A Book(ish) Life: Surviving Debut Year with CW Rose

On breaking out with a whisper, not a roar

Jan 11, 2025

Debut year. For me, personally, I had never let myself think about what happened beyond submission. I’d had so many years of no that the yes was this terrifying great unknown. I had no real idea what to expect. I’d seen so many friends debut over the thirteen years I’d been writing seriously, and the one thing I knew for sure was that every single journey (and experience) looked different. One thing that most of my already published friends encouraged me to do was to join my debut year group. In the case of the 2024s, it’s a slack channel. I’ve met so many amazingly talented writers of all genres and age categories there, and one of the things I’m doing this year is collecting advice and reflections, in the hope that it can one day help another debut feel less alone.

Today I’m thrilled to share a reflection from C.W. Rose, the author of Oceansong. I have to echo so much of what she says here - especially the parts about dealing with envy and taking breaks! Read on to hear from CW, and learn more about her magical mermaid romantasy, Oceansong.

Surviving Your Debut Year

2024 was a crazy year, and the year my Asian Romeo & Juliet with mermaids romantasy, Oceansong, came out. Having spoken to other authors, it seems to be a common sentiment for our debut year! In this time, I learned a lot, many things the hard way—to the point where I got burned out and got sick multiple times this year.

I tried to do everything. If you’re on social media, or servers with other debuts, you’ll see what others are doing, and you may feel pressure to do the same.

It felt like very little happened for months as my editors and I went through edits. And then in the four or five months before publication, it felt like it went from zero to warp speed, especially once ARCs (advanced reader copies) went out and the cover reveal went live. I signed up for and accepted as many podcasts and author interviews as I could, filling out forms for author features, and arranging book tours (the ones my publisher didn’t already schedule) as I could. I also started and maintained an author newsletter, all the while constantly creating graphics and posts for all four of my social media accounts.

Before I knew it, it was release day. I scheduled my launch event two days after release, leading to another source of stress. Oh, not to mention I traveled across the country and back the weekend before my book release. I was so burned out that I didn’t even have the energy or desire to reach out to bookstores.

I’m now four months post-debut, and have had time to process the past year. So I’m writing this post in terms of, if I were to do it all over again, what would I do differently? Keep in mind I signed with a small publisher and I don’t have an agent, so depending on the size of your publisher and how hands-on or hands-off they are, this may look a little differently for you.

Prioritize and think about how you want to market and promote your book

You’ll hear a lot about the various (and very creative) ways authors are marketing their book, the best social media sites to use, which media, festivals, and conventions authors are applying for, and so on. You may feel pressured to do all of it. But the most important thing here? Don’t do anything that makes you uncomfortable. You don’t like public speaking at convention panels, showing your face on, or even interviewing with podcasts or Instagram / TikTok Lives? The beauty is, you don’t have to do it. If you plan to promote on social media, pick one or two that you like best, and stick to those. Try to spread yourself too thin, and it will only result in burnout.

Know How Far to Reach Out in Advance

This is dependent on what your publisher is already doing or planning on doing for you in terms of marketing. If you’re seeking your own trade reviews, most sites will want your galleys at least 3-4 months in advance, possibly earlier. Same with asking for blurbs (endorsements) from other authors. Typically, the bigger the author, the more time you’ll want to give them to consider reading your book. Similarly, this can apply to reaching out to book influencers and book tours, as well. Bookstores may book out months in advance for signings and events. And plan to reach out to stores a couple months in advance of publication, or shortly after to capitalize on your book being featured as a new release in their store. Plan early, and you’re much more likely to succeed.

Take a Break After Debuting

I kept going with my day job and workout routine, and signing up for and doing more interviews and author features after Oceansong’s release. I was exhausted, physically and mentally. It was another few weeks before I had the energy and desire to reach out to bookstores to stock my book, and over a month passed before I had the desire to start writing again. I wish I had taken even just a weekend away to clear my head and really, properly celebrate this accomplishment.

It’s Okay to Say No

You may get approached by reviewers, content creators, members of the press, podcast hosts, and graphic artists, among others, once you’re published. I think this is pretty self-explanatory. Again, there’s no need to say yes to everyone if it’s going to tank your mental health. Only say yes to the invitations you’re really excited about.

