homemade cover. I get tired. I strain online friendships by over-promoting — or worry that I have!
Surviving this roller-coaster means managing my expectations. I can’t control how many nominations Sky Garden gets or whether Kindle Scout’s editors select it for publication. So while I have high hopes, I’ve set my expectations on manageable things.
- I’ll experience a month-long marketing campaign and learn how to improve all my promotional activities.
- Readers who would not otherwise have heard of me or my books (which are listed at the bottom of Sky Garden‘s Kindle Scout page) will have a chance to discover both.
- My website and social media presence all got a spring clean in preparation for the Kindle Scout campaign. I present more professionally.
- I have stepped out of my comfort zone, and this growth will help me both professionally and personally.
Okay, maybe these aren’t so much expectations as reassurances. But they work for me. To be philosophical: no experience in life is wasted. This Kindle Scout campaign is fascinating.
2 responses to “Managing Expectations”
((hugs))) Mary. Your positivity is really really helping! Thank you 🙂
What a wonderful post, Jenny! Thank you for sharing not only your book with us, but your personal journey as an author. Let me reassure you now, I encourage your promotions and excitement. In no way could your golden moment ever strain the friendship we’ve developed. I welcome any news you have to share about your book, whether it’s old news or new. I can only imagine the roller coaster of emotions you must be going through and it’s only natural to second guess ourselves. Thirty days is a long time in the book industry. So much can happen. I love your positivity. You always find the silver lining & I know this is what will see you through. I’m stoked to read SKY GARDEN and I’m just one gal from a tiny town in Louisiana. Think of all the others YOU have managed to reach out to with your books. I have a great feeling about SKY GARDEN. Good thoughts.