Burner Prepares for Launch
A box full of the final, no-more-tweaks, going-to-bookstores edition of Burner. Available April 16.
April is finally here, and with it comes the launch of my latest novel, Burner, on April 16. The days leading up to the release of a new book are incredibly exciting but also a bit nervy for an author. As proud as I am of this book, there is a distinct sense of vulnerability that accompanies its widespread availability.
I’ve noted the many unexpected similarities between writing novels and my prior career doing tech startups. In both situations, you are creating something out of nothing, no more than an idea at first. Promoting a tech product is very similar to promoting a book and author brand. Furthermore, in publishing, as in tech, there are gatekeepers who decide distribution, investment that is required to grow your audience, low barriers to entry, and long odds of success given the sheer number of books/products that exist.
But one distinct difference is at launch. When one releases the first version of software—whether that’s an app, website, or enterprise SaaS software—the potential remains to iterate. Usually, a first release is very raw, feature deprived, and bug riddled. But when you release a book, it is done. There is no opportunity to A/B test different features, to poll end users for feedback, to go back and change something, to release a new version with enhancements, new functionality, and bug fixes. All that work needs to be done before that initial release. Once a book is out in the world, it might as well be printed on stone tablets. Sure, if there’s a second printing, the author and publisher could make some minor enhancements—add a new accolade here, fix a typo there. But for the most part, once a book launches, it is out of your control.
And therein is the fundamental anxiety of publishing a book. It requires an enormous amount of effort to get a book written, edited, and published, but once it’s done, it’s done. It’s out there, with an ISBN and a Library of Congress Control Number, and there’s nothing more you can do to change it or improve it. It’s forever part of your literary legacy, as-is. That’s why one of the pieces of advice I give to aspiring authors is: make sure your story is as good as you can possibly make it. I hope you enjoy it!
What you can do to support the launch:
If you haven’t done so already, please pre-order Burner from Books Inc, Kepler’s, Book Passage, your favorite local bookstore, or, of course, Amazon.
Join me in celebrating the release of Burner with my official launch event at Books Inc in Palo Alto at 6:30 pm on Thursday, April 18. I will be joined in conversation with my friend and fellow author, Chris Yeh, to discuss the topical issues raised in the story. You can register here. (Registration is free and not required though encouraged.)
One of the most impactful things you can do is to write a review on Amazon (once it is released) and/or Goodreads. (Note: Sometimes Amazon takes a while to post reviews, with a demonstrated preference for “verified” buyers, i.e. you bought the book on Amazon. This is for good reason because a lot of authors and people who sell services to authors try to game the Amazon review system with artificially good or bad reviews.)
Share the news—whether it’s just a recommendation to a close friend or lobbying for Burner to be the next title in your book club, word of mouth sells books. So please help me spread the word, both in the real world and digitally on your social media.
Thanks for your support!