To Those Who Wait

The day has finally come! The Land of Shadows, my debut novel and time sink for countless years, has finally released. I never though I would feel such a mixture of emotions. Pride, joy, relief, and fear course through me in equal measures. The end is finally here. Now I can just sit back and rake in the cash… right?

I wish I could say I have nothing else to worry about, that my journey to fame and fortune starts today, but sadly the work of an author is never finished. Not only do I have the rest of the books in the series to finish, but I also have to market by novel as much as I can. Just because my book CAN sell now doesn’t mean it WILL sell. What I really need to work on is carving out my own audience of loyal readers. I’m pretty sure it will still be a while before anyone other than my relatives even thinks about purchasing a copy.

I am excited to start this new chapter of my life though. It seems like I almost have this weight lifted off my shoulders. It’s been nearly three years working with Hidden Shelf Publishing, and while I’ve enjoyed it, I’m also very glad for our work on my first novel to finally come to fruition. At times it’s been a slough to get through, all the re-writing and editing, but I’m happy with the final product. Don’t get me wrong, I’m already looking back at parts of the Land of Shadows wishing I worded it differently, but that’s just my incentive to grow as a writer. I hope I’m never finished improving my writing style. I know that means there will be many instances where I look back on my previous works and cringe, but it’s worth it if it means I’m changing for the better.

I know publishing a work has been my goal for such a long time, but I hope when I’m old and gray I can look back on this moment as almost insignificant. I know there’s so many greater things that God has in store for my life, and my sincerest prayer is that I can use my works as an author to bring glory to him. To all of you out there who are still struggling with writing, keep your heads up and know that there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. That light may look different depending on who’s searching for it, but it’s there nonetheless. To all of my fellow authors, happy writing out there.