Well. Nothing about this quarter went as expected in the greater world, BUT I did release the cover to my X-Men meets Sense8, romantic LGBT sci-fi, GILDED LIES.
It's my debut.
I'm not freaking out. You're freaking out.
What Worked
- BOOK COVER
- Book cover synchronized release! I called in every favor I had to help me reveal the book cover in a big party. It was so cool (and a little exhausting)
- I did a first pass rewrite to book two: Copper Wrath (basically my version of a first edit)
- I learned more about sending newsletters and started really having fun with them
- I completed a big step on a super secret project!
- I finished the final chapter of fanfic that I needed to get off my plate!
- I formatted GILDED LIES for both paperback and ebook
- Created all kinds of little extras like an ARC sign up form, a first newsletter swap, and a bit of content marketing via a short story titled HEART OF THE MATTER where planets live, breathe, and love?
- I set up the preorder for Gilded Lies!
- I dove into writing characters of color in a sensitive and intelligent manner
- I challenged my internal biases and began researching systematic racism
- Basically a lot of little things, but it all adds up!
What Didn't Work
- THE. WORLD. WTF 2020!?
- Didn't make as much progress as I wanted on book 3
- I didn't write a second short story as planned
- I still haven't figured out how to create and utilize a street team
- I screwed up my preorder on Google Play! Whoops.
- I had to suddenly pivot on how I was portraying some characters of color
- Had to delay the next steps on super secret project
- My terror in publishing my first book has only grown
- Mental health has deteriorated in the wake of BLM and the pandemic
- I fell behind on my therapy
- I struggled to find hobbies/down time outside of work
- I came dangerously close to burn out