Debut Novel Blues
Everything I Did Wrong So You Don't Have To
Don’t Be Arrogant | Listen To Your Agent | Hire a Publicist | Lead Time | Communicate | Interviews and promotion
“I was angry. I was hurt. This was supposed to be a celebration. I made it through the impossible doors of not only writing a readable novel, but writing a novel an agent and publisher would bet on.”
My debut novel was Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk. It was the most important and personal story I’ll ever tell and there was no reason for it to ever become published.
I never went to college, I barely graduated high school, my life was set for menial work so I could pursue my ‘passion’ which was preaching door-to-door to recruit more Jehovah’s Witnesses.
When I finally broke free of that in my 30s, yes, my 30s, and I truly believed, even when I left I still believed until I was about 34. Until then my life purpose was fully committed to being a Jehovah’s Witness.
Yet, I started reading ‘worldly’ literature because I thought I discovered a secret language. Just like when I turned my radio to the left part of the dial in the 1980s and found secret music of college radio. Music and books changed my life. My library card saved my soul. That’s for another time.
I bring up my path to becoming an author, getting an agent, then getting my novel sold because part of that is the reason for some of my bad behavior.
Don’t Be Arrogant.
Oh, I burned some opportunities. I had a huge chip on my shoulder. I was acting out because I had lost my family, all of my friends and community I had up until my 30s when they found out I wrote a novel based on growing up a Jehovah’s Witness.
I was angry. I was hurt. This was supposed to be a celebration. I made it through the impossible doors of not only writing a readable novel, but writing a novel an agent and publisher would bet on. I had already won the lottery.
But, that’s just the beginning.
Let me give you an example of my bad behavior. I love the radio show Forum with Michael Krasney. I listened for years. I would have killed to be on that show. One night at a book event, after a few drinks, a woman came up to me and said, “I’m the producer of Forum and we’re looking forward to booking you on the show.”
“I bet you are,” I said.
She walked away.
Blew it. Done. Not funny. I thought I was being funny, but I was being a turd. One of the many things I wished I could take back.
Listen To Your Agent.
I wasn’t great at communicating with my agent through the publishing process. I feel a lot of this was just feeling like I was so out of my depth as someone actually getting a novel published. It was like I had already won the lottery. But, that’s when the game just gets faster and sometimes complex.
Agents know. Agents want great books out there and that’s the reason they take you on. There are also many more profitable industries to be in, yet they chose to be literary agents for the love.
Be proactive and meet with them personally if you can.
Hire a Publicist.
If you get an advance put that directly to a publicist. Publicists get your work to the media and it’s so much more important that you realize. I great pull quote might even be a marketing quote for your second novel. It’s worth it.
Also, as a podcaster who interviews authors every week, publicists pitch me all the time. I have my favorite publicists who know how I work and what I want from authors. They curate their pitches to me from their roster. They don’t hit me with every author, they know the tone of my show and I trust them and book authors who sometimes don’t seem to fit what I’m looking for on my show. But, I have so much confidence in some publicists I book those authors and they’re correct most of the time, I really needed to interview them.
Lead Time.
As I book Drinks with Tony authors for my show I’m usually three months out, which means I’m booking Fall 2026 as I type this May 2026. I’m filling the Fall 2026 calendar, and I’m just a small podcast radio show. Magazines, large profile bookclubs (Hi Oprah), newspapers, they can start working their publications schedules a year in advance. Hire a publicist, get your name in the hat on this game, and also stay in solid communication with the publicist assigned to you at your publisher.
Be very specific with what your hired publicist is doing so your assigned publicist stays on board to know what’s already pitched. Again, communicate, always proactively communicate.
Communicate.
Dammit Jim I’m an author not a talker. Well Bones, get over it and get talking. Here’s how insane I plan to be with my current book I’m pitching, I will fly to NYC and meet agents in person, meet editors in person, couch surf if I have to to stick around and chat up.
Some of us don’t live in Brooklyn. Most of us don’t live in Brooklyn. I now understand that face to face communication is so important. We’re living these internet lives where we think we can communicate properly online. Stop. Get in front of people. Have coffee. Chat. Sadly they call it networking and I hate to say that, I prefer to call it mutual passion, mutual interest, we’re all insane fans of all things literary, we’re weirdos, and even large publishers hire weirdos just as excited about all things books as we are. We’re lucky they’re even thinking about us at all. Be there with your baby. Your novel or memoir is your baby, present your baby with yourself. Don’t let your baby be alone with strangers.
Interviews and promotion.
Then there’s the grand time that your book is released. The key word here is be grateful. Always say thank you. Even if someone rubs you wrong on an interview, say thank you. You can push back during the conversation and it may fall totally flat, but still say thank you. The interviewer has put in their time, might even give you bad publicity, but publicity is publicity. The two words are thank you, and you move on.
And show up. Show up on time. Show up ready to completely engage with the person interviewing you. I was lucky I had by doing my show for years before my first novel came out, so I knew the other side of the table, I knew what I wanted from interviews and I always came with my A-game.
There’s so much more I’ve done wrong in this publishing and film game, so stay on the lookout as more confessions are imminent.
If you have done it wrong and have anything to add, please comment below.
If you have done it right and are a unicorn, I definitely want to hear from you.
Carry on noble novelists,
Tony
I was born and raised a JW. Woke up about 4 years ago. My husband is currently writing a memoir and eventually will be adapted into a film. He had a rough life, we got together when we were separated from our first partners. My Elder father told me he’d never speak to me again if I married him. 12 years later we have 3 kids and another on the way. He’s a 17 year army combat veteran and has done quite a lot. I say he’s like forest gump but IRL. Unless things change because life always throws curve balls, he plans on running for president in 2028. PaulRonCruz2028 🙏🏼💜 I will be getting your book. I love to support Ex JW endeavors.
I love this. Reminds me of my own different but no less damning mistakes. i’m thinking of the editor who took me to lunch wanting me to write a novel for her but I blew her off — her imprint wasn’t classy or cool enough for me. I didn’t understand that if I wanted classy and cool, I needed to bring it.