The Book Graveyard: On Publishing & Expectations | Issue 11
Everyone's happy about their book until no one reads it.
The Book Graveyard concept started from a tweet I wrote a couple of years ago, so I thought I would expand on it.
The Book Graveyard: On Publishing and Expectations
Everyone's happy about their book until no one reads it.
I call this The Book Graveyard — a part of the publishing process that few talk about but is a very real thing for most books that get published.
What is The Book Graveyard?
Well, after its first year (when the launches are over, the readings dry up, and the reviewers and review outlets are focused on the next season of books) — if a book hasn't been lauded or won awards, it will die a quick and painless death — although not painless for its author.
The Book Graveyard can be a disorienting and disappointing experience — especially if you are a new author or have very high expectations of what your book can do for you. You will blame yourself and others. You will wonder what happened and why.
Social media will make the experience much worse.
End of year of book lists will be hell on earth.
Most authors feel like they are the only ones whose books are in The Book Graveyard.
But the good news is there are few authors who are not in The Book Graveyard — you’ll find even the most celebrated authors there!
It's nothing to be ashamed of. It's part of the industry.
In fact, it’s part of most artistic industries.
Out with the old in with the new and with award winners — except when it’s your book, it can feel tragic.
Before landing in The Book Graveyard, I was in The Film Graveyard where I had my first experiences of having to cope with my expectations and the feelings of loss once a short film has finished its festival run. Because a couple of my films didn’t get into an important festival, I thought they hadn’t done that well — even though they had played at over 50 festivals and had won awards and honourable mentions for the directors.
A few years later, I spoke with a granting officer who was checking on my eligibility for a grant I was applying for when he made a side comment about how well my short films had done on the festival circuit. I thought — what is he talking about? For years, I had lived with this feeling that the scripts I had written had failed the production and the directors because they didn’t get into one coveted festival. I didn’t enjoy the other festival achievements because of that one festival. What a mistake and waste of time and energy.
My first book of poetry was published when I was 40. I’m glad I had that film experience behind me because by the time the book came out, I knew to keep my expectations in check. I had poisoned my film experience, and I was not going to do the same with my poetry.
Over the years I’ve developed some strategies for dealing with The Book Graveyard.
Generally I have low expectations after my book is published. This is easier said than done, I know! But really there is not an alternative. If I don’t have low expectations, I will suffer unnecessarily. If my expectations are high, I will be disappointed.
Instead I try enjoy the process of writing, working with an editor, and getting to publish a book. It can be really fun (even though it's stressful). There are so many writers who would just love to have that opportunity.
I try to delight in every achievement — a blogger who wrote a kind review, a friend who sent a lovely email, a placement on a long or short award list, a reading invitation, meeting new writers, or making new friends.
Instead of dwelling on what a book did or didn't do, I move on. I focus on my next project. Generally I have two or three on the go at any given time.
Finally, and most importantly, I try to find ways to help pull other books out of The Graveyard by reading and sharing books that are two or more years old. We don't have to only fixate on the new. We don’t have to only value writers who win awards. That’s a choice.
Kathryn Mockler is a writer, screenwriter, experimental filmmaker, editor, and publisher. She co-edited the print anthology Watch Your Head: Writers and Artists Respond to the Climate Crisis (Coach House Books, 2020) and is the publisher of the Watch Your Head website. Her debut collection of stories is forthcoming from Book*hug in 2023.
Issue #11 of Send My Love to Anyone
Excerpt from Permanent Revolution by Gail Scott
“The Book Graveyard” by Kathryn Mockler
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