Musings of a Book Launch

The book is done. The promotions are scheduled. Launch day has arrived. 

I'm not sure what I thought this day would feel like. There were so many memorable days that led me to this book launch. The day I completed the first draft. The day I finished editing. The day the proof copy came in. The day I showed my dad the dedication. When I made my first sale. When my first review came in. When the first hardback book came in. When I got my first 1-star review. The day that Gooogle officially classified me as an author.

In comparison, today feels sort of ordinary. The calm AFTER the storm. It feels like the end of something rather than the beginning. 

Something unusual did happen this morning though. I received a message from a stranger saying that I am now her favorite author.

My pre-orders were converted to sales. 

My amazing mother threw me a book launch party. 

I've spent every waking moment on book promotions and gathering book reviews for the past 2 months and here on launch day, I have 48 Amazon reviews and 60-ish Goodreads reviews. It's an accomplishment that far surpasses what I've been able to accomplish on either of my other books, one I should be very proud of. 

But above all, I feel like I miss writing. I'm glad to take a break from book promotions and focus on my favorite part. I think that what I'm going to take from all this is that there will never be a single moment when I'll automatically feel successful. It's not some great mountain that I can climb and reach the top of. It's a series of victories that are strung together with hard work, and if I'm not careful, I'll pass by without noticing them. 

So today I'll celebrate.  I'll celebrate that Kingdom Cold was once a story I imagined but is now a story that others can experience through my words. I'll celebrate that I've had an immense amount of support from friends and family-- who always had an encouraging word when I wanted to call it quits. I'll celebrate that as a self-published author, I researched and learned every part of the process and improved my skills in all areas. I'll celebrate that I've used this book to transition to a full-time author. 

By taking incredibly detailed notes, I've even made the process easier for my next book launch. I've made new connections. I've found new fans. I've built a real platform. Most importantly, I've believed in myself and my dream day in and day out. Through rejections, negative reviews, and fear of failure, my dream is still alive and well and that, I must say, is what I'm most proud of. 

Books are such lovely magical things, aren't they?

And today, I've put a bit of magic into the world.