#IWSG: I made it! Now what?


My debut novel (Going Through the Change) launched just two weeks ago.  The few months leading up to it was a frenzy of activity, lining up promotional opportunities and planning my launch party. I was so busy! There was barely time to think and that was probably good, because there also wasn't time to drown myself in doubt. There was simply too much to do. 
Now, that has slowed a little bit. And I find myself up here on the small mountain I just climbed, looking out at the horizon and feeling a bit of, "Well, now what?"
http://www.reactiongifs.us/wp-content... guess I expected to feel more like I had finished something. Maybe I should have a planned some kind of graduation ceremony for myself. On book launch day (a Thursday), I wasn't celebrating: I took my little girl to the dentist and worked on last minute party shopping. But adult life is like that: the milestones just happen on a random day and you still have to do the dishes. (I celebrated on Saturday with a wonderful book launch party at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill). 
And now, it's already about the next steps: finding new promotional opportunities, going to book fairs and cons, finding an agent to help me sell the heck out of all the rights we can, writing the next book, incorporating as an author, learning the business of how the business of all this works. Whew! 
Still, I am living my dream. (My dreams require a lot of elbow grease, apparently.)
How do you celebrate the milestones of your writing life? And once you've gotten there, now what?______________________________________________

This posting is part of the Insecure Writers Support Group blog hop. To check out other posts by writers in a variety of places in their careers, check out the participant list. This group is one of the most open and supportive groups of people I have ever been associated with. You should check them out!

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Published on May 06, 2015 03:00
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message 1: by MsJohnson (new)

MsJohnson I laughed when I read your post Samantha because you sound like a chapter from the book I am just finishing; Anne Lamott's Bird By Bird. According to her, you shouldn't put too much emphasis on getting published. She says the celebration is in the writing and getting published just makes you neurotic. But Congratulations on getting published anyway. I am so excited for you. ~Michele


message 2: by Samantha (new)

Samantha I've read Bird by Bird--one of the best "advice about writing" books I've ever read. She's right, of course, but if you want to make your living from your words, you *do* have to worry about publication, to some extent.

MsJohnson wrote: "I laughed when I read your post Samantha because you sound like a chapter from the book I am just finishing; Anne Lamott's Bird By Bird. According to her, you shouldn't put too much emphasis on ge..."


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