After just a few months as an published author, I've learned some things. The learning curve, at times, was fast paced and exhilarating, much like a waterside on a hot, steamy day. At others times, well, it hasn't been so pleasant.
These are the aspects of being an author that I wasn't prepared for -- and looking back -- I'm not sure I could have prepared myself for these things anyway. Nevertheless, maybe this post will be helpful for an up and coming author.
10 Things I Wish I Had Known Before Becoming a Published Author
- I should have had an inbound email/communication strategy ready to go once the book hit the market. Maybe it's the nature of my memoir, which at its core deals with the hot-topic of public education, but it has been almost impossible to keep up with the onslaught of emails I am receiving from readers across the country. I'm doing my best to answer them as they come in, but in hindsight, perhaps I should have had a better plan of what types of emails I would answer. At this point, my goal is to answer everyone at least once...because well...I never wanted to be that author that was impersonal and a recluse.
I've learned a lot in the three short months of being a published author. There's been a mix of positive and negative aspects, highs and lows, and laughs and tears. The good news? I am embracing it all and learning more about myself every single day, and...this is probably what life is really supposed to be about, anyway.