I wish all debut novelists knew this

Things I learned from publishing three books in the last four years

Hello, hello!

I have a nice stack of posts in my drafts, none of which I finished because I was deep in revisions for my next thriller (out in spring 2026). You may also recall that I debuted with my adult thriller seven weeks ago (it’s called The French Honeymoon, please check it out), so I’ve been booked and busy.

But finally, I’m sitting down to tell you a few things I wish all debut novelists know, having debuted twice in the last four years (in 2021 with a YA romcom and just recently with an adult thriller). Some of this applies to any novel writer, and it’s far from an exhaustive list. Just some hard (and some soft) truths that have been on my mind lately.

Let’s jump in!

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Your book is not going to be an accidental bestseller

I warned you about the hard truths! Yes, occasionnally a thirty-year-old book goes viral on TikTok and becomes an unexpected bestseller¹. But most of the time, there are indicators that a book is going to be big. Publishers track preorders, as do retailers. Print runs are set accordingly. Book clubs choose their picks months in advance. Festivals and conferences also invite authors well ahead of time. Media hits and trade reviews can be a surprise, but often you’ll get a sense that one might be coming.

You need at least some of these things to have a shot at hitting a bestsellers list. If your inbox is a little quiet in the months leading to publication, better to adjust your expectations. But remember that plenty of books do well without ever being labeled a bestseller. On the bright side, the quiet time means you can focus on writing your next book. Ask me how I know ;-)

Preorders mostly benefit successful authors

We’ve all seen authors explain at length why preorders matter. It counts toward first week sales and can help you land on a bestseller list! It signals interest for the book and can increase your print run! Please support my career by preordering my book!

Because the best way to entice people to do something is by explaining how it will help YOU.

Here’s the thing. Many of my friends have been very supportive of my work. They’ve bought books, recommended them to their friends, written reviews online, and that makes me so happy! But getting what, 30, or even 50 preorders isn’t going to make or break my career.

If you’ve ever bought a book of mine, I love you big time. Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash

You know at what point preorders start to matter? When you’re already successful. When you have an established platform. When your advance was huge and the whole industry has been talking about your deal. When there are enough people who loved your previous books and are eagerly anticipating the next one. Or when you’ve sold film rights before publication and some A-list talent is attached to the project. In short, when enough factors will help preorders easily reach four figures (or more!). Then, the preorders might help get the book on a bestseller list or even just get it more marketing support from the publisher.

If that’s not you—and that’s not 99% of early-career novelists—you’re better off telling everyone what the book is about, showing how excited you are, sharing any relevant updates, and being your own hype girl. Then, sure, suggest people preorder the book. But as a main message, it’s kinda boring. You made up a whole book of stories. You can find a better reason why people should buy it.

A lot of this is within your control, actually

I’m sure you’ve heard countless authors and publishing professionals lament the fact that so much of a book’s success is out of their control. I’ve even said it myself. And it’s true, but it’s nothing to do with books. That’s life in general. Where you’re born and how you were raised affect a big part of your life trajectory. And yet, people who come from the exact same circumstances go on to do wildly different things with their lives. You can be extremely diligent about looking after your health and still get a horrible illness. So much of everything is out of your control.

I came this far and couldn’t find the credit for this photo. Sorry!

So let me make the case for the fact that so much is in your control and you get to steer this ship a lot more than you’ve been led to believe. A big pet peeve of mine is how the publishing industry infantilizes authors. We’re often the last ones to find out anything and get repeatedly told that we should be grateful for what we have. Here’s a (non-exhaustive) list of things that you’re in charge of, when it comes to your book. You control:

1. The quality of your writing, and how much effort you put into your craft.

2. The commercial potential of your book (I know, I know! Write what your heart desires, but also understand that if you hope to reach a large audience, it’s important to think about such things).

3. Which agent you sign (or don’t sign) with.

4. How much you engage with the writing community, and what you put into it (that part is so important, in my opinion!).

5. How much time, energy, and money you’re willing to invest in promoting your book, whether it means being on social media, pitching podcasts, organizing a book tour, writing a newsletter, etc.²

6. And more generally, everything YOU do (or don’t do!) at every step of the drafting, revising, copyediting, finalizing, cover designing, publicizing, marketing… process.

I hope it’s empowering to think about it this way. To be clear, I’m not saying you posting on Instagram three times a week can replace a publisher buying a billboard in Times Square. I’m saying that you get to decide whether you invest your time and energy creating content on social media regardless of what your publisher might do. Make that conscious choice, whatever it is. And be at peace with it.

Network like a little maniac, but be mindful about it

I moved to New York in 2011 but didn’t start meeting other writers until 2013. I was under contract with my French publisher pretty much non-stop until 2014, so I didn’t have a lot to do with the American/English-speaking writing community.

Since then, the writing friends and acquaintances I’ve made have changed my life. Professionnally, it opened doors, gave me contacts, and advanced my career in countless ways. Though nothing has or ever will replace the hard work of writing the book in the first place, obviously.

By networking, I really just mean sharing the juiciest industry gossip. Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

It’s amazing when a successful author blurbs your book, posts about it on social media, or helps you in other ways. I’m so grateful for the favors I’ve received along the way, and I absolutely pay them forward.

But that’s not the life-changing part. It’s the community, finding like-minded people with whom I can celebrate the wins and bitch about the lows. It’s the three-hour convos where we lay everything bare—the good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s the bookish events I leave beaming about the fun moments. In short, it’s the genuine relationships I’ve forged along the way, no matter who these people are in the publishing world.

Some have become friends, others will remain casual acquaintances, but my one guiding principle is that the relationship has to feel good. I don’t care if your advance was $1,000 or $1,000,000 or if you’re invited to the National Book Awards. I care about how our interaction makes me feel. Am I having a good time? Great. Are you making fun of my accent? Eat glass. If I come away with new tips about writing and book publishing, full of inspiration, or just generally energized by the conversation, then I win. It keeps me going, and that’s a lot.

Put in the time to find your people, not just what you might perceive as the “right” people.³

There is so much wisdom in negative reviews

Hear me out. I completely understand if you want—or need—to stay away from negative reviews of your book. It can be brutal out there and your mental health matters a lot. It matters the most, in fact.

Strangers said mean things about my work on the internet… Photo by arash payam on Unsplash

But. For me, at least, I’ve found enough benefits to reading negative reviews that I keep doing it, much to the despair of many people around me. I do my best to skim past the Karens of Goodreads who clearly get a kick out of tearing down a book or make personal jabs about the author. What I’m looking for is consensus. In the reviews of The French Honeymoon⁴ I found two pieces of wisdom that I feel will make me a better writer. Two aspects that many readers agreed upon and which gave me food for thought.

Will I apply these comments exactly in my next book? Nah. I get to write it my way. but I always want to learn and I’m determined to work toward becoming a better writer. When hundreds of people seem to feel similarly about something you created, it can be very valuable information. At least it is to me.

All right friends, I’ve been messing with this post for days. I had to cut so much of it and thought I’d never finish it. Off it goes! Thank you for reading!

1. I’m waiting to go to France this summer so I can buy a copy of Jacqueline Harpman’s I Who Have Never Known Men. Linking to it in English in case you’re interested.

2. So many authors get outside help with publicity and marketing. I’m not saying anyone should (it’s very expensive) but the option is out there, if you want it.

3. I revised this section the most, and originally went on a rant about the hierarchy of this industry. We all have our heroes, but I find myself pretty bored by people who seemed to think we should all bow down to NYT bestsellers.

4. Please don’t read them. You’re not prepared, Liz! (Who got that reference?)