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Last week was full of writerly ups and downs for me....
I released my first ever ebook. I was excited, anxious, thrilled, nervous and full of so much doubt, I'm surprised it didn't spill over the way the water does when Larry the tortoise settles into the soaking dish. What if no one buys it? What if no one reads it? What if people read it and don't like it? Now, although I still feel some of those things, it's all gone down a notch or two, thanks to you all. Thanks so much to those who offered kind words of support and encouragement, to those who bought the book, to those who already reviewed it on Amazon and rated it on Goodreads, and to those who said they would. I appreciate all of it!
My story, "Maybe Someday," made its appearance over at Every Day Fiction. I love EDF and the great critiques from the editors and the feedback offered by the readers. I have been truly humbled to have a number of my stories receive praise and positive feedback. So, when "Maybe Someday," didn't receive as high a ranking or as many comments and votes as my previous stories, it reminded me - not everyone is going to like everything. And that's okay. Especially since many of the comments were well thought out and sincere in expressing what readers had problems with or didn't enjoy. Definitely a lesson learned!
And last Friday was the start of NaNo.... Enough said.
(Since this is my first official month as part of the IWSG, I'm looking forward to visiting as many of you as I can and offering support and encouragement!)
Hi Madeline! I've been a follower of yours for, I don't know how long, but have been very inconsistent in stopping by and commenting. I've been out of touch with so many people, but I'm trying to get around to more blogs.I can feel your excitement and nervousness! How exciting about your e-book, congrats! I will have to read it! Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteWelcome back, Becky! I'm glad you stopped by. And if you pick up the ebook, I hope you enjoy it. :)
DeleteI'm glad you decided to join the IWSG. Yay! And you had an amazing week last week, you should be so proud of your stories. Good luck with NaNo!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Julie! And I'm glad I finally joined, too. :)
DeleteCongratulations on releasing your eBook! If I ever get to that point with my own work, I will feel the exact same way.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations again, and best of luck with it. I'm sure it's going to do great.
Thanks, MJ! And I know you will definitely get there - too many of us want to read your work for it not to be out in the world. :)
DeleteGood luck with your e-book sales. I'm planning to take that plunge within the next year or so, when I've got some more time and amn't so tied up with schoolwork and writing other things.
ReplyDeleteThanks! It was a lot of work, but I'm really glad I took the plunge. You will be, too. :)
DeleteWahoo, ISWG Newbie high five! My husband continues to remind me, there's an audience for everything, and you just have to find yours. There will be people who love what you produce, and your first works are but a stepping stone to later ones. Every part is a necessary step to the next. I've got your book, Madeline, and I can't wait to read it...as soon as my head stops spinning. (Or will that enhance the experience?)
ReplyDeleteIWSG newbie high five back at you! :)
DeleteThanks so much for picking up my book, Crystal. And I would recommend waiting until your head stops spinning to read it but to each their own. :)
Looking forward to your book next week!
Welcome to IWSG.
ReplyDeleteI missed the launch of your book. I'll go check it out. Congrats!!
No worries, Jai. I know you were under the weather for awhile. If you read the book, I hope you like it. :)
DeleteI can relate, Madeline, and in fact, I'm relating right now. Feels like somebody put 50 lbs on my shoulders. Sound familiar. You hang in there. Best of luck with NaNo.
ReplyDeleteYou hang in there, too. Maybe you can slide a few of those pounds off somehow?
DeleteCongrats on officially joining IWSG! This is one of the single greatest resources for support, encouragement and fellowship around- you're gonna LOVE it!
ReplyDeleteAnd congrats on your ebook! I added it to my "To Read" list on Goodreads and (when I finally get to read it) I will be happy to provide you with a review. (It may take a while but I promise someday I will!)
And yay for NaNo!
I've been reading many of the IWSG posts for awhile now so I'm happy to officially be a part of it all. :)
DeleteI appreciate the ebook support, Beverly!
Those all sound like ups to me! Just keep momentum going. It's when you stop and stall that you start to slip down.
ReplyDeleteAnd welcome to the IWSG!
Thanks, Alex. Good to be here. :)
DeleteAnd yes - have to keep that momentum going!
Welcome to IWSG. Congrats on your recent successes and good luck on NaNo.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Susan!
DeleteNice to see you at IWSG. Writing can be challenging, but that's what we love about it. And it's always good to learn from our fans :)
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right about loving writing, even with all its challenges. :)
DeleteI hoping to read it over the weekend! :-) Good luck with NaNo.
ReplyDeleteOh, I hope you enjoy it, Annalisa!
