Happy Birthday Contact!


Today is my birthday 🎉 – but it is also Contact’s 1st birthday!

“Happy Birthday Dear Contact, Happy Birthday To You.”

One year ago today I published my novel and shared my first story with the world. I still remember so clearly how nervous and excited I was, it doesn’t seem like a year ago. As a little gift to celebrate, I have posted the deleted scene ‘Date,’ which you can read here.

My birthday always puts me in a reflective mood, so this year I thought it might be interesting to share a few of the lessons I have learned since publishing Contact.

1. Writing Is Hard Work

I love it but it’s hard. There are always distractions, something else on my to do list (right now I am staring at a pile of laundry and the bathroom needs cleaning). Then, when I do finally carve out some writing time, I sit down and stare at a blank screen and it takes me ages to get going. Other times a plot hole would leave me completely stumped.

For a while I used to get extremely frustrated that it wasn’t flowing out of me, but once I decided to get tough, sometimes forcing myself to write when I didn’t feel like it, it gradually began to get easier. I suppose it was naive of me to think that because you love something it would be easy, and loving it is the difference between carrying on and putting it on the back burner. Like they say, ‘nothing good in life ever comes easy’. The feeling of figuring out that plot hole, or hearing from someone who enjoyed my book definitely makes it all worth while.

2. There Is More To Being An Author Than Just Writing Books

Marketing, web design, advertising… there is so much more than the writing. Being an indie author is great. It is wonderful that I am able to do this by myself and have full control over how I want my books to look and be sold but at the start I didn’t consider the business side, and having never had a business mind, it came as a bit of a shock.

3. Define What Success Means To You

Working up to Contact’s release I didn’t think about how I defined success. I remember thinking I would be happy if anyone read it and liked it. I am still figuring out what success means to me but I have realised this needs some thought in order to set goals and move in the right direction.

4. Things Don’t Happen Overnight

Of course secretly I hoped the second I hit publish Contact would blow up, apparently it happens to a few, but in reality being an unknown author is hard. No one has heard of you and there are so many books to choose from out there, why would they pick mine?

Understanding this, is part of the reason I am so grateful to the people who have read my books and taken the time to write lovely things about it. Sure at the beginning it feels like a huge mountain to climb after pouring your heart and soul into writing the book, just for no one to read it but every author started somewhere. Building up a career will take time and if you are in for the long haul then this is just the start.

5. The Self-Doubt Doesn’t Go Away

Publishing my first book I thought that by the time I had a few more under my belt I would have a gauge on what the response would be and feel confident that readers would enjoy my books. Now, getting ready to release my third, I have realised the self-doubt is still there with every book and I expect it always will be.

Even when you receive a great review from someone who loved the characters and devoured your previous books, you worry the next one will not live up to their expectations. What if they are disappointed? What if they hate the plot? Don’t agree with the direction you have taken the character(s) in? I am a worrier by nature anyway, but from what I can tell this is par for the course, so is something I have to get used to!

6. Learn To Be Patient

This is a huge thing for me. I’m the type of person who struggles not to tell you what I bought you for Christmas, so as soon as I have written a draft or have an idea for a new series I want to tell you all about it (and sometimes do!). But I am learning that while excerpts and teasers are great I need to wait until something is ready before blabbing.

I also get frustrated that I am not producing more books in a shorter space of time. I have so many ideas and I want them all out there for you to read right now. However, I am starting to understand I need to allow it to take however long it takes in order to release the best story, rather than a rushed, poor quality book.

I need to take time to enjoy my journey. I have found what I love to do and I am in it for the long haul. This is my career that I hope to work of full time one day and if that takes  marathon.

Being aware of all this and actually putting it into practice are two different things but awareness is the first step, right?

Now, I am off to have some birthday cake and get back into those Alliance edits!

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