Writing Books, Riding Unicorns, You Know....All that Author Stuff!

A dear friend of mine just referred to me as an “established author”. I had to do a double take. Me? Established? Really? 

Yeah, right. In my dreams. My very vivid dreams.

I certainly don’t feel like an established author, I mean, I’m just getting started. Currently, I’ve got one full length title available, and have two novellas out. Come the end of March, that will be three. April 1st marks the debut of a second full length novel that I co-authored. So…that makes five. Five titles. Does that make me “established”? I don’t know. With each project that I finish, I feel like I’m gaining ground on this journey of authorhood.

So proud of every word.

I’m learning something new every day, and my craft is expanding. That can only be good, right? The one big thing I have learned as a newcomer is that you need friends. I’m not talking about the kind of friends who ooh and ahh over every word you put forth. I’m talking about friends who aren’t afraid to give you the sort of constructive criticism every author needs to grow.

Facebook was instrumental in developing my little inner circle. Sure, I have made loads of new contacts and acquaintances, but I have also gained a core group of people (writers and non-writers, respectively) whose goal is to see me succeed by honing my talent to the best of my ability. Without them, I would still be sitting in front of a computer screen twiddling my thumbs and hoping to get words on a page.

I have stories to tell. Loads of them. This brain won’t be finished anytime soon. So as I notch each new work on my belt, I am moving steadily closer to that elusive place of “established”. It’s a good feeling. And when I get stuck, or can’t quite wrap my head around something, I am privileged to have people I can connect with to get it all out. 

We're a close-knit bunch.

I have moved from being a completely independent self-published author to signing on with a small indie press. This has made a huge difference in my ability to start and finish a project. After all, when you’re setting your own deadline, the impetus to meet it is greatly reduced. I have the luxury of picking and choosing which titles I want to self-publish, and which I want to turn over to someone else. I have gotten extremely lucky to have found Miranda Stork and Moon Rose Publishing. She has treated me like no other publishing house I have come across. Gracious and obliging, she allows me freedoms in my work, yet isn’t afraid to crack the whip and keep me on track. Working with her has made my writing better. FACT.

It would be erroneous of me to say that I know what I’m doing. At this point, I still don’t. However, I know more than I did this time last year. I have gained a readership and a following of individuals with whom I have no personal ties. What does that mean? It means complete strangers are reading my work, and to my utter delight, are wanting more. Hmmm…established. Yes, this is a trend I would like to continue to ride into the sunset with my hair billowing in the breeze. Waving the flags of good reading high. On my unicorn. You know, my established one.

This is how I start my day. Really. For realz. Not pictured: COFFEE.

Tara S. Wood can be found lurking on the internet. Or in these fine establishments.
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Moon Rose Publishing