These thoughts were taken from my journal entry last night.
Today, I’ve been an author for an entire year.
It didn’t go the way I originally planned—to write and publish at least two more books in that time, but I can see now that doing that wasn’t my path. I write and publish “slowly” compared to a lot of other indie authors and it’s taken me almost the entire year to be okay with that.
But a lot of really good things have happened in the past 365 days that might not have happened if I’d been pushing myself to publish and move faster.
I started medication—something that has been absolutely life-changing for me.
I’ve enjoyed my life, away from the screen. And in doing so, I’ve been writing more than ever.
I started a Patreon, something I’ve been wanting to do for years. And now I have a space in my schedule to write short stories there.
We started homeschooling, something that is way, way out of my comfort zone, but it’s also been so good for us (well, so far, it’s only been a week.)
I met some really great authors who I feel like I can turn to when I have questions or need to rant, or simply talk about being an author with someone else who gets it.
I’ve learned a lot about marketing and sometimes I really enjoy it and other times I really hate it.
I’ve also found more confidence in myself as a person and as a writer. I’m learning so much but I also know that I’m not alone in this and that is so comforting. I feel like I’ve spent more time talking with God and trusting Him in this process and that has made all the difference.
This year has been hard too—to see lower numbers than I want. To battle imposter syndrome. To find my place as a reader (online and offline) as an author. Comparing myself to other authors. Wanting to quit at times. But even with all the hard stuff, I’m so happy that I get to do this. I’m so grateful that I get to write these love stories and share them with you—it is a literal dream come true.
So yeah, this year didn’t look at all like I expected it would. But I think that in every way, it turned out exactly how it was supposed to.
It’s been one year as an author, and I hope there will be many, many more. Thanks for being here.
P.S. To celebrate being out a year, The Luck of Finding You ebook is $1.99 today and tomorrow. Read it here.