You’ll all be happy to know that my mind has kicked back into random mode and blog ideas are flowing again. I know you were worried (insert tiny bit of sarcasm here). Seriously though, thanks to all of you who reached out to me and reminded me that this is supposed to be fun, not stressful, and that it was okay to take a break. I didn’t really take a break (because I have a second book to finish) but I did listen to the other pearls of wisdom you doled out. One of those pearls was to look at where I am right now and appreciate it.
Today, that’s what I’m doing.
How times flies
I was looking at my calendar this morning and I realized that it’s been two months since my book was released. It doesn’t sound like a very long time, but it feels like so long ago. A lot has happened in the last two months. I’ve sold a bunch of books, which is awesome. I’ve really built a strong Author Platform (thank you Standoutbooks), I’ve amassed almost sixty reviews on various sites and I’ve been able to do my new favorite thing: spend hours talking to readers about the book.
For sale
It’s amazing to say I’ve written a book. I feel good about that. It’s great to say that my close friends and family bought it. I appreciate their support. It’s really, really awesome to know that hundreds of copies of my book are being read around the world. Hopefully one day it will be “thousands” of copies, but for today, I’m overwhelmed that my little project has been so successful.
Building a connection
Hopefully if you’re reading this, you’re connecting with me on one or more of my social media sites. Over the last few months, with the help of my marketing team (Alex and Bronwyn at Standoutbooks), I’ve watched as my online presence has exploded. I have hundreds of followers on all of my sites (FB, Pinterest, Google+, Twitter), and there are a lot of people signing up for my giveaways and weekly newsletters. I’m not bragging, I’m just stating a fact. Social media has allowed me to connect with readers all over the globe and it really is incredible.
Sharing is caring
I’m trying hard to chill out about the whole “book review” part of this process, but it’s hard not to pay attention to what people are saying about my book. For the most part, the reviews have been really positive and to any author, that’s such a boost. I don’t look ten times a day like I did just a few weeks ago, but it’s always a pleasant surprise to log onto Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Goodreads and see that someone else has taken the times to read Stay and leave their comments. I just want you all to know I really appreciate the feedback, all of it, and hopefully it’s helping make me a better writer.
Talk to me
I literally spent over an hour yesterday messaging back and forth with a friend who just finished the book. If anyone else looked at the messages, you’d think we were talking about people we knew; real people. She was trying to get me to tell her what’s happening in Hold On (book two) and she had some very interesting theories about Julian’s past, Luke’s role in the next book and whether or not Alexa gets a grip. I loved how she was so invested in these people I created. I have spent so much time with them and to know that this friend (and many others) want to know what happens to them, is the best thing that can happen to me.
It’s been a rollercoaster ride the last few months and I’m in no hurry to get off. I’ve learned so much and come so far. To be honest, I had no idea how much I didn’t know and I don’t expect the learning to stop anytime soon. What I do know, is that today I wanted to stop and look at where I am in comparison to where I was a few months ago. I wanted to stop and smell the flowers and appreciate the journey I’ve been on. If you’ve been on it with me, thank you… I’ve been having the time of my life.
Image Credit: KatieB50
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