On launching my book & letting it go

How do you measure the success of a project?

Tiny Worlds of the Appalachian Mountains will be published this weekend, and friends and family keep asking me how I feel about it all. Each time they ask, my mind goes blank. Conflicting thoughts and emotions have being somersaulting in my brain lately. Where do I even begin? So I decided to write it all out here.

Above: My official book trailer! Filmed by my talented sister, Clara. All photos here were also taken by her.

My initial vision

When I first dreamt up this book project 3 years ago, I knew that it would be a passion project, not a strategic financial move. Books aren’t a lucrative endeavor, unless you’re a celebrity or one of the select few to hit best-seller lists. But niche regional nature books that don’t fit squarely into one genre? Those are definitely not created for the financial payoff.

Why did I decide to make it then? Because the idea of making this book lit a fire within me, something that I only experience every few years. Every time I thought about the project, it felt like I was falling in love—butterflies in my stomach, sweaty pits and all. This compulsion kept me going when a potential publisher told me they weren’t interested in my proposal unless I made my book about the national parks, when I had to spend 2x the amount of my advance payment on lodging alone during the six-month research trip that became the book, and during the hundreds of days when I showed up at my desk to paint and write, whether I was feeling inspired in that moment or not.

My dream was to make a book that allowed me to deepen my knowledge of the natural world in the Appalachian Mountains, the region I’ve always called home. It was to translate what I learned into a book so vibrant and playful that even a reader who was uninterested in nature would be compelled to care a little bit more deeply about the flora and fauna here. In a nutshell, my goal all along was simply to create a beautiful book that resonated with a select few readers who would treasure it. I am deeply grateful to both the Eckelberry Fellowship and the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture, and History for supporting this vision through grant funds.

A team effort

After several months of pitching my book proposal to publishers (I don’t have an agent), I was so fortunate to find a wonderful non-profit nature book publisher, Mountaineers Books, to help me bring this project to life. The editing process took nearly a year, and during that time I got to work with a whole slew of fabulous women who helped make my book shine. They poured countless hours and endless creativity into my book. When I got the advance copy of my book in July, I held it in my hands and felt such deep gratitude that the project had worked out, and that they’d believed in my vision enough to make it a reality. Sounds like a successful passion project, right?

How much is enough?

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that these past few months of pre-order marketing have clouded my focus. When you spend so long on something and feel that it adds value to the world, it’s hard to know when to say, “I’ve done enough here, time to let it go.”

The topic of marketing as an artist is complex. On one hand, it’s crucial to promote your work so that it reaches the people who will appreciate it. But the opportunities to market your work are endless—there’s always just one more indie bookstore to email, one more book tour stop to add, one more social media post that might please the algorithm gods and introduce your book to thousands of potential readers, one more magazine that might want to feature your story. Any of these could be the golden ticket that ensures your work is enjoyed by as many people as possible.

But the funny thing is that when some of those things have become a reality and journalists have reached out to write about my book and bookstores have decided to host me for a talk, that momentary high passes just as soon as it arrives and I’m left wondering what I need to do next to help my book make a splash.

And I have a feeling that even authors who make the New York Times bestseller list wonder what else they might have done to achieve greater commercial success. Maybe their book was on the list for a week—why not longer? Why didn’t their book get a shoutout on NPR? Why didn’t Oprah select it for her book club?

At the root of all this is a simple question: Should the success of a project be measured by how widely it’s recognized, or by how deeply it resonates with even a small group of readers—or with yourself?

One of 15 illustrated maps in my book! This one outlines the route of our travels through the Appalachian Mountains, from Alabama to Newfoundland.

Owning my definition of success

When I zoom out and think about creativity in general, I know in my soul that a project is successful when a maker does the best they can do and then releases it into world. No matter how exhilarating the project, the act of making the work is difficult, and the act of releasing it is vulnerable. When you’ve done both of those things, the mission is complete.

So no matter what happens with sales numbers, no matter how widely this book is read or not read, I choose to believe that Tiny Worlds is a success because I made the book I felt called to make and I’ve done my best to share it with others. What a relief to simply put those words into writing!

Loving my book & letting it go

So here I am, handing my book off to you. My palms are sweaty and part of me still wants to do everything in my power to control the outcomes, but it is time for me to rest in my efforts. In just a few days, those of you who have pre-ordered will see my book show up in your mailbox or on your doorstep. As you open the book, it is my hope that it fills you with inspiration and reverence for our natural world. I choose to believe that if even a handful of readers are moved by my art and words, my book will be a smashing success.

---

Upcoming Book Events

Here are just a few of my upcoming events. My book tour will continue throughout the fall, so check my events page for all listings & updates!

SEPTEMBER 1, 2024
2-4 PM
Book launch party! Help me kick off my book tour with live music, an art-making station, and a book talk at 3pm.
Mycelium; 214 Davis Ave, Elkins, WV
Free, RSVP here

SEPTEMBER 7, 2024
12-2 PM
Tiny Worlds Art Exhibition Opening, Book Talk & Signing. Come see dozens of original maps & paintings from my manuscript!
Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences
Charleston, WV
Exhibit on display August 31-December 8, 2024
Free with museum admission
More info here

SEPTEMBER 8, 2024
*JUST ADDED* 12-2 PM workshop is sold out
9-11 AM
Moths and Butterflies in Watercolor: Painting Workshop with Rosalie Haizlett
Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences
Charleston, WV
Purchase tickets here

SEPTEMBER 14, 2024
1-2:30 PM
Book talk & signing
Four Seasons Books
Shepherdstown, WV
Purchase tickets here