This post was originally sent through my author newsletter on April 22, 2022. To subscribe to my newsletter and receive up-to-date news, musings, and more, use the form on my homepage: KathrynHolmes.com.
Hi, and welcome to my first official newsletter!
You probably already know that I just released a new book. David Dixon’s Day as a Dachshund has now been out on shelves for a week and a half! Which is so exciting! I've been hearing from people that they and their kids are enjoying it, and honestly, that positive feedback is exhilarating. Publishing a book is like sending a little piece of my soul out into the universe. Sometimes it's scary—will people like it? Will anyone even read it?—but it's always a rush.
But what happens after the new-book-release endorphins start to fade?
Have you ever planned a dream vacation and looked forward to it for weeks and had a wonderful time...and then found it hard or even painful to get back to "real life"? The letdown after a book release is kind of like that. (Except, well, no one is reviewing your vacation online or judging how it went to decide whether you'll ever be allowed to go on another vacation in the future...)
Releasing a book takes so much work. It involves months of preparation and anticipation. A big promotional push. Expectations run high (even when you try to keep them moderated). The big day usually involves a ton of social media celebration. You stop by some bookstores, you sign some books, you take some photos. You've accomplished something pretty amazing, and it's important to recognize that.
But pretty quickly after launch, that excitement starts to fade. At least for me, the anxiety rushes back in. The pure promise of an unreleased manuscript is replaced by reviews and sales numbers and worries about who's posting about the new book and who isn't and what if, what if, what if.
Which means it's time to focus on what's next.
Over the years, I've found that the best way to stay sane as a writer is to keep my gaze facing forward. There has to be something on the horizon, whether that's the next book due to be published or a first draft of an idea I can't wait to delve into. The latter—the act of writing, the work itself—is always home base. I can't control how my books are received, but I can control what I put on the page. I can control the story, the language, the characters.
Right now, I do have another published book to anticipate this year: Madison Morris is NOT a Mouse!, Class Critters book three, releases August 16th. That day will be here in a flash.
But I've also got new irons in the fire. A few middle-grade (ages 8-12) manuscripts at various stages of revision and submission. Some picture book drafts, as well as an assortment of picture book ideas that aren't yet fleshed out enough to become drafts. A proposal for more Class Critters books, should my publisher express an interest in expanding the series. I've even toyed around with writing with an adult rom-com!
It's harder to get sucked down into the post-launch doldrums if I'm always tinkering, always thinking, always dreaming—always looking ahead.
This newsletter is another of those new irons in the fire.
I used to blog regularly, on my own website and elsewhere. I enjoyed sharing musings on the writing process, updates on my life and my pursuit of publication, and thoughts on books I was reading and other media I was watching/listening to/etc. I liked putting something out there that was longer and meatier than a Tweet or an Instagram caption. I liked connecting with people in a more meaningful way than social media can often provide.
It was fairly easy to make time for blogging...until I became a parent. (The very last entry on my blog was from 2018, when my daughter was about 16 months old; in it, I apologized for not having posted in over a year!) These days, with books to write and books to promote and freelance work to tackle and a four-year-old to wrangle and an apartment that occasionally needs cleaning, I can't imagine writing long and thoughtful blog posts multiple times a week. The hours simply aren't there. (Or maybe the hours are there, and my energy and willpower are what's missing...)
But a newsletter every other week? That's something I can make happen. It's something I will make happen. I hope you'll come along on this journey with me. I plan to write about all those things I blogged about, back in the day—writing and reading and creating and dancing and dreaming—and more, because my life isn't the same as it once was. I want to share how my creative process and my work routine have changed now that I'm a parent. I want to talk about raising a young reader and the books that we enjoy together. In short, I want to have a dedicated space to muse about my little corner of the world and how it relates to yours.
As a newsletter subscriber, you'll also get to enjoy sneak peeks of upcoming books, behind-the-scenes glimpses into my work, and exclusive giveaways. You might even be the first to hear good news. (This is where you cross your fingers for me that I have some good news to share in the months ahead!)
If you like reading about something and want more of it, definitely let me know. If there's something you wish I would talk about, feel free to tell me that as well. Let's build this new thing together.
~Kathryn
What I'm...
Reading: I just finished Alone in the Woods by Rebecca Behrens. This middle-grade survival story is about two 12-year-olds whose best-friendship is on shaky ground. But when they get lost in the Wisconsin mountains, they have to depend on each other to make it home. This one is perfect for fans of The Distance Between Lost and Found!
Watching: My husband and I are currently watching the first season of Severance on AppleTV+. It's a sci-fi show in which people can choose to have their work life "severed" from their home life, leaving each persona clueless as to what the other is up to. Creepy, intriguing stuff!
Eating: Sadly, I am almost out of Cadbury Mini Eggs, a.k.a. the best candy of the whole year...
Dreaming of: Spring! And it should be here soon!
Loving: My daughter's carefree confidence as she dances through the world.
