A couple of weeks ago, as I gazed into the near future and pictured how the launch for The Pointy Hat Brigade might go, I started to get nervous. A sense of dread crept in, and I almost put a foot on the path of doubt. I worried that no one would buy the book. I worried that those who did buy the book would hate it and troll the reviews. I worried that it would only sell while the price was discounted, then tank.
And, because I’m me, I also worried that it would sell like crazy and I wouldn’t be ready for the onslaught. Yeah yeah, don’t judge – the fear of success can be just as terrifying as the fear of failure.
Luckily, I had a moment when I realized that this is an incredibly unique time for me. I’m about to publish my first novel, and I’m only going to have this experience once. I plan to publish many novels – The Pointy Hat Brigade is the first book in what could very well be a long series, then there’s another series I’m working on, and short stories to go with both of those series, and the random literary novel I thought up the other day…I have a lot of writing ahead. But never again will I be able to utter the words, “I’m about to publish my first novel.”
And I need to enjoy the freaking hell out of that.
The Pointy Hat Brigade is unapologetically women’s fiction. I like to call the genre “Witch Lit”, because it’s about witches who are going through regular life and everything that comes with it. Its audience is going to be fairly specific, but that’s a good thing. It’s been read by a bunch of beta readers, all of whom have connected with the characters, and most of whom freaked out when they couldn’t quite tell what was going to happen next. One reader – who barely, if ever, reads this genre – lost an entire afternoon because she couldn’t stop reading. The responses I’ve gotten have been fantastic so far, I don’t need to worry worry. My witches have an audience, I know that.
So from the moment when I realized how cool this little pocket of time is, I’ve been excited. You know what, if it tanks, it tanks – I’ve been there before, and it hasn’t stopped me from writing. If it doesn’t sell, I’ll continue to write. If it gets a bad review, I’ll take the information (providing it’s useful) and continue to write. And if the book takes off, if people love these characters as much as I do…I’ll continue to write.
I’ve found my dream, my passion, and my purpose. And I’m not about to freaking let it go.
I watch The Voice (life is so much better now that the new season has started, and SO much better now that Alicia Keys and Miley Cyrus have joined the team…but that’s another conversation entirely), and one thing you see a lot of is people revisiting a dream they’ve had since childhood. They fell in love with music as a kid, but had to put it aside for “real life”, and adult responsibilities. Now they’re pulling that dream out of the attic, dusting it off, and giving it another try. I can’t even tell you how much I relate to this. And when I see other people doing it in a crazy public forum – on national television for pete’s sake – I am inspired. It gives me the mental and emotional strength to push through the doubts, the fears, and the trolls in my life who still think I’m a joke.
If those brave souls can sing in front of millions of people, I can put my foot in the water and be excited about my little book about witches.
Because, I mean…witches. Magic is cool 🙂
Check out The Pointy Hat Brigade – available for pre-order now (digital copies only, print books available October 2nd).
Divorce, meddling mothers…and witches. What could possibly go wrong?
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