Maggie Shayne--It Happens Every Time

Up until about a week ago, I was fine. My new book, PRINCE OF TWILIGHT, was slated for release, (I thought) on October 24th. I was gearing up for the usual bout of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but I wasn't actually in it yet. Then I learned the actual on-sale date was September 26th. Still twelve days out, at that point. But then, the very next day, members of my fanclub started posting that they HAD the book. That it was shipping from the online booksellers already. And BAM! The OCD hit me hard right between the eyes.

(Sidenote: Just click on the title of this post to go to the book at Amazon, where you can order it and make that little ranking number go up.)

I think it happens to every author with every new book. If it doesn't, they're way more Zen than I am. The first thing I do is panic, because if the book is released one week in one place, and the next week in another, and a third week somewhere else, my chances of hitting any major bestseller lists are way lower than if the book goes on sale everywhere at the same time. I am, however, Zen enough to know that's something that's out of my hands, so I have to let it go and hope for the best. Instead, I dove into other matters that are equally out of my hands, but easier to find information on. I began calling the Ingram's Distribution stock and order line, jotting down numbers. How many copies are in stock, how many on order, how many on backorder, how many have they sold this week, last week, total for the year? Then of course I keyed in the ISBN numbers from other authors' books to see how they compare. I spent time at all the online retailers, tracking sales and ranking numbers and obsessing about those. They go up and down hourly, so that's lots of obsessing ammunition for crazy writers.

None of this does any good, naturally. They say knowledge is power, but sometimes knowledge is just information gleaned from useless obsessing. It wastes time, it turns me into a nervous wreck, and it just gives me more to worry about. I've been so distracted with all this that I almost forgot to post today!

At any rate, I also make myself close to ill worrying about what the readers will think of the book once they get it. I get my copies, and start reading the story, trying to second guess the reader's reaction to every scene. Ohhh, they might get bored here. Oh no, they might get angry here. Hmm, maybe they'll like this part. Uh-oh, I bet I offended someone there. That kind of thing. And again, it does no good. The book is written.

This one may be giving me a bit more trouble than most, because it was written while my mother was dying, and then rewritten and then rewritten again. And also because it's about Dracula, and while it was a great idea in the concept stage, actually writing a book about a character I've loved and known and explored for most of my life was pretty daunting. I wasn't sure I could ever do him justice. It was a long, long pregnancy. But it's over, the labor is finished, the book is born. It's out there and it will sink or swim or maybe even fly on its own.

In a way it's good that I didn't know when the book would really go on sale, because it left me very little time for OCD once I did know. First I learned the date, and then it was shipping. Just like that. Not a lot of time to worry. However, I can cram a lot of worry into a very small amount of time, and that's what I've been doing all week long!

I think I'm ready for another mental health escape weekend. This coming one won't work. Important events I have to attend both Friday evening and Sunday. However, next weekend, the very first one of October, looks completely open. I think I'm going to plan something. I think it will include a body of water, an isolated setting, with good restaurants nearby, and possibly horses. I'll see what I can find. Planning an escape might be just the distraction I need.

Now, someone remind me, what night is it the Times sends the preview of the following Sunday's bestseller list to the publishers? Thursdays?

Maggie