The First Anniversary of Fractured
Q&A With Shay Each Sunday
It’s almost the one year anniversary of the publication of Fractured! It’s time to reflect on all the ups and downs, the insights, lessons learned, accomplishments, and everything else that came along with the publication of my debut novel over the past year.
Q: What were your expectations and did they measure up?
A: I tried not to have too many expectations about the publication because how can you know what to expect when you publish your first novel? But…we always have expectations even when we tell ourselves not to. I suppose I expected more initial interest around the publication date itself, and maybe even in general. I learned how competitive it is in the book world. There are just so many books out there and more coming out all the time and it’s much more difficult to catch a reader’s attention than we might realize, even if we’re doing all the right things or the things we’re told to do from other success stories at least. However, I’d also heard many times that after the first three months of a book being out that interest in it starts to drop immensely. While this is true, I didn’t necessarily expect Fractured to be selling as much as it was so many months later, and now even a year later! So, that was a nice surprise even if it might not always be as much as we’d like.
Q: Favorite review to date?
A: My favorite review (that I read) was probably from Zoe of YA It’s Lit. She reviewed Fractured after receiving an advance reader’s copy before the book was published for the general public. I had gotten some negative reviews from readers who seemed to have missed the point of the novel (but we all have our own tastes and opinions and can’t please everyone). So, when Zoe’s review went up I just immediately felt like “she gets it.” I have gotten some great reviews and am so glad that my work resonated with people in some way. And I have also gotten some reviews that were not pleasant to read—I’ve mostly tried to stop checking any reviews at this point! Reviews are for readers, not authors, and although it’s always nice to see a positive review, it’s best to just focus on the writing and not get caught up in the rest. It’s a work in progress.
Q: Interviews where you talked about the book?
A: These can be found on the interviews tab! It was both fun and nerve-racking any time I had an interview. It was great to be able to discuss the book in more depth, but interviews definitely push someone with social anxiety out of their comfort zone! The podcast interviews I did made me especially nervous, but I’m happy with the way they turned out and am so glad for the experiences I’ve had being interviewed. I simultaneously look forward to and dread any future interviews, but am always appreciative of them when they are out there.
Q: Awards and recognition the book received?
A: I was so honored that Fractured won two awards this year. I entered the book in a few contests and while we always enter with a hope of winning, we don’t necessarily expect it. So, it felt like great validation to receive these awards—that other readers understood and valued my message and writing.
The awards that Fractured won:
Silver medalist in the 2021 Human Relations Indie Book Awards Teen Category
Finalist winner in the 2021 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Young New Adult Category
Q: What will you do the same or different for the publication of the next novel?
A: I’ve learned a lot about what’d I’d do differently or the same or how I’d approach my next book after this whole process. I still plan to pursue traditional publishing in the future, but I’ve been really glad to experience the indie side of publishing, especially because I feel confident that as an author you learn and take on much more when you go the indie route. I’ve learned things I might have never known if I started out with traditional publishing.
So, if I were to independently publish again, which I likely will, I would approach the publicity plan differently, mainly in that I would do more of the publicity on my own. But I would definitely still use a publicist and/or blog tour company to create buzz around the release date. And I’d ensure getting tons of advance reader copies out there through a site like NetGalley, which is a helpful part of the release plan. I’d also have a better plan in place for running online ads, which I did none of for the release of Fractured. I’d also plan out the cover design, formatting, back cover copy, and so on further in advance. I actually did do all of this way before the release date, but I cut it closer than I would have liked with final interior formatting and changes after advance reader copies were out. I’d probably approach the advance reader copy as a fully finished product and not continue proofreading more after they go out unless a reader pointed out specific mistakes. I’d also try not to dwell so much on every little detail that could be changed later if needed.
Q: How do you feel about the book now that it has been published for a year and out of your hands?
A: This is a tough one that I go back and forth on. Sometimes I absolutely hate the book. Other times I still love the message and characters. There were times where I let readers’ reviews or opinions influence the way I felt about the book personally, and sometimes I still do. But deep down I know that no one can actually know what I was trying to convey more than I do even if it’s out of my hands and is theirs to experience. Art is a strange sort of thing in this way. I have the feeling these will be the sort of feelings and thoughts that come and go with every single piece of writing in my life, and I accept that even though it isn’t always easy. I’ve almost come to a point now where I’ve forgotten certain things about the book and it’s actually a relief to be that distant from it now.
Ultimately, this was the story I came up with at a certain point in my life and the one I felt I needed to tell then. I don’t think it is the story I would have chosen to write today, but that’s one of the cool things about life and how it can even translate to writing. We evolve, our interests change, the world around us changes, and so do our perceptions, and we do what we can with the mindset we have at any given moment in time. These characters will forever have a place in my heart (they’re my children!) and I’ll always be grateful that they came to me and allowed me to get their story out.
If you read Fractured, I’d love to know what you thought or if you have any questions about it. And if you haven’t, there are some deals coming up in honor of the first anniversary—and soon the holidays! Stay up-to-date by subscribing below!
