As I finish the year out less than three months before my publication date, it feels like 2016 has been full of special moments for me: getting an offer to publish the REALITY STAR series, seeing my cover for the first time, reading my first cover copy, telling all my friends and family I’d written a book, spotting my book on Amazon, having a friend find it on Goodreads. All of those stops on the road to publication are incredibly exciting, especially for a debut author.
But what I really want to talk, the brightest spot in the year for me, is the help and support I’ve received from fellow authors. A few months ago, one of my friends started the 17Scribes, a group for debut authors with adult novels coming out in 2017. The people in that group are excellent at lifting each other up and sharing their knowledge and experience. Many PitchWars mentors are ahead of me on this journey, and everyone I’ve talked to has been happy to talk, whether it’s giving me tips on promotion and marketing or just being there to listen to how confusing and frustrating everything can be.
When I celebrated each and every success, these people celebrated with me (even the ones who’ve done it half a dozen times). When I cried over things in the world that scared me, they cried with me. Many time I’ve thought I wouldn’t make it to publication without my friends. I appreciate the help and support I’m getting from these authors, and I can’t wait to be in a position to pay it forward some day.
In the new year, I have plenty of hopes as a writer: I hope I continue to learn and grow as a writer. I hope my books find readers, and I hope you enjoy Jen and Justin’s journey as much as I enjoyed writing it. But on a more personal level, I hope we can all find light in the darkness. I hope those of us who are able take steps to stand up against hate and tyranny. I hope that, at the end of 2017, we are able to look around and see that our words and actions made the world a better place. I hope we can all lift up those who need it the most.
Laura Heffernan is living proof that watching too much TV can pay off. When not watching total strangers participate in arranged marriages, drag racing queens, or cooking competitions, Laura enjoys travel, baking, board games, helping with writing contests, and seeking new experiences. She lives in the northeast with her amazing husband and two furry little beasts.
Some of Laura’s favorite things include goat cheese, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Battlestar Galactica, the Oxford comma, and ice cream. Not all together. The best place to find her is usually on Twitter, where she spends far too much time tweeting about writing, Canadian chocolate, and reality TV. Laura is represented by Michelle Richter at Fuse Literary.
AMERICA’S NEXT REALITY STAR is forthcoming from Kensington/Lyrical Shine on March 7, 2017. Pre-order today!
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2 Comments
Terri Lewis · December 15, 2016 at 8:10 am
Laura, you may have received a lot of support, but you are definitely paying it forward. Wishing you tremendous success with your book.
Laura · December 15, 2016 at 9:53 am
Thank you! <3
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