Reflecting on a year of launching and promoting a new novel

A year ago, I was undergoing a surgery where they removed my gall bladder. It was a surprise. I knew I was uncomfortable and had pain in my stomach, but nothing I could do was helping and getting access to my doctor was nearly impossible considering the holiday. So at 3 am I insisted my husband haul me to the emergency room, where I made him pull over twice to vomit out of the side of my truck like it was 2004 and we were leaving the bar.

Anyone who watched the episode of Modern Family where Phil goes to the hospital for kidney stones, it was a lot like that.

Being sick is a little embarrassing. Having a body part completely fail you is humiliating. Like, get it together body, for crying out loud! 

The nurses were amazing, as so often they are. Maybe it’s because I have known so many nurses in my life, but when a nurse tells me I’m going to be okay, I believe them. They’re often hilarious and have the most disgusting stories. These nurses were exactly the kind of women I wanted taking care of me: direct, comforting, and funny. After a CT with contrast, my nurse entered with a declaration, “Gurrrl, your gall bladder is trashed. That thing’s going to be coming out!” Then she realized the doctor had not come in to make that announcement, and I promised not to rat her out. So when the doctor finally came in and told me about my gall bladder, I acted as surprised as I could for this information, to see the nurse give me a thumbs up behind his back. 

And with that knowledge that the gall bladder was coming out, they gave me morphine for my pain, and got me ready for a surgery on New Year’s Day. 

New Year’s Day, guys! That’s the worst way to bring in the new year.

I was always told that the thing you do on New Year’s Day was how you were going to spend your year. This is why it’s nice when families gather for that first official meal together, why we eat peas and cabbage for prosperity and cash, and we try not to fight with anyone about anything. 

Normally I like to spend the day writing, to kick off the year with imagination and creativity. But I couldn’t do any of that while I was strapped to a table while a robot laser removed one of my worn out body parts. 

But despite the surgical start to my year, I feel like there were many accomplishments and things that I learned that make me feel like despite the rocky start allowed it to be a good year.

Here are both my wins and learning moments from launching a promoting a new novel in 2025:

1. My novel Pretty Girls Get Away With Murder launched to a larger response than my first novel Mothers of the Missing Mermaid. I got good professional reviews and made pretty decent sales. In fact, I learned the adage that the second novel sells the first, which I didn’t believe until I witnessed it happen.

2. I did more public events. Before I had been hosting workshops at the library, but this year I added a few bookstore appearances and festivals to my calendar. This was a fantastic idea that I had never considered because I thought I had to have a larger following to justify a bookstore appearance. I didn’t and it worked out great. So many indie authors brag about their online presence and Amazon sales. My Amazon sales suck. But I have learned that with the right crowd, I can sell out at an event. And what I have learned from that experience is: smaller is better. I can’t pay $500 to attend a highly competitive event that includes every genre and bookstore in the US, but a small local even full of avid readers, or a niche conference specifically for mystery and noir writers, is my sweet spot.

3. I traveled a lot for my events, which means I have seen other parts of the country that I have never considered going before. For example, I never new that the desert smelled so much like a Cactus Blossom Bath and Body Works candle, it’s lovely and off-putting. I get to try local cuisine, sample local beer and wines, see local artwork, and navigate many different airport security regulations.

4. Behr has turned into a selling machine. It’s a weird brag for a kid, but it’s fun to watch him work. I have taken him to two different book festivals, and he has used his gift of gab to talk up the books. He knows the pitches, the offers, the bundles, and he knows how to push a product. I think he’d be able to do the same thing if we were selling Sham-Wow’s, but regardless, I get the be the one to benefit from it. Also, we have a good time with the other fun parts of being at an event like looking at the booths and people-watching. When Pretty Girls launched, he walked into his middle school, sought out the English teachers and convinced two of them to purchase books by asking them to get out their phones and go to my website and then waited for them to make the purchase. I appreciate both those teachers for being such a good sport when dealing with a child who will not take no for an answer.

5. I’ve made new friends. I’ve connected with other writers, bookstore owners, publicists, and event coordinators. One of my favorite things is to volunteer to moderate a panel if I cannot be offered a spot sitting on a panel. I like asking authors questions about their process and hearing how they work. When chatting with romance and fantasy author @SafariSpell at an event in Dahlonega, we laughed and lamented how her type B writing style and my type A writing style give each other anxiety. Everyone’s on their own path and that’s cool. 

6. I’ve gotten fantastic recommendations. One of the cool things about attending events is talking to people and hearing what is inspiring them. I get recommendations for books, apps, podcasts, magazines, anthologies, and other conferences to attend. One woman swore to me that the book festival in Vegas was the spot because she learned how to crowdsource her books to offset the costs. Another recommended a mystery magazine that I should submit to. And one author did a walk and talk lecture on how to set myself up as a screenwriter. I learn so much when I go.

7. I’ve done multiple live-readings, and I gotta tell you, it’s the best! I know that I should be somewhat humbled and reluctant to read the things I write in front of others, but I don’t. I actually think it is incredibly fun. I also like hearing other authors read as well. 

8. I found a reason to talk to someone on each panel I attended. I don’t always like asking the question I have in front of the group, but I do like singling one of the panel members out and either approaching them to be complimentary or to ask them a question. This is actually journalism, because of the years I was covering events and then reaching out for follow up questions. All the writers I have approached have been kind and gracious, and I appreciate their knowledge.

9. Inevitable, I have been tested. This is a new thing I have learned from the many interactions I have with people about what I write. At some point at an event, there will be one person who approaches me just so they can test my legitimacy. First they ask me about my book, then they study it a little (turning it over and over in their hand), then they like to offer a pop quiz (something like “Quick, tell me the last book you read!” or “Name a book you read recently that psychologically destroyed you.”). Like many others, I don’t love being put on the spot, and I don’t know why people feel like they need to test me, when often they have no intention of reading what I wrote. I guess it’s entertaining for them, and often I’ll bite knowing they are just here to toy with the writers and usually brag about the authors they think are cool (often sci-fi writers I have never heard of). I’ve learned that these people are not my audience and not to allow myself to get into a bantering match with dudes looking to flex. 

10. I should not focus too much on the negative. I just reread my writing notebooks for the past year and so much of the excitement was clouded with self-doubt and anxiety that I wasn’t doing enough. I did great, actually. I put myself out there. I met a lot of new people. I have subscribed for many new services and publications. I’m trying. That’s enough for now.

I’m looking forward to increase my public events this year, so if you are an event coordinator, librarian, or author who knows about a festival, feel free to comment below so I can add it to my schedule. Remember, smaller is better.

Interested in attending an event, check out my current events schedule. I hope to add more to it as the year continues. My goal is to add 12 more events this year.

And if you haven’t given it a change, be sure to check out Pretty Girls Get Away With Murder at the brandibradley.com shop.