I’m happy Along Came A Gardener , my inspirational self-help book and memoir, is finally out, but I’m having a lot of post book launch thoughts. Some good ones, some not so good.
Reviewing What Went Right
1) One postive post book launch thought is the fact Along Came A Gardener was finally launched after seventeen years. I first thought about writing it in 1978, when I was working as a school psychologist for the Child Guidance Clinic of Winnipeg. That’s 47 years ago!
Crazy, when you think about it. But the good thing is that I never gave up on the idea. And I’m so glad I waited. I didn’t know half of what I needed to impart back then. To write a book about relationships and how to navigate them in today’s world requires some thought and research.
2) The fact I waited 47 years is also what went right. In order to write this book, my twenty-five years of working as a therapist in a variety of mental health settings helped immeasurably. Over that time, I met clients and patients of all ages, ethnic groups, sexual orientation, occapations and income levels. I also worked on my own marital and family problems in order to write a book that covers the hefty topics of nature vs. nurture, inherited trauma, post-traumatic stress, relationship conflict, anxiety, depression, grief, stress and anger management.
3) Another positive post book launch thought is the fact I had a wonderful launch talking about Along Came A Gardener to readers in several indie bookstores on Vancouver Island. I’m so grateful to the owners, Christina and Walter Kinney of Mulberry Bush Bookstore in Qualicum Beach, Brian and Jeannie Webber of Fireside Books in Parksville, and Andree Bizier of Windowseat Books in Nanaimo, who welcomed me and gave me the opportunity to show my book.
4) And the last positive post book launch thought I have is how grateful I am for several wonderful book reviews. You’ll find them in The British Columbia Book Review, The Seaboard Review of Books, and Reedsy. Here are a few quotes:
“Diana Stevan’s Along Came a Gardener is a masterful meditation on healing, personal growth, and the art of tending to the self, all framed through the evocative metaphor of gardening.” Selena Mercouri for the B.C. Book Review
“Stevan’s book encourages us to explore the roots of our own psyche and foster better emotional foundations, much like adding nutrients to the soil before planting.” Lori Green for the Seaboard Review of Books
“The book can feel like a attending a therapy session itself, as if Stevan is sat in the room, talking to you in a calming voice.” Alice Bennett for AEB Reviews for Reedsy
Reviewing What Went Wrong
5) One negative post book launch thought is how badly I messed up the date of my book launch. I had hoped to coordinate the day Along Came A Gardener went live online with my visits to bookstores. That didn’t happen. I made some errors ordering the books, and so my bookstore visits were delayed by two months.
Also, weather played a role in what went wrong. We had a very rainy winter and early spring on the west coast—ideal times to meet with readers indoors. But the day of my bookstore visits was sunny and warm, a welcome departure from all the rain, so I didn’t get the crowd of readers I had hoped for. They were outside somewhere enjoying their gardens, walking the trails, or playing by the ocean.
6) Another negative post book launch thought was how I had bungled the whole lead-up to the book launch. Typically, authors of this kind of book have been building followers online for years. The therapy gurus hold workshops through their websites and go on TikTok, where they are talked about on #booktok. I did none of this.
I thought the contents of the book would sell itself. But you need reviews to stand out in a world of over 6 million books; you need lots of reviews to entice readers. I don’t have many, so if you read my book, please leave a review afterwards on the site where you bought it. However, I’m an optimist; I’m still hoping Along Came A Gardener eventually finds traction online.
7) And the final negative post book launch thought is the fact I’ve been having a hell of a time with my back. A year before my book launch I developed back issues, for which I evenually got an MRI. My doctor told me I have severe spinal stenosis, two bulging discs, scoliosis, arthritis, and spondylethesis. Back pain made it challenging for me to do more promotions live or online.
As I write this now (I have to smile because what else can go wrong?), I was just diagnosed with bursitis, so standing to write (which I’ve been doing for the past year) no longer works. Fun and games. I’m deciding whether to get a steroid shot or let my hip heal on its own.
Thankfully, I can write sitting down without pain. Again, because of my built-in optimistic nature, I’m hopeful my back will improve with another cortisone shot in September or some back surgery.
Parting Thoughts
I read a little from Along Came A Gardener on my Youtube page.
If you’d like to read Along Came A Gardener, it’s available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indigo, Kobo, Apple Books, Books A Million, McNally Robinson and more. Or you can ask your indie bookstore or library to bring it in for you.
And by the way, I am working on an audiobook. More about this later.
Thank you for stopping by.
