My journey…

I have discovered that becoming a published author takes persistence, industry awareness, and a healthy dose of hard work!

The biggest lesson learned is the commitment necessary to both writing and learning the process of being published.

This commitment has taken on many layers… I’ve had to learn Good habits that helped me balance my writing with other responsibilities; I needed consistency and learning to insist on prioritizing my craft.

Learning to use my limited time wisely by making a mental plan of what I wanted to achieve, such as new ideas I wanted to include or to remind myself where I left off in the story.

The goals I established varied from time to time, however, plan I did…to avoid staring at blank pages!

Networking with industry professionals to gain feedback and connection…the professionals considered influential or gatekeepers of the publishing world.

Establishing a relationship with an editor/literary strategist to ensure no compromise between the quality of the end product, and my artistic vision for the story. I needed a collaborative partner who understood the connection between novelist and publisher gave me the best experience of what could potentially be an intense process.

Building the “muscle” of an indie author, making the book available in multiple formats and on myriad platforms. This building required establishing a brand, developing an author platform and learning the strategies of a successful book launch and after-marketing strategy.

I came to understand I can never stop writing! Not only from the perspective of what I am learning to love, but to celebrate and be proud of the work accomplished on my first novel. There is a thin line between worrying about things I cannot control, and managing to promote a growing backlist, while keeping the pen to paper…writing a fresh, new, intriguing story guaranteed to capture the hearts of a growing fan base.