The 10 Stages of Marketing Your Book

(A Totally Serious, Extremely Scientific Breakdown) 

1. The “I’ll Just Post Once” Delusion

You tell yourself you’ll make one simple announcement and the world will magically discover your book. You believe this for all of six minutes.

2. The Social Media Spiral

You’ve established your brand. You start posting. Then you post more. And more. You’re making reels, carousels, behind‑the‑scenes videos, and debating whether your cat counts as “brand‑relevant content.”

3. The “I Need a Newsletter” Panic

You decide you need a newsletter because “all real authors have one.” You spend three hours choosing a font and five minutes writing the actual email.

4. The Hashtag Identity Crisis

You try to pick hashtags that make you look professional but not desperate. You wonder if #amwriting is still cool or if it’s the literary equivalent of wearing skinny jeans.

5. The “Maybe I Should Run Ads” Temptation

You consider running ads. You watch three tutorials. You still have no idea what you’re doing. You close your laptop and eat a snack.

6. The Review Refresh Marathon

You check for new reviews. Then again. And again. You pretend you’re not emotionally dependent on strangers’ opinions, but your browser history says otherwise.

7. The “I Should Do an Event” Ambition

You decide to host a launch party, livestream, Q&A, or bookstore signing. When you realize this requires talking to humans, you reconsider everything in your life.

8. The Merch Madness

You think about bookmarks, stickers, mugs, tote bags, enamel pins, and possibly a life‑size cardboard cutout of your protagonist. You do not have the budget for this.

9. The Existential Sales Check

You check your sales dashboard. You celebrate one sale like you won a national award. You refresh again. Still one sale. Then, miraculously, two sales. You’re on your way to stardom!

10. The “I’m Doing My Best” Acceptance

You realize marketing is basically shouting lovingly into the void and hoping the void buys your book. You keep going anyway because you believe in your story, and because you’re already too far in to stop now.

 

The 8 Stages of Writing & Publishing a Book

(A Totally Serious, Extremely Scientific Breakdown) 

1. The Lightning Bolt of Inspiration
   That magical moment when an idea hits you so hard you’re convinced you’re a literary genius. You immediately tell three friends, two pets, and one unsuspecting barista that you’re “working on a book.”
2. The Overconfident Outline Phase
   You create a color‑coded outline so detailed it could guide a NASA launch. You feel unstoppable. You are unstoppable. Until you actually start writing.
3. The “Why Did I Think I Could Do This” Draft
   You write 10,000 words in a burst of passion, reread them, and briefly consider faking your own disappearance. You keep going anyway because quitting would require effort.
4. The Editing Spiral of Doom
   You fix one sentence. Then another. You rewrite the entire chapter. You delete the chapter. You undelete it because actually it wasn’t that bad. You delete it again. The concept of time becomes a myth.
5. Beta Reader Panic
   You send your manuscript to trusted readers and immediately regret every life choice that led to this moment. You spend the next week refreshing your messages like you’re waiting for medical test results. Their feedback is helpful, but also shocking, because how dare they be right.
6. The Querying/Publishing Gauntlet
   You craft a perfect query letter, send it out, and instantly lose the ability to breathe. Rejections arrive. You develop a thick skin and emotional calluses. Or at least a leathery emotional callus. Eventually, someone says yes, or you decide to self‑publish and become your own marketing department, graphic designer, publicist, and emotional support animal.
7. Launch Day Euphoria (and Terror)
   Your book is out in the world. People are reading it. People are reviewing it. People are misunderstanding metaphors you thought were obvious. You celebrate anyway because you did the impossible. You wrote and published a book!
8. The “I’m Never Doing This Again” Lie
   You swear you’ll never write another book. Not ever. Absolutely not. Until the next idea taps you on the shoulder like, “Hey. So. What if…?”

Fantasy has always been more than escapism; it’s a way of revealing truths we don’t always know how to say out loud. Stories filled with magic, quests, and mythical worlds often illuminate the hopes, fears, and longings we carry within us. That’s what makes the genre so powerful. It reflects who we are while inviting us to imagine who we could become.

Deb Cushman's Chronicles of Nadavir
Frigg's Journey to Anasgar
Ping's Mystery in Pixiandria

https://debcushman.com

On a cold winter day, Ping, a spirited pixie faery, loves drinking cocoa from her tiny faery mug while munching on chocolate shortbread cookies. Nothing better than cocoa, cookies, and a good book! 

Deb Cushman's Chronicles of Nadavir
Frigg's Journey to Anasgar
Ping's Mystery in Pixiandria

https://debcushman.com

 

I tried joining them once, but they said my vibe was ‘too chaotic’ and told me to go back inside immediately. Now I just watch them from the window.

Deb Cushman's Chronicles of Nadavir
Frigg's Journey to Anasgar
Ping's Mystery in Pixiandria

https://debcushman.com

Pssst… there’s a brand-new FREE activity in the Nadavir Kids Club, and it’s ready to spark some serious imagination! Want in? Just hop over to my website https://debcushman.com and sign up for my monthly newsletter. You’ll unlock the enchanted clubhouse, where 56 FREE activities await curious minds and brave adventurers.

Each month brings a fresh activity announcement, sneak peeks, updates from the Chronicles of Nadavir, and reading resources to fuel young bookworms
No dragons to fight. No riddles to solve. Just click, sign up, and let the fun begin!

Deb Cushman's Chronicles of Nadavir
Frigg's Journey to Anasgar
Ping's Mystery in Pixiandria

https://debcushman.com

Magical Realm Help Wanted - Mystical Origami

Do you have the qualifications to perform the tasks of this magical job? 

We can use all the help we can get!

 Deb Cushman's Chronicles of Nadavir

Frigg's Journey to Anasgar
Ping's Mystery in Pixiandria

https://debcushman.com