In 3… 2… 1…
Preorders for my debut novel, The Scion Conspiracy, are now live. Although the official launch date isn’t until October 1st, it is an immensely surreal feeling to know that people can now, officially buy my book. That there are, right now, copies out in the wild, being read by reviewers as well as those in the hands of my advanced reader team. It feels like the last two and half years are now suddenly being compressed into a few short weeks. Every decision, every idea, every chance and challenge, it’s all out there. I’ve spent the last few weeks pouring over every detail of my story, sending out ARC copies, signing up for different sites and contests, speaking to reviewers and websites and magazines. Basically just trying anything I can to give my story a chance at being successful. In so many ways, publishing your work is like taking the first steps out onto the dance floor. It’s nerve wracking and it feels like every eye is on you, even when you know it’s not. Even though I know the truth is, most people won’t know anything about my book being released, and even fewer people will care. But I do. And so here I am, standing on my soap box in the proverbial town square barking my pitch at passers as they scurry by and try not to make eye contact.
But the important thing is to remember, that’s not the point, is it? At least, not for me. I had a story I wanted to write, one I thought other people might want to read too. So I wrote it, and now I’m sharing it with the world. I wanted to live out a dream I had had since I was a kid, to be a published author, to write something I love and to have other people read it. That was the mission statement, the branding imprinted on the masthead. Also, I wanted to set an example for my own kids. To show them you should always strive to accomplish your goals, even if you don’t succeed. It’s better to have tried and failed than to never have tried at all, right? That’s what they say. So no matter how this book launch goes, whether I have ten sales or ten thousand (in my dreams, I hear you snickering from the other side of the screen), I’m going to do my best not to get caught up in the numbers and the reviews and the chatter. I’m going to keep writing, because this is something I love doing. Hopefully, if I keep doing this long enough, I’ll have some people join me they can enjoy these stories as well.
