7 things I've learned (so far) during my debut year with Alexandria Faulkenbury

Author of SOMEWHERE PAST THE END (May 20, 2025)

Hi, I’m Alex and my book, SOMEWHERE PAST THE END, comes out May 20! Instead of writing about the inspiration for my novel, (which I’ve done here) I thought I’d share some things I’ve learned along this debut journey.

1. Timelines are fragile and illusory creatures.
   I did not know too much about the publishing process when I started, so I figured I'd write the book and then get a contract and then the book would be out in a pretty uniform timeline. But there have been a lot more twists and turns along the journey. It takes a while to find the right agent/publisher/editor. People leave the business, new people come in. 7000 people will look at your book along the way. And each of those people all have their own things going on and their own timelines to work from, so it usually feels like nothing is happening and then everything happens all at once.
   

2. There’s a reason people hire publicists.
   I remember going to a Zoom meeting my publisher set up with all the other authors publishing in ‘25. We’d all just signed our contracts and were excited to meet each other and learn about each other’s books. It was great. Part of that meeting was discussing the promotional limitations of our small press and the director offering us some insight on a publicist, if we decided to go down that route. A publicist joined the call and talked a little about what she did. It sounded like a lot, but still giddy from being in the author call and feeling like I could take on the world, I decided I could handle promotions myself. And I’ve tried, but it’s been exhausting. I’m so excited for my book to be in the world, but I’m also burnt out on email and phone calls and social media. I don’t know if I’d do anything differently if I could go back in time (that sticker shock is real!), but I’ve definitely learned that publicists are amazing at what they do and worth every penny.

   

   A few of the books I’ve picked up by book friends this year!

3. Book people are the best people.
   I think this one speaks for itself, but I can’t stress enough how much better the experience of publishing a book has been with writer friends in my corner cheering me on, commiserating during the low times, and generally being the only folks who 100% understand what this process feels like. The other writers the Debutante Ball, my fellow Apprentice House authors, my writing group, and other writer friends I’ve made along the way have been such a gift. I plan to hang onto them as long as they’ll let me! Bonus points for all the lovely people working in libraries and bookstores who agree to host unknown writers for signings and events!

   

   Obligatory Tree Photo

4. It’s hard to enjoy the forest when the trees are in your way.
   There’s so much out there about not comparing yourself to others, but it feels almost impossible when you’re in the process of publishing your debut. For one thing, you want to be supportive of all those bookish people mentioned in #3 and to do that you need to know what’s going on with other writers in your life. So you log in to instagram to hype up a friend and eventually find yourself down a rabbit hole comparing how many likes your cover reveal got with every other 2025 debut. It’s so easy to see someone else’s accomplishment and compare it negatively to your own. I do it. You do it. We all do it. But every now and again I step back and realize I’m doing this totally crazy and seemingly impossible dream of publishing a book. I tell myself to remember that over and over again. It helps.

   

   Taking your book on your walk for scenic photos is also a good idea

5. A walk can cure a whole host of ills
   Speaking of things that help, when those comparisons (or any other of the 1000 things that are tough about publishing) really get to me, I find that getting outside on a walk almost always makes things better. I don’t know if it's the motion, the fresh air, the trees, or a combo of all of the above. But I know it helps. Even when I think it won’t. Try it.
   

   

   Photo by Patti Black on Unsplash

6. It’s ok to be totally freaking excited over the little things
   If you had told me a couple years ago that I would spend days riding the high of someone simply answering my email…well I would have believed you because I was querying this novel then and no one lives for an answered email more than a querying writer. But still. There are so many hard things about publishing a book and the good things seem to come in small glimmers here and there. So celebrate those glorious glimmers! Every. Single. One.
   

7. I’m not made to read reviews, but I (sometimes) can’t help myself.
   I’ve heard it said time and time again, “reviews are for readers not writers.” And that makes sense. And I totally get it. But. Sometimes I can’t help myself. It’s uplifting to see nice things people have said about your work. But that means you also see the mean, bizarre, and head-scratching things people say about your work. It’s best to do as I say and not as I do and avoid the reviews. Really. Better yet, get yourself someone who can comb through them and only send you the lovely bits. That’s like having your cake and eating it too.

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading. I hope I’ve demystified a couple tiny pieces in the year of a debut author. If you’d like to read my book, you can pre-order it here.