It's hard to articulate the feeling of being an author. After all, I've been a writer for so long. Years ago, at a writing conference, I was instructed on the difference between the two. A writer writes; but an author has published. At the time, it seemed almost, I don't know, petty? But now I have a different lens.To have written a book is one thing. Writing has its challenges. Many of them, in fact. Understanding how to tell a story that grips, grammar, reader engagement, pacing, plot, and voice. The craft of the thing. Telling a good story is no small feat. It's a learning journey fraught with bumps, hills, and nasty road conditions along the way.
But publishing? It has teeth. Sharp ones designed for rending you in two. The things you learn about how to write a book have almost nothing at all to do with how to publish a book. And it doesn't matter if you go indie, have an agent, go traditional, or whatever. Each path has its own steep learning curve, if you're determined to do it well. And I am. To the best of my ability.
Pledge is published today. Honestly? I'm kind of terrified. I'm back to the beginning, in some ways, where I haltingly let my first (very kind) beta readers see what I've been up to. Waiting with bated breath to see what they thought. Depending on the minute, I was sure it was bestseller quality, then I would cringe at the first page. It's like that, but on a much, much broader scale. Everyone can now see Pledge. Anyone with $3.99 to spend on an ebook, that is.
Even though this story is fiction, it's been a part of me for what feels like forever.
So Pledge is out. I'm riding a pendulum that vacillates between unmitigated joy and nauseous anxiety.
I hope you love it.
Check out Pledge of Ashes at your favorite retailer.
