“Nobody wants to hear about your book during a pandemic.” That’s what I told my friend over instagram DMs the night before my second book was due to release. It was around one in the morning and I was already in bed, tousle-haired and depressed and five hundred miles from caring about how shitty I looked—even though this whole discussion was taking place via video message. I didn’t bother waiting for a reply; my friend lives several time zones ahead of me and is probably already asleep—which is what I wish I could be.
I completely understand the desire to turtle up and tell yourself there's nothing you can do to make it better so you might as well do nothing (which is a lie! obviously! brains suck sometimes!) but I'm in 100% agreement with everyone else here. Books have saved my life more than once (literally) and it's emotionally poignant, ferociously powerful books like yours that I turn to when the world outside and the world within is conspiring to make me feel small. So please know that even when the apathy and depression and anxiety gets you down you are making people's lives more bearable and rich through the stories you're telling 💜 I am so excited to read TEH, I'm staring at it now on my beside table, so thank you so so much for writing and sharing, even amongst this chaos 💜💜💜
Reading "Nobody wants to hear about your book during a pandemic" kind of breaks my heart because your book is EXACTLY what I wanted to hear about and read during a pandemic. For months, it's been the thing I was looking forward to more than anything, even (or maybe especially) after I read the arc in October. My partner and I were going to go to the launch event, too, and were super sad when it got canceled, but we did watch the livestream and got wicked excited when you answered our questions.
If I were in your shoes, I'd probably feel the same about promoting my book, or any positive thing I'd created, but as a reader, authors promoting themselves exactly what I want to see. I want to see all the incredible books coming out this year, and I want to see authors being happy about this cool thing they made.
Right now, I'm getting live reacts from my friends while they read TEH, yelling about parts I yelled about, and repeatedly going "Noam, what are you DOING" every few pages. It's like this space in this pandemic where something feels pretty normal and exciting and not terrible. Thank you for this book, because it's a huge source of joy for us.
I totally get you. The guilt of accomplishment at the time others are suffering is sometimes really hard to handle or brush off, but I want you to know that none of us hold it against you! I whole-heartedly agree with what your friend said.
Everyone does need good news right now and you definitely SHOULD be proud of your book!
On one hand the timing might've been bad but on the other it's actually rather cool if you ask me haha.
There will always be negative people who're gonna judge and complain, and most of the time it's easier to focus on the bad sfuff rather than good (thanks a lot brain).... I uh kinda forgot where I was going with this fuck,,
Point is, it's okay to feel guilty. It's okay to feel happy and proud. At the end of the day, there will always be someone out there suffering and if we focus on that, we will literally feel guilty all the time.
So yeah, this situation sucks, the timing might be bad, but this is something you've worked hard on and fuck it, you should feel ecstatic about it and promote it for everyone to see. You never know, it just might make someones time in the quarantine hell of a lot better :) and I'm glad you're fighting and looking at it from the positive pov
On the contrary, it's exactly the kind of thing we need to hear about right now. The achievements, large and small, are what keeps us going, not the deluge of bad news and the daily body count. Writing and publishing a book is a huge achievement. You're allowed to be happy and tell everyone about it. I just am a stranger on the Internet but I am happy for you and look forward to reading your book.
I'm reading The Fever King right now and it has become a lifeline for me in quarantine. I don't even have the words for it yet, but when I do, I'm going to make sure all my insta friends know about this remarkable book.
I'm so glad that through this all publishing is still happening, that books are still being promoted and read, because books are genuinely such a bright spot in all of this. Losing myself in a book is the only way I can take my mind off of the darkness of the world right now, and I don't know what I (or countless others) would do without that.
Speaking from a deeply fan-ish pov: I’m known for not being able to shut up when I find a book that speaks to me in a way that both of yours did. So I didn’t, and quite expectedly got some “shut up already” messages.
But you know what, fuck them!
I needed The Electric Heir so much. In the middle of my own personal crisis, it gave me that kick in the butt to keep me going. If it can do that for anyone out there, then it’s worth every bit of vigorous promoting.
Not talking about good things will not help the world crisis. Talking about them won’t either but at least it can help SOMEONE’s crisis.
