The Continuum of Book Launch Energy
First, thank you to the co-hosts of this month’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) blog hop for organizing another encouraging space for writers. I always appreciate the thoughtful question and the chance to read the perspectives of others in this community.
This month’s IWSG question of the month made me think deeply about the ideal way to release a book.
And strangely enough, my answer begins with physics.
According to the first law of thermodynamics, also known as the law of conservation of energy, energy—like mass—can neither be created nor destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.
That’s a very loose remembrance of the law, but since I live in a household with an electrical engineer and have a daughter who is an electrician, I’ve heard it quoted a few times.
So what does this have to do with book releases?
Quite a bit, actually.
A Continuum of Book Launch Energy
I think there’s a continuum of ways to release books. To simplify it, I’ll break it into three areas:
High energy
Middle energy
Soft energy (instead of calling it low or quiet energy)
Originally, back in October 2025, I planned a high-energy launch for my Kickstarter campaign on March 3rd. I even scheduled that date into the Kickstarter platform.
My plan included:
Applying to appear on podcasts
Asking members of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group and other writers to host me on blogs or newsletters
Creating three months of tiered content leading up to the launch
Sharing cover reveals
Posting story snippets before and during the campaign
Trying the “100 ways to talk about your Kickstarter” approach suggested for creators
Creating 100 different social media posts across one to three platforms
Possibly running paid ads on Facebook or Amazon
That would be a high-energy book release plan.
A middle-energy launch would include some of those ideas, but not all—basically cherry-picking the strategies that fit best with the time and energy available.
And then there’s what I’m doing right now:
A soft energy launch.
Why a Soft Launch?
The reason goes back to the law of thermodynamics.
Energy isn’t created or destroyed—it’s transferred.
Right now, a lot of my life energy is going into caregiving and self-care.
My husband had surgery yesterday.
My dad was hospitalized for a week in January and again for a week in February, followed by surgery. He’s having a difficult recovery. While he has some private caregivers and my mom is there, I’m also a significant part of the caregiving plan.
That same energy I would normally put toward a big Kickstarter launch has been redirected.
Honestly, the stress of caregiving, hospitalizations, and decision-making has also interrupted my sleep. It reminded me that I need to invest real energy into taking care of my own health, too.
For me, self-care doesn’t mean bubble baths (although those sound nice). It means things like:
Taking longer walks
Increasing my daily step goals
Trying to eat healthier again after a comfort-food phase during the hospital weeks
Planning meals with more vegetables and fewer carbs
Pursuing a healthier rhythm of life overall
That’s where a lot of my energy is going right now.
So the Kickstarter campaign is getting a soft energy launch.
Community Kindness
Even with that softer approach, I’ve been incredibly encouraged.
Several writers have kindly offered to highlight my campaign on their blogs, podcasts, YouTube channels, or newsletters. I’m deeply thankful for every one of you. I do plan to follow up—it just might be a little later than the perfect launch timing.
One person who made it especially easy for me was Diane Gardner, a local author friend who has run several successful Kickstarter campaigns. She messaged me on Facebook, asked permission to highlight my campaign in her update, and then simply did it.
I did nothing.
Honestly, that was exactly the level of help I could handle right now—and I’m so grateful.
In return, I’ve written a couple paragraphs for my own next update to highlight her current Kickstarter campaign, because when writers lift each other up, wonderful things happen.
Kindness multiplies.
A Surprise Success
Here’s the truly wild part.
Even with a soft launch, success is still possible.
I couldn’t change the launch date I had scheduled months ago, but I lowered my campaign goal to better match the season of life I’m in.
And yesterday, something amazing happened.
The Kickstarter campaign reached its funding goal in less than three hours.
I was completely blown away.
Now the campaign is moving forward with stretch goals, and I’m continuing the journey from there.
So yes—even a quiet launch can work.
Energy in Writing Life
That’s why I keep coming back to that idea from thermodynamics.
We all have a limited amount of energy.
We can do things to maintain it—rest, healthy habits, encouragement—but sometimes life redirects it. Family needs, health, caregiving, or other responsibilities take priority.
In those seasons, our writing may receive a softer share of energy than it would otherwise.
And that’s okay.
Because even when the launch is quiet, the writing—and the community around it—still matters.
And sometimes, even with a soft launch, something wonderful happens anyway.
Curious about Kickstarter?
If you're curious about what a soft-energy Kickstarter launch looks like in real life, you're welcome to take a peek at the campaign below. It actually funded in less than three hours and is now moving into stretch goals—which still amazes me.
The Dark Blade Trilogy an epic fantasy trilogy about a cursed sword, unlikely allies, and the struggle between justice and darkness.
What energy do you have for book releases?
I'm curious, have you ever experienced a high-energy season of book releases or writing, and other times when life required a softer approach? How do you balance your writing energy with the rest of life?
1 comment:
Congrats on reaching your Kickstarter goal so easily! I hope your husband's surgery went well and that your father is doing better. You're right that sometimes we need to focus on caregiving and our own health.
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