Welcome Guest Debutante TJ Butler!
The Debutante Ball is thrilled to welcome Tiffany Butler, writing as TJ Butler, to the Debutante Ball. Her debut short story collection will make you catch your breath, nod your head, and say I know someone just like that. Her journey to publication is an actual rollercoaster worthy of its own story.
Connect with her
https://www.instagram.com/tjbutlerauthor/
https://www.tjbutlerauthor.com
I’m one of those writers who got serious about writing later in life. I’m a new 49. My debut short story collection, Dating Silky Maxwell, came out this past October, less than two weeks before my birthday. When I see lists with bright young things and their exciting debut novels, I think about how little I knew at that age and how much richer their stories will be when they’re closer to my age.
My collection began as a few stories. When I started writing, I didn’t know much about craft but I knew about storytelling. Actually, I didn’t know as much as I thought but felt a pull to harvest my life for my stories. I aged out of foster care at eighteen. I’ve worked as a magician’s assistant, a nude model, and also in the traditional corporate world. I had stories to tell but I wasn’t sure how to get there.
I dove into writing headfirst. I took every workshop I could find, including a week-long summer session at a university. I brought a short story to have workshopped, and basked in the instructor’s praise and absorbed every bit of helpful critique. When she suggested I write more stories and put them into a collection, I had a lightbulb moment. It wasn’t that would be a great idea. It was more like Me? I can write a book? Just like that? And so I did. Just like that.
I once heard a famous writer say you can tell when a writer has matured because they’re no longer the main character in their stories. The heck with that.
I created a world in which women from disadvantaged backgrounds gain agency, have a voice, take back their power, and become the heroes of their stories despite what the world expects from them. I want that for my characters and I’d like that for myself as well.
The road to publication was a fraught journey with more ups and downs than some writers would care to put up with.
I was agented, unagented, agented, and unagented yet again. The pandemic hit. I canceled a small press book deal because I thought their red flags wouldn’t apply to me. (Dear reader, they did.) I wrote a novel in the midst of the journey, then shelved it when I realized how bad it was.
My lone 2023 New Year’s resolution was to land a book deal. That happened in January 2023 with a small press. It finally felt like everything had fallen into place. I’d studied book marketing during the first contract and I picked up where I left off. The difference was that I’d spent the last few years immersed in the writing community and being a good literary citizen. The pandemic brought things online that were previously unavailable and the world of marketing information was at my fingertips. I planned readings, speaking panels, bookstore events and appearances, podcasts, companion articles, and a fantastic launch party. Everything that was within my control went well. November and early December were a fantastic blur of activity. I’m giving myself a break for the holidays and I’ll pick up again in January. Connecting with booksellers and librarians has led to future events and there are engagements on my calendar through this summer.
Regarding the things I wasn’t able to control, the word that best describes those things is surprise. A book release should be a joyful occasion. As a thoughtful adult with my sh*t together, I’d like to believe I’m in control of making my own joy wherever I can. Here are a few ways to avoid surprises, maintain realistic expectations, and ensure you’re joyful about this monumental event.
Decide on your measure of success early in your journey. Not knowing what success looks like will keep you guessing and you’ll never know when you get there.
Know exactly how much marketing you can expect from your publisher and team. If you’re your own team, focus on marketing strategies you’ll enjoy.
Understand that your book isn’t going to change your life. You’ve been working toward launch day for many months or even years. It will come and go, and you’ll be back to your normal life. Starting a second book will give you something to focus on and keep you immersed in the writing community.
The two months after my book launch were both the most exciting and the most stressful things I’ve done to myself willingly. I’m digging into writing book two over the holiday break but I’m taking my time. Book releases are fun but I’ll need a long rest before I can even begin to think about doing it again.
TJ Butler is the author of Dating Silky Maxwell (ELJ Editions), a short story collection BUST Magazine called “gritty, realistic, often unnerving, and far from glamorous.” Learn more about the collection and connect with her at TJButlerAuthor.com
Look for more great Debutante Authors in 2024! Thanks for being on our journey!
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