What to Expect When You're Expecting Your First Book

So far, the months running up to the debut of my novel have been simultaneously exhilarating and nervewracking. Thank goodness for groups like The Fearless Fifteeners, a group of middle grade and young adult authors debuting in 2015, who offer a haven for our freakouts and squealing in our Top Secret forum.

In one of the threads in said forum, we've been pointing each other in the direction of helpful posts on surviving our debut years. So I thought I'd share them here, for the benefit of those who are also debuting this year--or any year in the future, really (unless you're unlucky enough to debut just before the zombie apocalypse starts--in which case, you're pretty much out of luck).

Voila, a list of posts gathered from the web, about "things I'd wish I'd known" and "learn from my mistakes" and debut books (in no particular order):

Debut Authors Lessons by Mary Robinette Kowal

Timeline and Checklist for YA or MG Book Release by Lisa Schroeder

10 Things Nobody Tells You About Being a Debut Novelist by Tim Federle

After The Book Deal series by Jonathon Auxier

Author Visits: A Beginners Guide by James Dawson

Advice for Authors on School Visits by Book Moot

On School Visits...A School Librarian's Perspective from Dawn Finch

Expectation vs. Reality by Jodi Meadows

A Dozen Things That Debut Authors Have Taught Me by Erin Murphy

Nine Things I Wish I'd Known About Publishing by Alison Cherry

24 Things No One Tells You About Book Publishing by Curtis Sittenfeld

What I Learned about Publishing (Or An Open Letter to the Debut Class of 2015)by Sharon Biggs Waller

When Friends & Family Read Your Book: Survival Tips by Kate Brauning

Hope you find these helpful! If you have any other tips or favorite posts to direct us to, please do so in the comments!