You Were Meant to Stand Out

Here’s my little book, shelved in the teen section of my local library, standing tall. :)

How did it come to be there? In short, I requested it.

Indie books don’t automatically go to libraries; they need to be requested. So I did that a couple months ago. I talked to the librarian in the teen section and offered to donate one of my author copies, but that’s not how it works. Indie or not, books are ordered through their own source (Ingram), and she said they’d go through that channel. I gave her my book’s information and left it at that.

Weeks went by and I didn’t see it there. I know the mailing situation wasn’t the quickest receiving my books. (Sorry about that, to those who purchased on Amazon!) But I knew that plenty of time had passed for the library to have received it. As recently as the week before last, it still wasn’t there.

An indie author on TikTok said that her library requires a certain number of reviews before they’ll shelve a book. Alas, I figured my library had decided against housing mine. That is until a couple days ago when I was browsing the teen section, as I'm inclined to do. I was surprised to see it there and gave a chuckle. There was my little paperback, standing taller than all the hardbacks on the shelf.

On the day I received my shipment of author copies, I was ecstatic to see my book in print, but part of me was frustrated at its differences. I knew my book would be 6 x 9, but I didn’t know that 6 x 9 isn’t the standard size. The standard size is slightly smaller: 5.5 x 8.5.) Yes, I’m constantly learning things I thought I already knew!

Also I would’ve liked to have it in hardback, but the added cost to me (and potential readers) made me decide against it. As you probably know, traditionally published books have a first run in hardback then they go to paperback after a time. I was sad to pass on the hardback edition, but again, my decision was a financial one.

These differences weighed on me and caused a mini crisis in my fragile author life. Why can’t my book be like the others? Why have I had to make compromises? Why can’t I get exactly what I want?

As the weeks went by, I began to accept these changes. Two things I’ve always been satisfied with were the cover and the print quality. Those things were never a concern. My problem was that it was different than the others. Different than I was expecting.

Soon I began to appreciate the differences and even prefer them. I consoled myself that books come in many sizes, as my own bookshelves indicate.

At some point I had a complete change of heart: I like my book exactly the way it is. I like that it stands out, literally. By the time I got to the Book Launch, I was happy with the look and feel of my books, and I could confidently sign my name and place them in the hands of my readers.

You know where I’m going with this, right?

As books and as individuals, the things that make us different are our superpowers. As humans, sometimes our need to conform is baffling. The things that make us different—our talents, interests, and even our flaws and quirks—those are our gifts. From those things, we discover who we truly are. They’re what give the world diversity, richness, and awesomeness.

One of my favorite quotes comes from R.J. Palacio in the book Wonder: “You can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.”

And another from Coco Chanel: “In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.”

With all this in mind, I find myself imagining a teenager browsing books in the teen section at my library and pausing at that paperback jutting up above the others. It grabs their attention, and they decide to give it a try.