PUBLISHING IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS: Poppy Nwosu on timing and strange times

Today’s entry comes from Poppy Nwosu, marketing and publicity coordinator at Wakefield Press, and author of young adult fiction. Her latest book, Taking Down Evelyn Tait, will be published by Wakefield Press on 01 April 2020.

Lately the world has been a little overwhelming, and as time draws onward and things only get weirder, I feel like there are three different emotions that I keep coming back to: sadness, fear and ... joy.
Therefore I have three stories to share in this little diary entry.

Being a human being right now ... is sort of distressing.

I went to the chemist on the weekend and tried to buy a product that was restricted. I had to put some things back. Which was fine. Obviously.
As I explained to the very nice young girl behind the counter, 'It's not your fault there are restrictions!' To be honest, I was a little horrified by her overly grateful reaction. I was fairly certain I hadn't done anything worth feeling grateful for.
Turns out though, that she'd been shouted at and abused on multiple occasions throughout the day for passing along this same message, and had spent time out the back in tears. 'It's like they forget we're human beings behind the counter.'

Working in publishing right now ... is strange.

I am actually really new to working at Wakefield Press. I'm still within my first six months on the job. It all feels fresh and exciting to me. The kind of job that has a positive impact on the world. I am helping to create something new and special.
I love being a part of that.
And yet, at the moment the future of the book industry feels so uncertain. Everyone is going through the same thing. Booksellers and publishers. And authors. None of us really know what will happen. Yes, I know people will pull together and pull through, but I still think the landscape of the industry is going to change, and I'm not sure what that will look like when the dust settles.
I think it's okay to admit that, like a lot of other people right now, I'm a bit scared of the future.

Publishing a book right now ... is actually wonderful.

Only a couple months ago, I remember poking around my social media and feeling sad for lovely author friends who were experiencing the bad timing of having new books released into the world during the national Australian fire disaster.
Now it is my turn.
I have my second young adult fiction book due to be released on April 1 this year, called Taking Down Evelyn Tait. Like every other author with a new book, I've had my upcoming author talks and meetings cancelled, and my book launch too.
Obviously I was disappointed, though on the positive side, it's been lovely to see how the online book community has pulled together to help and support authors like me. My book is getting a lot of love from a very large community of enthusiastic young adult fiction fans. Which feels like something worth being grateful for!

In truth, as everything else in the world feels strange, unrecognisable and uncertain, one of the things that makes me feel good is thinking about that new book of mine that will be released into the world next week.

I think as an author with a new book there is always a level of uncertainty anyway. Really, you never know what might happen. Will people love it or not? Will they read it or not?
I guess maybe that is why my upcoming book release truly feels like something exciting and positive coming on the horizon for me, despite these strange times. I'm already used to the not knowing when it comes to my stories. But I've always thrown myself in anyway. Tried my best and just waited to see how things turn out. Enjoyed the small moments of success or happiness as they come rolling in.
I'm trying to face the world in that same way. Telling myself to just keep focusing on being productive. Enjoy the small (or large!) good things around me.
Like a new book that I'm proud of being published next week 🙂

Poppy Nwosu's new book Taking Down Evelyn Tait will be released by Wakefield Press on 01 April 2020. You can find out more about her new book here, or check out her debut novel Making Friends with Alice Dyson on our website.

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