The Year That Was 2013
Looking back over 2013, I realize now I started the year in a bit of a panic, as I hadn't accomplished nearly as much as I had wanted with The Nobodies in 2012 and continued to receive form rejection after rejection despite some work with A/B testing.
But, you know, I thought for awhile that everything was okay, because I did my first round of taxes as a published author and decidedly took it upon myself to self-publish The Nobodies. Things were looking up.
So, cheered as I was and wanting to share my enthusiasm, I announced the book's cover contest, which, though still one of the most viewed entries on this blog, was an absolute failure—even when it came to simply voting for an image!
I was distraught. Even moreso than at 2013's start, because it made me believe the book was a horrible waste of time. I didn't feel like writing at all and, even when I eventually forced myself to, I barely recovered.
I didn't think it could at the time, but thankfully it all worked out, as I threw my energy into crafting what would eventually become The Nobodies' cover. And, only about a month later, finally published my second book after fifteen years of work.
Authorship doesn't stop with a publication, though, as I'd already been working diligently on my third book, including some heavy research and some massive editing. And with an exclusive excerpt packed in with The Nobodies, I was finally able to reveal the title, Trezka, just as I started work on the much more secretive fourth book....
I think what I'll remember this year for the most, though, were the risks I made. Not just the botched contest, but also the slew of video posts (that would've been joined by a few more had my computer not broken) and the start of weekly comic reviews, which has improved traffic to the site nearly four-fold.
As I continue to edit Trezka, work on my fourth book, and resolve to get a working draft of my children's book going, I know this next year will be even more productive than the last. I hope you continue to join me in making it so (you know I just had to get a Star Trek reference in, right?).
But, you know, I thought for awhile that everything was okay, because I did my first round of taxes as a published author and decidedly took it upon myself to self-publish The Nobodies. Things were looking up.
So, cheered as I was and wanting to share my enthusiasm, I announced the book's cover contest, which, though still one of the most viewed entries on this blog, was an absolute failure—even when it came to simply voting for an image!
I was distraught. Even moreso than at 2013's start, because it made me believe the book was a horrible waste of time. I didn't feel like writing at all and, even when I eventually forced myself to, I barely recovered.
I didn't think it could at the time, but thankfully it all worked out, as I threw my energy into crafting what would eventually become The Nobodies' cover. And, only about a month later, finally published my second book after fifteen years of work.
Authorship doesn't stop with a publication, though, as I'd already been working diligently on my third book, including some heavy research and some massive editing. And with an exclusive excerpt packed in with The Nobodies, I was finally able to reveal the title, Trezka, just as I started work on the much more secretive fourth book....
I think what I'll remember this year for the most, though, were the risks I made. Not just the botched contest, but also the slew of video posts (that would've been joined by a few more had my computer not broken) and the start of weekly comic reviews, which has improved traffic to the site nearly four-fold.
As I continue to edit Trezka, work on my fourth book, and resolve to get a working draft of my children's book going, I know this next year will be even more productive than the last. I hope you continue to join me in making it so (you know I just had to get a Star Trek reference in, right?).
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