Release Day with H.L. Burke
Release Day with H.L. Burke
First of all, congratulations on completing another book! How did you feel after you finished the writing process for Ashen (your upcoming release)?
A little confused. Ashen was a different sort of book for me. While I’m not a detailed plotter, I generally have a pretty good idea what a book is by the time I start writing it. Ashen decided to be a Cinderella retelling about the halfway point. While I have written fairy tales (both original and retellings) before, Cinderella is not one I would naturally have picked. It’s been done by a few authors who did it really well, and I didn’t really think I had an original take on the concept, not one that could live up to Ella Enchanted, anyway. Lizbete also took me a while to figure out as a character. She was such a weird mix between empathy and sharped tongued, fangs out, claws out snappiness. I was curious how it would resonate with my core reader group but even more so, I just kind of blinked at the book like, “What are you and why did you want to be what you are so badly that you needed to derail my plans?”
Prior to a release date, what are some things you typically do to get ready?
Ashen is a little different for me because it is with a small press, so while I normally do a lot of the “get things prepped” stuff myself, this one had a team behind it. It does make it a little more chill for me. I’m not rushing around checking on everything. Instead, I am very chilly trying to consider what drink to toast it with.
How does it feel to release a book?
It’s a weirdly solitary venture. Unless you make your own excitement (say planning a party or some sort of celebration), it’s a quiet thing. Even if you have devoted readers who pre-ordered and started reading as soon as it showed up on their kindles, it’ll take them a while to get through it, and the number of them who reach out is a minuscule percentage (well, I have one who messages me every time I kill a character, but I don’t do that in every book … maybe I should do it more, just so people talk to me). So mostly quiet. For me the book has existed in some form or other for a long time. To me the “first draft is done” moment is way bigger emotionally than the actual release date.
Is the release process more of an exciting experience or a nerve wracking one for you?
I’m pretty zen about it, honestly.
When I first started (back in 2014, so it’s been a little while), I had absolutely no idea what to expect, so I decided to expect nothing and see what happened. I had a much smaller reader base back then, so it was less than momentous, but it was cool to see some sales and a few reviews. I didn’t expect people to absolutely love or hate the book because, as I said, I didn’t expect anything. Any reaction, therefore, was what it was.
I’ve continued to maintain this lack of expectations. I’ve put myself out on the line multiple times at this point, so it’s not really scary. I’m happy about my books or I wouldn’t release them. I’ve gotten a few negative reviews that stung, but I always knew my book wasn’t for everyone, and I don’t expect everyone to love it the way I do. It is nice when people do love it, of course.
Compared to the releases of other books you have written in the past, how do you feel about Ashen’s launch?
There are a few small things that are different about Ashen. For one thing, it’s with a small press rather than being self-published–and while this isn’t a first for me, the small press aspect means that the launch is mostly out of my hand. I’m not the one in charge of updating sites and setting up release notices. I do a little bit of the marketing and promotion, but a lot of what I’d usually do is being handled by the press, which makes it a somewhat quieter experience.
The other major difference is that I agreed to a dual launch this time. The press acquired two Cinderella retellings around the same time (Ashen, by me, and Met by Midnight, by Janeen Ippolito). With the books’ shared theme, they decided to do a joint release with some accompanying promotional pushes. It’s a little odd, though I think the marketing strategy is good because if you like Ashen, you’ll probably like Met by Midnight and vice versa (I have read Met by Midnight, though it was an earlier draft. I need to re-read the final version, but I would still recommend it based on that earlier draft).
What is the best part of releasing a new book for you?
Getting people to read it. Writing is okay, but until the book gets read, it’s like having a bunch of secrets, and I am a lousy secret keeper. The whole point to a secret is sharing it with someone. I do have to wait a bit to see the reactions of people who have read it, but I thankfully have a handful of readers who will message me about it and let me know what they thought (if I’m evil for killing off a character, especially. I get an earful about that. Sometimes I snicker.).
Do you have any plans to celebrate Ashen’s release on September 22, 2020?
I’m really thinking about a bottle of Spiced Rum and an evening devoting myself to the joys of Lord of the Rings Online. We’re a gaming family. Me, my husband, and my two daughters will spend a lot of evenings in our computer room, all playing on various devices, sometimes together. Maybe I’ll make a new character in game and name her Lizbete after my lead.
If you had to summarize one thing that the process of releasing a novel has taught you, what would your ‘one thing’ be?
Writing is a weird mix of being open to the input of others to improve yourself (because if you listen to no criticism, you’ll never improve) and learning when to tune it out (because if you listen to all criticism, you’ll never have the creative freedom to be yourself, as you struggle to please a hundred dissonant voices.) . I think most important is deciding when something is done, you’ve done your, best, and now you just have to release it and hope it reaches the people it is meant for.
H.L. Burke
H. L. Burke is the author of multiple fantasy novels including the Spellsmith & Carver Series, The Nyssa Glass YA Steampunk Series, and Ashen. She is an admirer of the whimsical, a follower of the Light, and a believer in happily ever after. She lives in Oregon with her retired Marine husband, two extremely dangerous daughters, and her pets.
