Lack of Support?

For the purpose of this post, I am going to use the terms Aunt 1 and Aunt 2. The reason will become apparent later.

I published my first novel in September 2012. I did not expect miracles or instant best sellers. I expected a long arduous task of building a fan base, crash courses in marketing my work and successes coupled with failures.

Last night I got news that seemed to emphasis my failure. Aunt 1 published her first novel in January and has published two since that time. She writes western Christian romances. I was informed that she has sold over 700 copies of one novel in March. I haven’t managed to give away 700 copies of one novel in a single month. And it was done with no advertising, no social media, nada. Her biggest selling novel is averaging a rating of 3.5 stars.

So I started thinking what she was doing so much differently than me… the answer hit me as I lay in bed in the dead of night. She has the support of the entire family. Aunt 2 even purchased copies of Aunt 1’s first novel to mail to everyone in the family. My other aunts and cousins post her releases on their facebook and twitter pages.

None of them have bothered to share my books on their facebook or twitter pages. None have even bothered to like my facebook page or follow me on twitter. My familial support comes from my mother, my mother-in-law, and my nephews. Of those, only my mother ever shares my posts about book releases.

Obviously, I see where I stand with my own flesh and blood. And it is an eye-opening place to be standing. From this place, I can see that I do not rank very highly in their collective. For whatever reason, my own kin have passed me by, ensuring that I understand my place to be not with them, but standing outside looking in.

Considering I like my family and thought they liked me, I find their lack of interest and support to be crushing.  It also proves how far a little support actually goes…