…that I have since discovered and am now passing on to you.
1. Just because something is being distributed by Amazon Japan does not mean it’s been translated into Japanese.
The same holds true for all of those websites that are in Chinese or German or French. Much as it would be way cool to have my books translated (and someday I hope for that to happen!), these are just sites that are in different languages but are still selling the English language version.
Sigh.
2. You can include a dedication page in your debut novel.
I can include a dedication page in my debut novel?
Yes you can include a dedication page in your debut novel.
I didn’t realize this when I was writing my first book and thought only famous authors could do that. I assumed I would have to wait a bit, for my third or fourth novel, to actually dedicate it to someone. I had hoped the people I wanted to dedicate my books to would still be alive by the time that happened. So I only included an acknowledgment page in LOVE, MEG. When VEE came around, I asked about including a dedication page and was met with a, “Yes, of course,” from my editor.
“Yes, of course”? I had no idea I would get “Yes, of course”! Had I known, I might have asked about MEG. So I included a dedication in VEE. Can you guess who I dedicated it to? Go on, guess.
3. You will not actually die if your Amazon rank drops.
When your book first comes out, you check that number ten times a day. It’s up! Now it’s down! Someone bought five copies! Oh no, they just returned them all! After a month of this agony, you stop checking multiple times and settle on just once every day. After several months of this, you often forget to check at all.
That is a good day.
I have not reached that day yet.
Your Hollywood connection,
Leigh
