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\u201cWriting a book is the easy part. It\u2019s everything that comes next that\u2019s hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cWriting a book is the easy part. It\u2019s everything that comes next that\u2019s hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t count the number of times people have said to me, \u201cWow, you\u2019ve written a book? What an accomplishment!\u201d<\/p>\n
And it is \u2013 it truly is. I applaud anyone and everyone who has managed to dedicate the time and heart to penning a novel. But to my mind, it\u2019s also the easiest part of the journey. Ignore the deadlines, ignore the pressure to create something from nothing; at the end of the day, writing a book should be something beautiful, something wonderful, something fun. And if it\u2019s not, if drafting a novel is akin to having bamboo shoots shoved down your fingernails, then perhaps you have a different calling in life. And there\u2019s no shame in that.<\/p>\n
However, to those who find genuine joy in writing, I\u2019m sure I\u2019m not alone in believing that completing a first draft is not the end of a chapter, but the start of one. It\u2019s the momentous beginning of a new journey. Because while the book may be \u2018done\u2019, next come the revisions, structural edits, copy edits, line edits, proofreading and \u2013 you get where I\u2019m going with this. A whole heap of edits. And even once all of that is done and the book is squeaky clean and ready to be printed, bound and (five hundred years later) distributed, that\u2019s still only the early stages of the journey.<\/p>\n
I often compare the publishing industry to a very old, very sick snail. (I\u2019m sure it\u2019s a compliment\u2026 maybe?) Sometimes things move so slooooooowly that it can feel like you\u2019re moving backwards in time. I\u2019m not even kidding \u2013 those five hundred years between a book going to print and finally landing on shelves are painful. But they\u2019re also worth it, because so much happens in that time. All of which is important.<\/p>\n
My debut novel, Akarnae<\/em>, was released in 2015. The second book in that series was released in 2016 and the third in 2017. That means, from 2015 to 2017, I had one book releasing every year. This year, however, as of the beginning of September, I\u2019ll have had three books release in 2018 alone: two in my original series (Graevale<\/em> and We Three Heroes<\/em>), and the first of a new YA series called Whisper<\/em>.<\/p>\n I can honestly say that those five hundred years were barely long enough, in this case. Because more than in any previous year, I\u2019ve realised just how vital that time is in order to get word out and make sure everyone involved keeps some semblance of sanity. (The jury\u2019s still out on that one.)<\/p>\n This year has been insane for me. The last three years have offered a slow build of momentum where I\u2019ve gradually had readers come on board with my initial series \u2013 The Medoran Chronicles<\/a> \u2013 with many highlights along the way, such as schools taking the books on as part of their curriculum, and parents, grandparents, teachers and librarians reaching out to me with gratitude for inspiring courage and hope in the younger (and older!) generations. The last three years have been full of wonderful moments such as these, but this year? It\u2019s like a supernova exploded and that momentum blasted exponentially into insanity. (The best kind of insanity.) I\u2019m not sure if it is the release of three books, or the release of a new series, but 2018 has been riddled with crazy amazingness after crazy amazingness. It\u2019s been overwhelming in the most surreal way. And given all that I know is coming in 2019 (shhhhh! Old, sick snail, remember? I can\u2019t share yet!) I already know that this insanity is only beginning, and the best is yet to come.<\/p>\n So to any writers out there, remember: writing a book is the easy part. BUT while all the rest becomes more and more challenging, it\u2019s also more and more worth it. So, my advice? Strap in and enjoy the ride! (And stock up on chocolate because you\u2019re gonna need it!)<\/p>\n
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