First Book Launch in 2012 |
Wow, that
decade zoomed by! I honestly don’t know where those ten years went, but what I
do know for sure (quoting Oprah) is that a lot has happened to me personally
and professionally since 2010. I’ve lost some people (and pets) by death, and
by choice (toxic relationships), worked with two publishing companies and one
literary agency, had my hopes dashed only to realize that it was for my highest
best anyway, and transitioned from living in cottage country to surviving in
the suburbs of sultry, southern Ontario. I’ve had a total of five books published
(Woohoo), done book readings without breaking out in a sweat or fainting, and
though self-doubt creeps in from time to time, I’ve learned what self-love
really means in this crazy, on demand world we are presently living in. Rather
than go on and on, I thought I’d share my decade experiences by breaking it
down for you in three categories:
What have I accomplished in the last 10
years?
So much! I
started my blogging journey May 4th, 2011 before I even had a
publishing deal—which BTW—I received in August of that same year with a new
publishing company called Musa Publishing. This is where I earned my author
chops, so to speak. What was expected of an author—which was pretty much
everything from promoting to marketing to creating a social media presence to
writing my next book, and what a publisher did for their authors. I went from
zero experience on the internet to feeling quite comfortable navigating through
cyber-space. I received a grant to help build a website to house my first book:
The
Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis and the ones that followed, and
celebrated the best book launch ever on May 19th, 2012 surrounded by
friends and family who knew how hard I’d worked trying to get published for
over fifteen years. I wrote the prequel to The Last Timekeepers series, and
received another contract with Musa Publishing. Then…everything changed.
A few Mirror World Publishing Authors |
We moved
from our house on the lake to a house in the suburbs in the summer of 2014.
What I couldn’t have foreseen was Musa Publishing would close their doors in
February 2015, leaving over 300 authors stranded, without contracts or support.
Thankfully, I had attended a book expo in November 2014, and there I met my
future publisher, Mirror
World Publishing. In the last five years, we’ve worked together to bring
two young adult book series out into the world, The
Last Timekeepers time travel adventure series, and Mysterious
Tales from Fairy Falls teen psychic mystery series. And since then, I
haven’t looked back.
Now that
the fruits of my labors are realized, I know I need to continue on my path to
write, promote, market, engage, and connect with people who are looking to
escape into my fictional worlds. So, it is my hope to write books that will
entertain, educate, and inspire both young and young-at-heart readers for
generations to come.
What are the lessons I learned in those
years?
Being an author isn’t for the faint of heart.
I’m so not kidding. The biggest lesson I’ve learnt is that no one is going to
care more about your book than YOU do. Period. So do the tough stuff. Get your
hands dirty. Experiment. Beg for book reviews. Share helpful content. Be kind
to others going through the same thing. Always add value. Go the extra mile.
Think of all these acts as your karma bank account, and it will compound by
leaps and bounds.
Make a business plan. Remember, writing
is a business. So treat it this way. I began writing my ‘Master Business and
Life Plan’ on March 9, 2011, when I was researching how to start up a blog.
This plan has evolved and grown throughout the last nine years, and will
continue to do so. I’ll admit, not everything gets crossed off the plan, but it
does give me an overview on where to adjust for the future, and where I’d like
to be at the end of the year.
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
At the beginning of this decade, the thought of standing up in front of an
audience to read an excerpt or visit a school to share my writing journey with
students made my teeth itch and want to hide among the shadows. But, I authored
up. I faced my fears, and pushed myself enough to get over whatever it was that
made me feel this way. Lack of self-confidence and self-esteem be damned. I
learned to love who I’d become, what I’d accomplished, and where I’m heading
these past ten years. And from where I stand, the future looks so bright, I’m
gonna need shades!
The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventure Series (so far...) |
What do I need to let go of, drop or
release that doesn’t serve me?
This is a BIG
one: Stop comparing myself to other
successful authors. By all means, I should learn from them because success
leaves clues, but my journey is not the same as their journey or experiences,
so there’s really no comparison. I must drop this, put on a pair of blinders,
and focus on MY path.
This is a HARD
one: Approval from others. Since we
were children, all we wanted was attention —first from our parents, then
friends, later co-workers and bosses, and loved ones. We’re hard-wired for
this. The truth is that the only person whose approval really matters is our
own. That’s it. We need to have our own backs. Trust ourselves enough to stand
in our truth. This will definitely be a work in progress for me.
This is an HONEST
one: Releasing expectations. When I
was a girl, I had a plaque hanging on my bedroom wall that said, ‘Blessed are those who do not expect, for
they won’t be disappointed.’ Now that’s some sage advice! So, going back in
time, as I love to do when writing my books, I realize having expectations gets
in the way of what the Universe has planned for me. Adopting the mindset, ‘Everything happens for me, not to me’
has helped tremendously, and I know that by releasing expectations, I make room
for more positive energy to come into my life.
Released in 2017 and 2019: Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls (so far...) |
As this
decade closes out, I encourage you to ask these three questions, and see how
far you’ve come. You just might realize that ‘you’ve come a long way, baby’!
Please share your findings if you feel obliged. Would love to read your
comments. Cheers, and thank you for reading my blog. Happy New Year, and
wishing you and your loved ones, health, happiness, wealth, and all the best in
the next ten years ahead!