Moon-Sitting: On Publishing My First Book
So, it finally happened. I published a book. Moon-Sitting is out there, readily available to anyone who wants to buy a copy (go here, do a thing, make me happy). It has been surreal.
I started a new job a few weeks ago, back working admin, and my body had been struggling to adjust to the 9-5. I’d been tired, but unable to sleep before midnight; memorising 100 new course facts, but forgetting arrangements with friends 500 times before I had to be somewhere.
Then Tuesday the 12th of November came, and suddenly I had energy again. I woke before my alarm, and as I lay in bed waiting for the heating to kick in, I started spreading the news of Moon-Sitting’s birth across my socials, and answering messages from folks congratulating me. I was amazed by the response. People I’d never seen in my feed before popped up with well wishes. By the time my alarm went off, I was ready to spring out of bed with a leap and a bound!
Outside of the virtual world, I arrived at work and was greeted by a new colleague with a box of chocolates. “Happy book birthday!” he said, as I sat down, flustered. He told me how much he’d enjoyed the 35% he’d read so far and I tried to keep my grin at a level that wouldn’t send my face into spasm.
I spent the rest of my work day trying not to bounce around the office walls, and outside of work time I was flinging messages back and forth online and chatting with colleagues and friends who knew exactly why there was a smile on my face. During my weekly shop, a tweet from a reviewer appeared, telling me how much they loved it and that I should expect good things.
In the last few days, I’ve been asked to do an author interview, take a spot in a newsletter, had my work analysed as part of the “hopepunk” movement, had my first Amazon reviews, and someone even Googled my book to find my blog. I have never felt more connected. People are enjoying reading my book, Moon-Sitting. I did that. My book child is a success.
I realise that this sounds like an awful lot of bragging, but that’s not really what I’m aiming for with this post. What I want to do is encourage.
I know there are people in the writing community who are sitting on manuscripts, not because their story’s not good enough, but because they don’t think anyone would be interested in traditionally publishing it and self-publishing is a “waste of time”. It’s not. Self-publishing means you get to experience what it’s like to put a book together from beginning to end, and you control how it’s packaged/sold/marketed. Not to mention, YOU GET TO HOLD YOUR BOOK IN YOUR HANDS.
Honestly, having something you wrote perfect-bound with a nice cover is an amazing feeling, and the work I put into making that happen made it all the more wonderful. Self-publishing is worth trying. Even if you try it just for the hell of it.
Now I’m going to climb down from my soap box and add one final comment:
Thank you to everyone who has bought a copy, reviewed/rated the book, liked/commented/shared a post, or just straight up told someone about Moon-Sitting. You are brilliant human beings who continue to amaze me.
Now here is a montage of my friend Tori’s #MoonSittingCC art. She blew up my Facebook notifications for a week, the only person to enter the creative countdown, but refuses to take the proof prize. So, instead, she’s getting a gallery of her art on my blog (get a GD writer platform so I can link people, you pest).
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All the love in Infinity,
Moon-Sitting: On Publishing My First Book My thoughts on everything that's happened in #MoonSitting's first week of publication. #BookBirthday #BookRelease #IndieAuthors #ScifiMonth #Indiecember #WritingCommunity #Scifi #BookReview Moon-Sitting: On Publishing My First Book So, it finally happened. I published a book. Moon-Sitting…
