As the slew of newsletters in my inbox this morning reminded me, it’s March! 🙂 I’m really starting to feel the spring in the air . . . even though there’s snow on the ground. 

My energy has less to do with the weather and more with the fact that, like February’s groundhog, I’m emerging from the shadow of my latest book release. Though I’ve now released seven books in one form or another, I’ve only just now come to accept today’s topic, the “book release crash.” You could also call it burnout. 

If you aren’t an author, or as an author you’ve never experienced this, let me explain. It’s everything you’d expect from the sudden end of a project: the exhaustion, the leftover nerves, the vague confusion about what to do with your time. My first book release is a great example, because the crash afterward blindsided me. I’d released a book mid-February ’22 and my calendar still had plenty of tasks for the rest of the month. None of them got done–not satisfactorily, at least. I just couldn’t find the energy or, frankly, the strength of belief needed to carry out my plans.

Now, I know this might sound a little silly. I often get asked what do you do to release a book–aka, “what is actually taking up your time and energy?” A lot of it is screen time, writing and fighting with automated upload systems. What’s so tiring about that?

I think the crash comes more because of the heavy weight of all the insecurities, fears, dreams, and hopes attached to each book as it makes its way out into the world. After release day, the book is no longer mine, and so all that weight falls back onto my shoulders!

If you feel the same way about book releases or the completion of any project, I can’t say this feeling goes away. However, in the year since my first bewildering burnout experience, I’ve been paying attention. Here are the things I’ve learned about how to handle it:

1. Treat Yourself.

Yes, it’s trite–but it doesn’t need to involve money. Author friends of mine have shared that they find charms or beads for a bracelet to mark each publication. And of course, there’s the classic “kick back with a glass of wine.” I find personally that one evening celebrating is great, but it doesn’t do the trick unless it’s out of your norm. For example, I still fondly remember walking into town to get nachos and a smoothie the night after Beauty and the Alchemist went live. I’d never made that specific trek before, never been to that restaurant on my own. It wasn’t fancy but the uniqueness sticks in my mind and reminds me, “I did that because I’d just hit a remarkable goal.“

2. Do Something Unrelated.

Totally unrelated, for a week or more, if you can spare the time. While I was rapid-releasing the first novels of The Alchemical Tales series, I could feel the crash coming. So I started collecting movies and craft kits and all kinds of thrift books on a theme. Then for the entire month after my “release season,” I dove back into a childhood love of Ancient Egypt. Seriously. There’s still a stuffed camel on my dresser. And I do not, have not, and probably never will write historical mysteries. Essentially, that “staycation” was a palate cleanser, and a chance to get excited about something that came with absolutely no baggage. (Well, nothing the camel couldn’t carry, anyway.)

A more on-theme suggestion is to write something that you have no intention of publishing (at least not in the foreseeable future). That’s what got me out of my initial slump a year ago, and I still fondly remember working on that project, too.

3. Shift Your Perspective. Consciously.

With this latest book release, I’ve done a lot of reflecting. I can recognize clearly what I always vaguely understood: releasing a book is about a lot of expectations and anticipation. Not even in an obvious “I expect to sell XX number of copies” way, but in a daily, hourly, minute-ly way. “I expect to get an email soon from Amazon saying they’ve approved my file upload.” “I expect this adjustment to the cover will be the one that Ingram finally accepts.” “I anticipate this social media post will make my followers happy,” etc. After the book is out, it’s easy for that habit of expectation to fall on to you. “Isn’t there more I should be doing? I expect myself to work!” (I wrote at length about that last week!)

I’ve found I have to explicitly recognize those “expectation” thoughts and replace them with something more grounded, like: “I just did a lot. The book is out, and it’s awesome. I can explore options for the future soon, but really, right now we’re good.”

Keep in mind, all this is not to say that you should dust yourself off and continue running full-tilt toward the next release. Take your time when you need it. I think the most helpful thing I’ve realized is a need for awareness–both of how I’m working and how I feel. My hope is that this helps others in the same boat . . . including my future self, who will no doubt need a gentle reminder. 😉