Authors & Covid-19 Lockdown

From my own experience only, we spend months if not years writing a book and we finally come to the end and get our book published.

Normally this would be a time for shouting out to the world with excitement and organising a book launch or getting to the libraries to do book signing or running around to book stores about stocking your book.

However, that’s not the case for most authors who have published a book in the last 6 months in Melbourne. Our lockdown has been stricter than any other city in the world. Not being able to go out except to buy food, exercise for 1 hour a day, attend medical appointments or care-giving for an elderly or sick person.

This means no promoting your newly released book anywhere except online. A lot of the friends who have wanted to have a paperback version of my book Secrets – Sen Mack, wanted to have it personally signed. But how was I going to get it to them. Postage to send a book is around $10 in Melbourne, so they elect to wait until we can see each other again.

Another Melbourne author Vanessa Carnevale, who wrote a heart wrenching, compelling and thought provoking book called My Life for Yours, faced similar challenges.

“While not being able to meet readers in person via the usual talks and events I would do at libraries, I’ve been able to participate in online events this year, which has been a lot of fun.” she said.

“It’s been lovely to see lots of people turning to books (whether paperback or digital) during lockdown, which highlights the importance of reading for escapism and entertainment.”

I agree with Vanessa, this year has been the year for reading, some of it for me was learning the styles of best selling authors, but mostly being able to switch off and become engrossed in the story.

When I sit back and put everything into perspective and remember the families who haven’t been able to send their loved one off in the way they would like to, or a daughter who couldn’t attend her father’s funeral because he was in another state, or elderly parents who are not allowed to have family visit them at their nursing home and for the elderly who have been inflicted with dementia, whose condition will only deteriorate without more human contact, I see mine is not that important.

In summing up, I don’t feel so bad after all. There are always other options to market a book. I just hope this lockdown will be over soon so our wonderful city of Melbourne can get back to normal with shops and businesses opening back up and try to regain their life. We all look forward to seeing our families again.

Sen Mack
www.senmack.com.au