How is the experience of a book launch for someone highly sensitive? Does "post book launch meltdown" bring a picture to mind? The day after I didn't write anything except thank you notes to all those who helped. Second day out I did laundry that had backed up as I prepared for the launch. And today, the third day away, I finally wrote about the experience--this from my journal.
 

My book launch of Sassy Pants Makes Amends has come and gone. I need to “report” on how it went. In a word, it was a roller-coaster emotionally.

As the morning progressed the ranking became worse and worse. It had started at the bottom of the pile, well, not all the way to the bottom #1,253,900 in Books out of 10,000,000 I believe. Each time I looked at the Amazon ranking it was worse, #1,286,408, and then #1,288,127. I thought, "Oh no! I am going to be the only one whose launch went backwards!" Then the thought hit me, “Maybe it is slipping back to push off and just go through the roof!” I held that thought and determined not to look at the ranking for 2-3 hours. That seemed to do it. Next time I looked it, it at least had a rank. Before it was just a number, but now it was ranking #23, then #16 and finally, the last rank I saw before falling into bed was #14 in the children’s category!

The next day I looked at the sales graph and it went up at a steep angle from that low point to within spitting distance of #1! That was a respectable climb for a little pig! But then, Sassy Pants knew how to push and shove to get off the bottom!  : )

Now it was time to discover who the winner of the drawing was. In the process of entering my password and user name a pop up dialogue box inserted itself too fast for my MS challenged vision. I am not sure what transpired but the result was that I have somehow lost access to my editorial page. I can’t get in to find the winner! I have contacted tech support and am waiting. What a bummer. See? It’s the roller coaster again. Or, is the Lord creating another opportunity for me to practice patience?

Was it a success? I’m calling it that from the rise in rank, but whether it will result in more of a royalty check (hard filthy lucre) or not we will have to wait to see. Would I do it again? I am not sure. I can see that in the long run having a large platform and loyal fan base is what will create sustainable growth. A dedicated base of fans who love your work is essential for an author’s longevity. Without that an author is just a flash in the night and is gone. I want my light to shine, consistently.

The Lord had me in Matthew 5—the part about being a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden. I felt that was far too grand for me. I couldn’t imagine myself as that city. I asked for a more appropriate image, appropriate for me. He said, “How about you be my porch light that I leave on so people can find their way Home.” I liked that!  I would gladly be His porch light. Then one day as I was working He showed up in my living room. He sat there grinning at me. I looked up and spoke to the “empty” room: “I’m glad You are happy!” I kept on working. Finally He said, “Would you mind if I change the bulb in my porch light?” I laughed out loud. “Lord, You can change the bulb in Your porch any time you like!” “Well, how about I change it to be a floodlight?” God’s delight and grin were so engaging that I grinned right back and said, “Father, be my guest; You can use whatever wattage pleases You!”

I think that Sassy Pants and her message of forgiveness and reconciliation, of rebuilding broken trust, has gone to places I would never have reached on my own because of this book launch and the assistance of so many who helped by sharing the word about the book and its message within their individual spheres. I am thinking the floodlight the Lord spoke of may have been this launch. The light is “out there” and “He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” Phil. 1:6. He will watch over the light and make sure it does what He sent it to do!

So that is how I experienced the launch. Now I need to write more to see what else He downloaded. There is something that has to do with vision but I need to write to fully see it!

And then...I almost forgot to announce that Jeanette Levellie won the drawing for The Magic Word, a multiple award winning book by Sherrill Cannon!

Blessings, Carol