A Deluge of Emails

A number of Slushpile readers have emailed questions about the activities regarding this first week of my first book’s release. One of the questions was, “What’s the most surprising thing about the release?” And my answer might surprise you.

Before that, I need to explain something about myself: I’m pretty good and juggling multiple responsibilities and obligations. At no point in my adult life have I held any less than two jobs, usually I’m working many more gigs. I’m also good with technology, responding to emails, and things like that. So I’m not some luddite who cannot function in the modern age.

Having said that, I will admit that the thing about this book release that has surprised me the most is the sheer volume of emails I’ve received from my editors and publicists. In the last week, I’ve gotten 383 emails solely related to the book and it’s launch. That’s not counting good luck missives from friends and family. That’s not counting other work emails. That’s not counting the inevitable spam that promises to increase my manhood. Nope, that’s just from the ten or so people working on this book.

Now, I’m not complaining, mind you. This much activity is a good thing and a welcome difference from so many people who release a book and never hear from their editor or publicist again. Luckily, all those emails are the result of new media opportunities flowing in. So having a deluge of these emails is definitely a good thing. But wow, it’s been a challenge keeping up with everything.

So when you’re in this situation, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

–Take some time off from your day job, if that’s possible. Save up some vacation days and then you can focus solely on your book release instead of slogging through spreadsheets all day and then dealing with the mass of emails at night.

–Use a smartphone or a laptop to check your emails frequently. This helps minimize the pile of messages and also keeps your publicists up to date so they can best respond to media opportunities.

–Know when to turn the stuff off. After putting in yeoman’s work dealing with all of this, it is important to allow yourself time to recharge. So turn off the cellphone, power down the computer, and ignore everything. Now, keep in mind, I’m not suggesting checking out for huge amounts of time. I powered down at 1:15am and started up again 5:30am so it’s a quick respite. But you should do your best to take at least a little time.

Once again, having a shitload of emails to deal with is a good thing. It shows your team is hustling and things are happening, so I’m not complaining at all. But it’s definitely something to prepare for in the future.