This has been a crazy year. January 1, 2015, I had no idea that in a little over six months, I would be a published author with my first book out and my second book zipping along right behind it. I had no idea I’d be able to make my own cover art, see my book in ebook format with a fancy looking cover and formatting, and then hear from people who had read my book, my story and liked it. Even loved it.
I had no idea that I would be standing here one day holding a copy of my story in print. A book. A real book.

A picture doesn’t do that moment justice. So I made you guys a gif. This is me holding my proof copy in my hands. (Tablet behind it, peeking over to get pictures lol.)

This is the face of pure joy, excitement, disbelief, super crazy relief, and OMG I DID IT I MADE A BOOK A REAL BOOK!
It’s so cool! It’s so REAL.

One of the things that really struck me as I went through this process was basically how “real” kept kicking it up a notch. I wrote the book.

It was real halfway through. I had gotten further in a single written work than I had ever gotten in my life. I was going to do this.
It was more real the moment I wrote the last words on the page and my heart fluttered, stomach twisting in knots as I anxiously poked my wife to read the last bit so I could say “That’s it. I’m done. It’s finished.”
It was more real the moment I compiled the book into epubs and mobis and sent it out to betas. People were going to read my book, my real book.
It was more real the moment people emailed me back and said they loved it. It was real the moment someone emailed me back and said they had issues with it. It was real the moment someone pointed out that one really big typo I left in by mistake that my betas will know exactly what I’m talking about when I say this. (SHIRT!) 😉
It was even more real the moment I finished the cover and it looked so professional (not tooting my own horn, just I was feeling the *real* vibes harder and harder.)
It was even more real the moment I set up KDP and Createspace and knew everything was ready to go just waiting for me to click “publish” and send it out into the world.

But the most REAL moment yet… has been picking up the proof copy, opening the box and finding it there… my book.

My real book.

I couldn’t stop staring at it… showing it to my wife over and over. “LOOK! It’s REAL. It’s my book. MY REAL BOOK!”

I feel like a real author now.

Because my book is real.

And nothing can ever stop it from being real again.

From this, there is no going back.

And that’s wonderful.

Shei

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