Lessons for New Authors: Navigating 2026’s Challenges

Being an author these days is complicated. From the exhausting (and sometimes addicting) world of social media marketing and the push to go go go, to the growing force that is AI, the writing climate of 2026 is definitely challenging!

I published my first children’s book, The Ill-Tempered Clavier, in June of 2025, and it has been quite the journey.

First off, it took me 5 years to publish my first book! And, naively, I imagined it would simply sell by itself…and keep selling! Then I discovered this hard truth: to be a successful author, you actually have to market yourself! And I didn’t even have an Instagram, folks. 😂

So if you’re new to this whole marketing thing, here are the 3 biggest (and hardest) lessons I’ve learned:

1) Your book isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. This one was a hard pill to swallow. When you publish your first book, it is often a book straight from the heart–the book you’ve always dreamed of writing. If some readers don’t like it, it feels like they don’t like “you.” But don’t think of it that way, it’s not personal. Instead, use it to your advantage. Be specific about who you are writing to and invest meaningfully in that audience.

2) Marketability Matters. When I wrote my first book, I wasn’t concerned about “what was trending.” Like I said, I wrote the story that was in my heart. But here’s the second hard truth: Amazon doesn’t care about the story in your heart, it cares about marketability–books that fit into clear categories that quickly convert–it doesn’t do so well with more nuanced fiction. That being said, don’t let that get you down! Write the book you’ve always wanted to, but research alternative ways to market to reach your unique audience!

3) The algorithm doesn’t define your talent or value. I am guilty of putting too much stock in social media. It can be a great tool but it can also be addicting and discouraging–especially if you literally started from ground zero like me. 😂 It’s been helpful to remember that the number of likes on a post or number of followers doesn’t have anything to do with your skill as an author!

Do any of these resonate with you? What’s something hard you’ve learned in your writing journey?

Thanks for reading,

Christa