#WIPWednesday

Well. The book has been officially out for a week now! The paperback hit #1 New Release in one category for a short time (just as the e-book did during pre-orders)!

And the reviews have started slowing rolling in!

 

It's been a whirlwind. But, I do feel like it is all coming to an end now. I know marketing never ends but it very much feels like releasing the book was just that, releasing it out of my hands. It is out in the world now and I can only hope the response continues to be kind.

I am incredibly grateful to all who have supported me throughout this project.

Today, I announced a GIVEAWAY 🎉

I’m giving away a signed paperback copy of my book to one of my mailing list subscribers in my next newsletter!

Everyone on my mailing list will be entered. If you are not yet signed up to receive my quarterly newsletter, opt-in at http://eepurl.com/ghqMuP.

The winner will be announced in my next newsletter on December 4th.

In non-book news, I also somehow managed to have three essays syndicated this week! Many thanks to Scary Mommy, InspireMore, and Sammiches & Psych Meds!

#WIPWednesday

TODAY IS BOOK LAUNCH DAY!

What a rollercoaster it's been to get here!

Putting this book out into the world has left me feeling far more vulnerable than any of my personal essays has to date. I'm trying to prepare myself for negative reviews. But I sincerely hope that those who read it find it insightful or even relatable if they also struggle with anxiety.

And I know I am not alone. My essay, "When Anxiety Makes You Feel Like You Are in Danger Every Day of Your Life," ran on The Mighty last week and received hundreds of shares on Facebook and thousands of hearts on The Mighty, it was also picked up by Yahoo! Lifestyle. The piece now has over 8,000 social media reactions, in total!

Also this week, Reality Moms syndicated my holiday piece from last year.

Truthfully, I haven't thought much about the holidays yet this year, but I am grateful for the timing of my book being released before the season is in full swing!

#WIPWednesday

It has been an incredible week!

First, we launched e-book pre-orders.

And I woke the next day to this!

Now, I do realize this is not a huge accomplishment. Amazon has so many categories and refreshes the list hourly; tumbling enjoyed only a brief stint at #1 New Release in Women's Poetry. But, it was still exciting!

I also received the 1st paperback proof this week, made some minor formatting edits, and received my final proof.

All proofs have now been approved to be submitted for publishing, where they will undergo one final inspection.

I continued working on making sure the book is visible on a variety of platforms.

And even managed to surprise myself be reaching out to offer a few promotional copies! Who am I?!?

I also submitted my piece about anxiety for syndication on The Mighty, which was accepted and published yesterday. I did that in hopes that readers who relate to that essay will take a look at my bio and notice my new book.

But, while I was at it, I remembered that I had a couple of holiday pieces from last year I was planning on trying to syndicate this year and I was able to submit one of them for consideration to two outlets.

The next couple weeks should be quite a ride!

#WIPWednesday

Last week, before the excitement of signing a publishing agreement for my book, I submitted my latest essay for syndication on The Good Men Project. I'm pleased to share that it was accepted and featured it on social media this week.

I spent the bulk of this week working on a pre-publishing checklist – ordering a paperback proof, reviewing the e-book proof, writing the book's description, ordering some writer swag, and planning today's cover reveal!