I'm waiting for my copy to arrive! And though I don't have any books or anything to promote, I know what you mean. I feel weird every time I post about something random or lighthearted or seemingly irrelevant, and sometimes so weird it stops me posting at all.
I completely understand the desire to turtle up and tell yourself there's nothing you can do to make it better so you might as well do nothing (which is a lie! obviously! brains suck sometimes!) but I'm in 100% agreement with everyone else here. Books have saved my life more than once (literally) and it's emotionally poignant, ferociously powerful books like yours that I turn to when the world outside and the world within is conspiring to make me feel small. So please know that even when the apathy and depression and anxiety gets you down you are making people's lives more bearable and rich through the stories you're telling 💜 I am so excited to read TEH, I'm staring at it now on my beside table, so thank you so so much for writing and sharing, even amongst this chaos 💜💜💜
Reading "Nobody wants to hear about your book during a pandemic" kind of breaks my heart because your book is EXACTLY what I wanted to hear about and read during a pandemic. For months, it's been the thing I was looking forward to more than anything, even (or maybe especially) after I read the arc in October. My partner and I were going to go to the launch event, too, and were super sad when it got canceled, but we did watch the livestream and got wicked excited when you answered our questions.
If I were in your shoes, I'd probably feel the same about promoting my book, or any positive thing I'd created, but as a reader, authors promoting themselves exactly what I want to see. I want to see all the incredible books coming out this year, and I want to see authors being happy about this cool thing they made.
Right now, I'm getting live reacts from my friends while they read TEH, yelling about parts I yelled about, and repeatedly going "Noam, what are you DOING" every few pages. It's like this space in this pandemic where something feels pretty normal and exciting and not terrible. Thank you for this book, because it's a huge source of joy for us.
I totally get you. The guilt of accomplishment at the time others are suffering is sometimes really hard to handle or brush off, but I want you to know that none of us hold it against you! I whole-heartedly agree with what your friend said.
Everyone does need good news right now and you definitely SHOULD be proud of your book!
On one hand the timing might've been bad but on the other it's actually rather cool if you ask me haha.
There will always be negative people who're gonna judge and complain, and most of the time it's easier to focus on the bad sfuff rather than good (thanks a lot brain).... I uh kinda forgot where I was going with this fuck,,
Point is, it's okay to feel guilty. It's okay to feel happy and proud. At the end of the day, there will always be someone out there suffering and if we focus on that, we will literally feel guilty all the time.
So yeah, this situation sucks, the timing might be bad, but this is something you've worked hard on and fuck it, you should feel ecstatic about it and promote it for everyone to see. You never know, it just might make someones time in the quarantine hell of a lot better :) and I'm glad you're fighting and looking at it from the positive pov
On the contrary, it's exactly the kind of thing we need to hear about right now. The achievements, large and small, are what keeps us going, not the deluge of bad news and the daily body count. Writing and publishing a book is a huge achievement. You're allowed to be happy and tell everyone about it. I just am a stranger on the Internet but I am happy for you and look forward to reading your book.
I'm reading The Fever King right now and it has become a lifeline for me in quarantine. I don't even have the words for it yet, but when I do, I'm going to make sure all my insta friends know about this remarkable book.
I'm so glad that through this all publishing is still happening, that books are still being promoted and read, because books are genuinely such a bright spot in all of this. Losing myself in a book is the only way I can take my mind off of the darkness of the world right now, and I don't know what I (or countless others) would do without that.
Speaking from a deeply fan-ish pov: I’m known for not being able to shut up when I find a book that speaks to me in a way that both of yours did. So I didn’t, and quite expectedly got some “shut up already” messages.
But you know what, fuck them!
I needed The Electric Heir so much. In the middle of my own personal crisis, it gave me that kick in the butt to keep me going. If it can do that for anyone out there, then it’s worth every bit of vigorous promoting.
Not talking about good things will not help the world crisis. Talking about them won’t either but at least it can help SOMEONE’s crisis.
All the love! 💜
I'm waiting for my copy to arrive! And though I don't have any books or anything to promote, I know what you mean. I feel weird every time I post about something random or lighthearted or seemingly irrelevant, and sometimes so weird it stops me posting at all.