What You Don’t See

This is part of the Bittersweet Book Launch case study, where Dan Blank and Miranda Beverly-Whittemore share the yearlong process of launching her novel. You can view all posts here.

There has been so much going on in Miranda’s life, and the life of Bittersweet, in the past week. And today. And tomorrow. I checked in on this blog, and found that so much of it wasn’t – perhaps couldn’t be – represented here.

The book lives in bookstores, libraries, bookshelves, warehouses, and so many other places:

A photo shared by Bay Books Coronado on their Facebook Page

Reviews that are popping up in both obvious, and less obvious places. This one, shared with Miranda on Facebook:

The most important thing that you don’t see are READERS, and their experiences with the story & characters that Miranda created in Bittersweet. Some do share their experience with the book on Amazon, Goodreads, and many other places. Though of course, many others don’t. They are private moments. That what Miranda created is now something that exists in tiny corners of people’s minds and their experience of this world.

Many of these things can be shared on social media, and sometimes are. Yet, even with Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, there is still so much you don’t see.

And yes, there are “behind the scenes” conversations that Miranda & I chat about, things that seem to be happening that aren’t represented in any of those social feeds. Which simply illustrates the opportunity we have to be better at sharing, and in the limits of these networks to effortlessly express real-life in 140 characters.

I absolutely love how the book’s launch is also a social event for Miranda through social media. That the process encourages connections, enthusiasm, and seeing that thing that is often opaque: how a story spreads.

Thank you.
-Dan