I can’t believe that after years in the making, I can finally say that I am a published author! This is truly a dream come true and a tangible example of hard work paying off. The sacrifices that were made to make this a reality were absolutely worth it.
Less than a week ago, I published my debut novel, Happily Never Afterlife. I’m sure by now you’re tired of hearing about it, but this project has been a focal point in my life for over two years. It’s my pride and joy. And now? Now, I am blessed to share it with the world.
Truth be told, the last few days have been overwhelming in the best way possible. May 15th came and went all too fast. My excitement must have made time move faster because I blinked and the day was over. Every day since, I have woken up with more reasons to smile than I can count.
Texts from my friends currently reading my book. Yesterday I began my day with a text message before 7 a.m. that was just a quote from the novel and laughing emojis. I’ve received Facebook messages from friends telling me how much they enjoyed my novel, calling it “light and fun” and laughing through the whole story. I’ve received comments from strangers on the internet saying they’ve ordered my book and can’t wait to start reading. I got my first review on GoodReads – 5 stars!
I don’t know how to describe this feeling now that it’s finally here. For so much of my life, I’ve wanted to publish a book. While I’ve published two short poetry collections, the dream has always been to publish novels. Now that it’s finally here, I feel like I’ve stepped into the chapter of my life I was always meant to find.
It’s not an easy task to write a book. I’ve started writing several of them, but they waste away in my Google Drive. Carving out the time to write, finding inspiration, harnessing that creativity, juggling life’s responsibilities – I commend any writer who is able to navigate these waters. Not only that, but facing the crippling Imposter Syndrome so many of us fall prey to.
We’re our worst critics. The last few months of my life have been plagued by insanely high stress levels and anxiety. The fear that I was making a mistake publishing this book kept me up at night. I’d panic in the middle of the night, worrying that the book wasn’t ready, that I somehow missed all the edits I needed to make. I felt like I was losing myself in self-doubt.
There is no real way to know how the world will react to your work until you put on a brave face and put it out there. Thankfully, the feedback I’ve received so far has been overwhelmingly positive. People in my life who are not avid readers and only bought the book to support me have reached out to tell me how much they’ve enjoyed my story. People who don’t normally read romcoms have told me they couldn’t put the book down. It has built my confidence and shown me that I can have faith in my work. If you put your heart and soul into something, if you give it your absolute best, the right people are going to love it.
Someone asked me yesterday what I would consider a successful book launch. Am I trying to reach a certain sales goal? Make it on a bestseller list? A movie deal? What does success look like to me?
Well, the answer right now is pretty simple. My goal was to become a published author. I’ve done that. Anything beyond that feels like icing on the cake. Truthfully, the goal was to write a book that I was proud to share with the world. A book that touched people’s hearts. The feedback and heartfelt messages I’ve received tell me that I am a success. I wrote something that people are enjoying. I signed copies and mailed out swag boxes and thank you notes. I’ve reached out to bookstores to line up book signing events. The fact that I’ve sold at least 50 copies of my book already just blows me away. I look at this as an incredible success! The success is knowing that I finally reached a goal I set for myself years ago. Whatever happens beyond this point, I know that I will always be a published author.
I cannot thank everyone enough for their support and kind words through this entire journey. I know I am incredibly blessed to have amazing people in my life who show me every day that the love I’ve put into the world will always be returned tenfold. I’ve been on Cloud Nine and floating through the sky for days. It’s a feeling I never want to lose sight of or forget. While I set my next goals to aim higher – more sales, better marketing, increased readership, etc. – for now, it’s enough to sit back and smile, saying “I did it!”
Thank you to everyone for supporting me and showing Happily Never Afterlife so much love. I am honored and grateful beyond words for all of it. Now I know that dreams do come true and that anything we set our minds to is within our grasp as long as we are brave enough to reach for it.
