I was commiserating with a couple of other middle grade authors recently about the whole “sequel anxiety” thing, wherein we must learn to deal with the overwhelming sense of dread about sequel releases. The countdown-to-launch period is stressful with any book release, but it’s even more so when the book in question is part of a series. (Sometimes, there are actual nightmares.)
Actual thoughts in authors’ heads as they wait for early reviews to come in:
- What if people don’t think it’s as good as the first one?
- What if no one likes the direction the series is going in?
- OMG… what if everyone absolutely hates it so I never get to finish my series and no one ever wants to read one of my books ever again and this marks the utter, epic failure of my entire writing career??? 😱
Never let anyone tell you we writers aren’t a sensitive, panic-prone, and possibly over-dramatic lot who will totally cry if anyone says mean things about our books. 😂
Anyhow. The ARC copies for Mirror of Wolves started going out about a week ago, and the reviews are just starting to come in. (And yes, I did breathe a sigh of relief when I saw them!)
Now, as I’ve said, the countdown to The Arcanium Saga book two launch is on and in only nine more weeks, Mirror of Wolves hits the shelves. And what writers are supposed to be doing during this period is Promoting the Work. But most writers hate this part. Who wants to promote when you need to be writing your next book? Also, a lot of us are serious introverts and marketing = torture. So, like most writers I am, for the most part, existing in this countdown period in a stomach-churning haze of what-if-everyone-hates-my-sequel paralysis instead of actively “promoting” anything. 🙃
But, today, I actually do have a promotional thing to share and I’m super-excited about it. The book trailer for Mirror of Wolves is ready! Check it out and let me know what you think! 😊
And, in the meantime, the countdown continues. On May 25th, my second book will be out in the wild, and I can’t wait for everyone to get the chance to catch up with Ty and Ayslenne and Sasha and her brothers and and find out what new adventures they get themselves into this time. This book turned out to be really action-packed, so it’ll definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. Until then, hope you enjoy the book trailer!
