Dagger in the heart

On the day that I sent the manuscript for Unexpectedly, Milo off to my editor for the last time, proofread and edited, praying that it’s ready, Audible sent me this email:

20 Authors Who Beat the Sophomore Slump

Matthew,

It has been said that every writer has only one good book in them, and it’s usually their first. Literature is filled with spectacular first acts and lukewarm follow-ups.

Fortunately, this is not always the case. Audrey Niffenegger, Khaled Hosseini, Jeannette Walls, and Greg Mortenson—to name just a few—have dazzled listeners at least twice, their second books fulfilling the promise of their impressive debuts.

Come with us as we introduce you to these talented authors and their works that turned the sophomore slump into stellar success!

__________________________

Sophomore slump?

Every writer has only one good book in them?

It’s usually their first?

No one warned me about any sophomore slump, and I certainly didn’t need to hear about it on the day that my manuscript was dropped in the mail. This email may seem benign and even mildly interesting to most of its customers, but I have a book available on Audible.com.

My first book.

Perhaps my only good one.

You’d think that the good folks at Audible would have the decency to filter out first-time authors from an email like this.

Talk about ruining my day.