Critical Acclaim, Coveted Lists, and Well-Placed Excerpts Are Nice. But Do They Sell Books?

A conversation with Tajja Isen, author of "Some of My Friends: Essays on Lip Service" and the editor-in-chief of Catapult

Tajja Isen. Photograph by Karen Isen

Readers,

With this post I’m launching a series of behind the scenes interviews with authors, editors, and others in the field about aspects of publishing personal essays, essay collections, and memoirs. These interviews are for paying subscribers only. If you’re not a paying subscriber, please consider becoming one. (If you can’t afford a paid subscription, email me at memoirmonday@gmail.com, and I’ll comp you. )

For this installment, I’ve interviewed Tajja Isen, author of Some of My Friends: Essays on Lip Service, one of my favorite essay collections of 2022, and editor-in-chief of Catapult.

Recently, after her book was named one of the 100 Best Books of 2022 by the Canadian paper, the Globe and Mail, Isen posted the following to her Instagram stories:

Not to be a downer, because today was really lovely and celebratory! But, full transparency, because I believe we need more of that in this industry—there can be a big gap between the way a book appears to be doing (on a Big List! Excerpted in a fancy outlet! Author on the book festival circuit!) versus how it’s actually performing in the marketplace. 

Despite a critical response I’ve been blown away by and reader engagement I’m endlessly grateful for, my book’s commercial performance has been different. I found out this week there likely won’t be a US paperback. Even as I celebrate the wins, I’m still working to do what I can to give this debut essay collection a fighting chance.

And so, I ask you: If you’ve read and liked the book, I would be so appreciative if you could leave it a review or rating on a retail site, especially The Bad One. If you liked it, tell a friend! If you’re gift shopping for a reader, consider SOMBF. And if we’re friends and you don’t have a copy, ping me; I’d love to send you one to help facilitate any of the above. Thank you, and goodnight.

Order Tajja Isen’s book.

I found Isen’s post very relatable, especially as I’ve been hawking my own book.

So much of promoting our work as writers is smoke and mirrors. We each try to put our best foot forward in the marketplace, but often that means pretending things are just swell, when in reality, we’re struggling to gain traction with readers, and earn out our advances.