Reader Reviews

So, one of our goals as authors can be to get more reviews from readers. And let’s face it, no one is going to get all glowing, positive reviews for their book. Not every book is for everyone. Yet, when I accidentally came across a low review, it sank me for a good day. You don’t have to read reviews, and I actually encourage you not to, especially if a poor review might upset you. I haven’t looked at Oceansong’s Amazon, Goodreads, or StoryGraph’s book pages since publishing, and honestly, it’s a freeing feeling.

Dealing with Envy

There’s no getting around it. If you’re surrounded by other authors in any capacity, you’ll see them getting endorsed by bigger-name authors than you, getting nominated for awards, getting positive or starred trade reviews, appearing in Most Anticipated or Best Of lists, getting a bigger advance, signing a deal for multiple books, getting more media coverage…the list goes on. Remember that comparison is the thief of joy, and keep your eyes on your own paper! Every author’s journey and definition of success is different. Know what success means to you, personally.

Write the Next Book

This helps to keep you excited about a new project, whether it’s a sequel to your debut, or a completely different project. Plus, if you didn’t already sign a multi-book deal, it gives you something else to pitch. If you did sign a multi-book deal, you’re not scrambling to meet the next deadline after your book’s release. I wrote Oceansong’s sequel before the book came out, and I’m so glad I did. I had it ready to go for when my publisher wanted to pick it up, and we can get started with edits and production right away.

Embrace All the Feels

Debuting comes with a lot of feels! You may feel proud, excited, nervous, anxious, vulnerable, even empty. Embrace all of it. Writing and getting a whole book published is no easy feat. There’s no right or wrong way to feel. Post-debut depression and a feeling of emptiness is very real as the hype of your new release dies down. This typically happens around a month later, when you’re no longer a shiny new debut. Know that this feeling is common. Sit in it for a bit and try to work through it with marketing efforts and working on your next project.

Don’t Fret if your Novel isn’t a Breakout, or Doesn’t Take Off Right Away

It’s easy to look at the few novels that do break out and get seemingly all the attention each year and wonder why you’re not one of them. Truth is, so many books are published every week, and only a small handful can really take off. The majority of us will break into the scene with a whisper, not a roar. Most authors build up their fanbase over time, book by book. Perseverance is the name of the game.

I hope this is helpful! Most of all, enjoy the year and celebrate all your accomplishments and wins, because you only debut once.

C.W. Rose is a Fantasy and Romance author who writes about ordinary Asian women in extraordinary situations, and find themselves, and sometimes—okay, usually—love along the way, and the cinnamon roll (not always human) men who adore them. She is also a certified scuba diver and lifeguard with a deep love for the world and animals around us, though she hasn’t spotted any mermaids yet. Outside of writing, you can find her buried in a great book, learning to sing in different languages, and finding any excuse to spend time outdoors. She’s also a third culture kid who grew up in Singapore, and currently lives in New York City with her family, working as a Physical Therapist.
Find all of her socials, website, and newsletter sign up at http://linktree.com/cwrose
Her debut novel, OCEANSONG, is available now wherever books are sold

About Oceansong

Fish are mysteriously disappearing, starving the people in Angie Song’s Alaskan hometown. Angie, a snarky, guarded aspiring marine biologist and dock worker, enthusiastically joins the hunt to find out where the fish are gathering. When her family and the villagers discover that merfolk are responsible, they vow to destroy every last one. In the midst of the conflict, Angie faces off with a merman and fails to pull the trigger.

Inquisitive Mer-Prince Kaden is just as snarky as Angie, but he’s willing to talk and stop the brutal massacring of his people. The two form a cautious alliance to broker peace between the humans and mer before any more of them die.

Angie’s family becomes suspicious of her time near the water and threatens her future career. If the Mer-King and Queen learn of Kaden fleeing to the surface from an engagement he doesn’t want and falling for a landwalker, he’ll be exiled.

As tensions clash in this modern-day Romeo and Juliet meets The Little Mermaid, no one is safe in the desperate fight to control the sea’s resources. Despite the risks, Angie and Kaden’s forbidden relationship ignites. And as she learns about the mer’s mysterious world and the reason why the fish are gone, Angie starts to question who the true monster is, and where her loyalties lie. Taking the wrong side means choosing between family and her job, or the man she’s fallen for and the merfolk she’s come to respect—or losing it all.

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