DeleteWelcome to IWSG! I think you'll find it such a help. Congratulations on Maybe Someday. Such an accomplishment. And you are right. We can't please them all, all the time. But we can keep trying! Best wishes.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to be participating! And thank you for you kind words about Maybe Someday. :)
DeleteGlad you jumped in and joined the group. Lots and lots of support. And what you said about people not responding to certain writing the way you hoped is what all of us secretly dread. You wonder why some love it and some don't, but it isn't the sort of thing we can really control. Art is too subjective. All we can do is keep writing. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, LG. And keep writing we will! :)
DeleteWelcome to IWSG! Have fun with NaNo! Yes, it can be intense, but just hang in there. And resist the urge to go back and edit. Just keep going, even if you're not sure where you're going. This month is about quantity in writing, not quality.
ReplyDeleteI just googled EDF and will look for you in there later. =)
I used to do a lot more editing during NaNo, but this year I'm much less Delete-Key-happy.
DeleteOh, and my story at EDF is linked over in my sidebar under Recently Published.
Welcome to IWSG and congratulations on releasing your debut book. What a great accomplishment. You'll find we're all insecure no matter how many books we release. Hang in there and good luck with NaNo.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Diane! And thank you, too, for Following us here at TSR. :)
DeleteCongratulations on your e-book and welcome to IWSG.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with Nano too. ow's you rword count doing. I'm just behind where I want to be, but will catch up over the weekend.
Good luck with your word count! Don't give up! I'm doing pretty good...so far.... :)
DeleteDefinitely a week of ups and downs, but how exciting on your book release, and congratulations! I think that self-doubt will always linger, but it's what keeps us meek. Even highly respected, multi-published, NYT bestselling authors will never make 100% of people happy.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if anyone ever gets used to the self-doubt. Does it fade over time the more you practice, the more you publish? Or does it bloom during certain projects and not others? Interesting!
DeleteWelcome to ISWG - it's only the second month I've been doing it. And congrats on that EDF story.
ReplyDeleteAs ever I love your wisdom: "not everyone is going to like everything. And that's okay." is a great attitude to have.
I don't think I've ever been told I have "wisdom" but I'll take it, and thank you for the compliment. :)
DeleteCongrats again on your ebook! It's an amazing accomplishment—something I hope to do one day. Best of luck with your sales and with NaNo too!
ReplyDeleteYou'll definitely do it! I'm really glad I did, anxiety and all. :)
DeleteCongrats on your ebook! Good luck with that.
ReplyDeletewww.modernworld4.blogspot.com
Thanks, Gina!
DeleteWelcome to the group and congratulations on self-publishing!
DeleteThanks so much, Tonja!
DeleteOh my gosh!!! A book! Bought it--fixin' to read it. And want to know all about your ebook process. Good luck with Nano, you inspiring writer, you! :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cathy! I hope you enjoy the ebook. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd good luck to you, too, with NaNo and all those writing projects you have going on. :)
Congrats on publishing your ebook! How exciting and thrilling wrapped in one. I've never had anything published so I can only imagine what it must be like. Good luck with NaNo, so many folks I know are participating, maybe I'll join the crazy next year. (:
ReplyDeleteThank you, Elisa! And definitely consider NaNo for next year - or the summer, since there's a Camp NaNo, too. I skipped the November NaNo last year and really missed it.
DeleteCongrats on the release! I'm glad the nerves have settled down. I've added it on Goodreads - don't know why I didn't know about it! Hope NaNo is going well!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nick! I appreciate you adding it. And no worries about not knowing about it. It was a pretty quiet release. :)
DeleteCongratulations, Madeline! I can't imagine the bundle of nerves you must have been. Hopefully they weren't all bad, though. It's so exciting to put your work out there! And you're right that not everyone will appreciate your perspective. Even more of a reason to remember that you write for you first. :) Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Emily! You're right, the nerves were a mix of good and bad, and they've since died down a bit, although I still grin like a doofus when I see that cover and my name up on Amazon and Goodreads. :)
DeleteCongratulations on your new release and your short story publication! I know what you mean about EDF - it's a great place to get published because you get instant feedback, but then the instant feedback isn't always what we hope to hear - or at least that's the way it's worked for me.
ReplyDeleteI'm super excited for you!!!! Grinning from ear to ear!
Happy Writing!
Thanks so much, Tyrean! That instant feedback is both wonderful and terrifying. :)
DeleteWent and read your story, and I loved it. It's heartbreaking and painful, and yet filled with hope. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your kind words here and the lovely comment you left over at EDF. Thanks for reading!
DeleteWelcome to IWSG and thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. May you have much success with your writing and publishing!
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying being a part of IWSG! And thank you for Following us here at TSR. :)
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