My 18th book launches today. The Silent Film Star Murders is close to my heart. I'm pretty sure it's my best book yet. So I'm anxious to see this baby birthed. Except – wait minute – there's a hitch. Which is what this post is all about.
HOW BOOK BABIES GET BIRTHED (mine tend to be breech)
I've had 18 books launch, and I still panic every time we get close to launch date. This is because I'm pretty sure the Literary Gods have a sense of humour, and delight in adding new codicils to Murphy's Law.
By profession, I'm a marketer and event planner. We, by definition, are planners. Over-planners, some would say. I have lists for my lists. But think about it. Marketing plans are developed months before promotion campaigns launch. In the case of event planning (think of large conferences) we try to plan for every possible contingency - every single thing that could go wrong. Because for dang sure, something that nobody dreamed about will happen!
It's the same with books. Want proof? (If you're looking for a quick way to develop a drinking habit…)
1. WHERE ARE THE BOOKS?
Launch date for the Silent Film Star Murders (book two in the Merry Widow series) is March 22. In-warehouse date is Feb. 21. Promo blogs and other ads have been created and are to go live in US and Can on this weekend.
Publisher has just been informed that Amazon and B&N won't have the books in time because of the frantic increase in shipping (read madhouse) across the border due to - you guessed it - trying to beat the threatened tariffs. So there's a new launch date. March 22 in Canada, April 12 in the US. Which means ALL the promotion comes out in the US before the book is available! <hits head against desk>
2. BOOKS DON'T FLOAT
Who-da guessed, but Pandemics really screw with book launches. One of my books was to launch the very week Ontario shut down due to the pandemic. It, poor thing, never got the attention it deserved. But that was small potatoes compared to what happened next.
The entire second printing of Crime Club, due to be here for the Christmas buying season, got dumped into the Pacific Ocean.
Yup, you heard that right. A container off a monster container ship took a dive with 16 others, into the Pacific, during a storm. That is one hell of a lot of royalty moolah washed away.
The irony of this post (and yes, I live for irony) is: my current series takes place on the high seas, on an ocean liner in the Roaring 20s! You'd almost think there was a diabolical plan to my life, Literary Gods.
I hope the fishes like to read.
The Silent Film Star Murders SHOULD be available April 12 in the US, and March 22 in Canada and elsewhere. It's traveling by land, I think. Hope.
What's it all about?
Lady Lucy Revelstoke reboards her 1920s ocean liner for another high society murder mystery on the high seas — with rival film stars, resentful ex-lovers, and renegade snakes!
Available at all the usual suspects.
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