Surviving the Slow Burn of Middle Grade, a guest post by Shannon Messenger

“Middle grade is a slow burn.”

My editor must’ve said some version of that sentence to me at least a dozen times during my early days as an author. It was her go-to pep talk. Her way of telling me, “Hang in there—your career’s not over yet!” every time we had to acknowledge my less-than-stellar sales numbers.

And it was very hard to believe.

A lot of people don’t realize how quietly Keeper launched into the world. They see that I’m about to release book 9.5 in the series (which is technically the eleventh book, because of our unique numbering system), or notice that my bio says things like “New York Times and USA Today bestselling author,” or hear that the series has sold over seven million copies and been translated into more than twenty languages with the movie rights optioned by Warner Brothers and think my career was one of those instant success stories.

Nope!

Keeper didn’t hit any bestseller lists until Lodestar (book 5). And in its super-humble beginning, there was a lot of walking into bookstores and discovering they weren’t stocking any of my books. A bunch of far-from-glowing reviews. Dozens of events where no one showed up and I got to sit at the Signing Table of Loneliness building towers with the unsold books and posing for photos with my stuffed elephant so I’d have something to post on my social media. There were even hard conversations with my agent and editor about possibly having to wrap up the series by book 4 or book 5 because it just wasn’t selling well enough to justify more than that.

So what changed?

I wish I could give some magic formula that would turn any fledgling series into a mega bestseller. Sadly, it doesn’t work that way. Luck is a huge factor in the publishing business. As are certain kinds of privilege. And I have zero doubt that both of those played a role in getting me where I am today.

But! My editor was also right: middle grade is a slow burn!

Maybe you’re wondering what that means. (I know I certainly did, the first time I heard it!) In simple terms, it means middle grade tends to be a category where a debut author is less likely to have the kind of immediate, mega success that might happen in other categories. That doesn’t mean it can’t happen. The incredible (and very deserved!) success of B.B. Alston’s Amari and the Night Brothers comes to mind as proof that there are exceptions. But most of the “big” middle grade authors I know had quiet starts to their careers, just like I did. The perfect storm of buzz, marketing, and sales is much harder to achieve among the debut middle grade ranks—especially now that major retailers are scaling way back on how many hardcover new releases they’ll stock.

Does that mean we should all switch to writing YA or Romantasy or whatever the hot new trend is? Absolutely not! (Unless you want to, of course!) But it does mean that middle grade authors often have to be patient. There are different rules for advertising to children—and social media tends to be way less effective, since younger readers often aren’t allowed to be on those platforms. You also have to factor in that there are “gatekeepers,” since most middle grade readers don’t have money to buy their own books. All of that can make it take much longer for word of mouth to spread.

But it does spread.

Maybe it’s from a supportive bookseller who works hard to hand sell your book to their customers. Or a passionate teacher or librarian who recommends your book to their students. Or a state putting you on their reading list or Battle of the Books. Or it could be readers telling their friends, “You have to read this book so we can talk about it!”

There are no guarantees, of course. And sometimes it takes a few books (or even a few series) for all of that to build into something sustainable. But I can promise you this: no matter what anyone says, there are lots of kids out there who still love to read—and they are hungry for new stories! Yes, there’s also TikTok and video games and a million other things competing for their time and attention. But kids will still eagerly turn to books if something catches their interest. The trick is to not give up while the slow burn runs its course.

I’ve also found a few things that helped move the process along. It’s not a surefire formula, since every book and author are different. But school visits were game changing for me, once I put together a presentation with the right mix of fun, education, and inspiration. I also did everything in my power to thank and support the efforts of anyone spreading the word about my series. I designed and offered special swag to any booksellers who were handselling my series. Mailed bookmarks and other goodies to teachers, librarians, and book clubs who supported my books. I teamed up with other authors for events, so we had a better chance of drawing in some people to fill those empty chairs. And most importantly: I kept writing!

Self-promotion can become a giant, discouraging time-suck—and also a bit of a trap. After all, if it works, readers will want more books from you, and those won’t exist if you spend all your time on marketing. So do what you can, but make sure your main priority is writing. That’s what got you into this mess in the first place, right? (kidding!) Most of all: don’t lose hope if you’re not a runaway bestseller. Even if you’re not selling millions of copies, your books are still finding their way into readers’ hands—and mean so much to the kids who find them.

And now, before I leave you to get back to my own writing, I’d like to use this final space to spread a little love for a few of my favorite recent middle grade reads. Here’s hoping it sends lots of readers their way:

Splinter and Ash, by Marieke Nijkamp: A page-turning fantasy filled with amazing (inclusive) heroes you can’t help but adore. I’m so happy this book exists, and I can’t wait to go on more adventures with these characters.

The Shape of Lost Things, by Sarah Everett. A beautiful, delicate book exploring change and family and grief. I loved every single page—and teared up a couple of times.

Jax Freeman and the Phantom Shriek, by Kwame Mbalia: A fast-paced adventure that’s also laugh-out-loud funny. I wasn’t sure if Kwame could ever make me love another character as much as I loved Tristan Strong, but Jax Freeman pulled it off.

The Sherlock Society, by James Ponti: I’ve devoured every single book James Ponti has written, and he keeps getting better. Relatable characters? Check! Brilliantly plotted mysteries that keep you guessing until the last page? Double check! I seriously couldn’t put this one down.

Meet the author

Shannon Messenger graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts where she learned—among other things—that she liked watching movies much better than making them. She’s studied art, screenwriting, and television production, but realized her real passion was writing for kids and teens. She’s the internationally, New York Times, and USA Today bestselling author of the award-winning middle grade series, Keeper of the Lost Cities, as well as the Sky Fall young adult series. Her books have been featured on multiple state reading lists, published in numerous countries, and translated into many languages. She lives in Southern California with her family, and an embarrassing number of cats. Find her online at
shannonmessenger.com and on Instagram, X, and Facebook at @sw_messenger.

About Unraveled (Keeper of the Lost Cities Series #9.5)

The past and present unravel into staggering truths in this can’t-miss installment of the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series told entirely from Keefe’s point of view.

Please be careful. Please be happy. And PLEASE forget all about me. It’ll be better for everyone that way.

Those were the last words Keefe Sencen wrote to Sophie Foster before he ran away to the Forbidden Cities. He didn’t want to leave, but it was the only way to keep his friends safe while he figured out how to control his scary new powers and searched for answers about his past.

What he found was so much more than adventures in Humanland.

Where did he go? What did he do? And who did he meet while the rest of his friends worked to solve the mystery of Stellarlune? The answers go far beyond anything anyone could have ever imagined and give Keefe the power to change his destiny.

ISBN-13: 9781665967419
Publisher: Aladdin
Publication date: 12/03/2024
Series: Keeper of the Lost Cities Series
Age Range: 8 – 12 Years

Filed under: Guest Post