8 Things I’ve Learned Since Becoming a Published Author

By Caroline Bishop

In February 2021 my debut novel was published. Seeing THE OTHER DAUGHTER on bookshop shelves and in readers’ hands was the culmination of a long-held dream for me. It was also a highlight of a rollercoaster ride full of brilliant highs, a few pandemic-related lows and several spells of trundling along wondering what was going to happen next. As my second novel, THE LOST CHAPTER, is published, I reflect on what I’ve learned in the past year.

Reviews are for readers

Before I was published, my biggest worry about having a novel out in the world was what people would think of it. My imposter syndrome was thriving: would it be declared the worst book ever published? Would I wither under the scathing comments of Amazon reviewers? Thankfully, it wasn’t and I didn’t. I’ve had some lovely reviews, as well as some less enthusiastic ones, and I’m grateful for every single one, since they give visibility to my book and allow potential readers to judge whether they might like it or not. And that’s the point – reviews are for readers, not for me. Some of those readers will love what I write and some won’t, and that’s ok. I know some authors have a policy of never reading reviews; that’s not an approach I share (I have no willpower and I’m too curious!), but I have learned to make peace with reviews. Sometimes they are funny; sometimes the reader has seen something insightful in my book that I didn’t even know was there; and sometimes the criticism can be useful. And if ever a review upsets me, I just read the one-star reviews of books I’ve loved (because they all have them) to remind me that opinions vary wildly and no book is beloved by everyone.

Comparisonitis is a waste of time

The best friend of imposter syndrome is comparisonitis. It is only human to feel a stab of envy when you see another author’s book on that telly show or in that famous person’s book club. It is only natural to feel a little deflated that you didn’t make the bestseller charts or be nominated for any awards or feature in any magazine’s top ten book lists like so-and-so’s book. But when I feel like this I remind myself that every author’s journey is different. Perhaps my fourth or fifth book will be a breakout bestseller. Perhaps my eighth book will be picked up by Netflix and sell a million copies on the back of the series. Look at JoJo Moyes or Taylor Jenkins Reid, I tell myself! A pipedream? Sure, but once upon a time it was my pipedream to be published at all.

Goalposts have an annoying tendency to shift

Closely linked to comparisonistis is goalpost-shifting, something I’m particularly skilled at. Got a publishing deal? Now I’d like some foreign rights deals please. Got a translation deal? I’d love a TV option. Got one of those? Can I have Spielberg interested please. I’m exaggerating, but it’s hard not to feel this in some way. At times I feel like an addict looking for my next fix. But when I do, I try to appreciate how far I’ve come already. Ten years ago, when I first tried to write a novel and didn’t get anywhere with it, or even a few years ago, when I was submitting THE OTHER DAUGHTER to agents and crossing everything that one – just one – might ask for a full request, I would have been amazed to know that I’d be here today, publishing my second novel. 

Writing buddies are golden

Publishing is a funny old business, so it’s really only other writers who can understand the rollercoaster – and ride it with you. My debut published in the middle of the pandemic, which made the ride even bumpier than it might have been, but I’ve been lucky to be part of a group of authors in a similar situation. The D20 Authors all published their first novel during the Covid years, and together – thanks to a private Facebook group and Zoom chats – we’ve ridden the emotional ups and downs that came with lockdown and restrictions: publication dates being postponed, bookshops closed, the cancellation of live events. There’s been a lot of laughter, a few tears and a whole load of camaraderie that has seen us all through this weird time. 

The book community is brilliant

Speaking of other writers, I didn’t know any novelists before I embarked on my journey to publication. Neither did I know any book bloggers, but over the course of the past couple of years I’ve discovered #booktwitter and #bookstagram and it turns out they are lovely places full of authors, writers, bloggers and readers who love to share recommendations and reviews and generally big each other up. I feel like I’ve joined a club – and it’s been a brilliant one to be part of, especially during a pandemic when online support took the place of face-to-face meet-ups.

Writing when you’re published is different to when you’re not

One benefit lockdown did bring me – due to a lack of social life and a cavernous hole where my freelance copywriting work used to be – was time, so I was able to nearly finish my second book, THE LOST CHAPTER, before the first one came out. And that was a good thing, because writing what I hope will become my third book, now I’m published, feels way more pressured than when I wasn’t. I have the reader in my head, sitting there with arms folded and raised eyebrows, saying ‘don’t disappoint me, now.’ I’m trying not to, reader; I really am.

Just because you wrote a book doesn’t mean it’s easier next time 

I like to think I’ve learned a thing or two by writing two books, but the process has been different each time, and I have no doubt it will be different every time. There’s no formula to writing a book, and there’s no set method, either. Perhaps you started out as a pantser but are turning into a plotter. Perhaps you wrote your first book in a flurry of activity, the creative juices flowing freely, but writing subsequent books feels like pulling teeth. Every story is its own beast and may require a different approach. However, there does seem to be one constant: around the 30,000-word mark you will feel like giving up. My advice? Don’t. 

The highs deserve to be celebrated

Despite the imposter syndrome and the comparisonitis and the daily struggle to put words on a page, there are many highs in being an author: the joy of holding your book in your hands for the first time; the excitement of seeing it on a shelf in a bookshop; the incredulity of knowing that people are reading and enjoying the story that came out of your head; the thrill of a magazine review that says nice things. And those moments deserve to be enjoyed. I keep a scrapbook, which is not only a nice thing to have but is something to look back on when the rollercoaster plunges again, when my book has fallen off the shelves and out of people’s minds, when I feel stuck and frustrated with my work-in-progress, when I don’t know when I’ll get my next fix. Then, I can look back through my scrapbook, smile and say look what I did.

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Caroline Bishop grew up in the UK where she took a degree in languages followed by a postgraduate diploma in journalism. After a decade working in London, in 2013 she moved to Lausanne, Switzerland, where she works as a freelance copywriter and journalist. Her debut novel, THE OTHER DAUGHTER, was published in 2021. THE LOST CHAPTER comes out on 3rd February 2022 in the UK and on 3rd May in Canada. For more information visit https://www.carolinebishop.co.uk/

THE LOST CHAPTER

1957, France. 

Florence and Lilli meet at finishing school in Lyon. Despite some differences, they forge a firm friendship that promises to last a lifetime. But a terrible betrayal prematurely tears them apart.

Years later in England, Florence has become the woman her friend knew she could be – creative, bold, and independent. The exact opposite of Alice, a young woman troubled by a recent trauma, whom Florence is determined to help bring out of her shell. Just as Lilli once did for her.

When Florence discovers that the novel she’s reading is written by Lilli and is based on their time at the school, the two stories begin to unfold together. Past events illuminate the future, and it becomes clear that long-held secrets can’t stay buried for ever.

‘Caroline Bishop is a wonderful storyteller, crafting characters who step off the page and writing beautifully of female friendship. This is a kind, wise and inspiring novel and its conclusion left me smiling.’ Caroline Scott, author of The Photographer of the Lost

 

Buy here: https://linktr.ee/carolinebishop

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