Announcing my new book!
It’s here! I’ve published my second book Until Italy: a Traveler’s Memoir! A long journey to be sure…nearly two years in the making. (Learn more about my indie-author path to publishing here .)
It’s exciting! I check my sales report daily (ok, maybe twice…or that one day it was every hour or so…) and I rejoice when a book finds its way to you. My heart skips a beat when one of my readers leaves a review on Amazon and I know that my work has made an impression. Yet I know from experience the initial rush will pass. Life returns to normal.
So… What does success mean to me? What does success mean to any writer? This is what I’ve been thinking about all week. I turned to my author “friends” for inspiration and here’s what I found:
Writing is the Best Part
From Anne Lamott (Bird by Bird) :
“Publication is not all that it is cracked up to be. But writing is. That thing you had to force yourself to do–the actual act of writing–turns out to be the best part….The act of writing turns out to be its own reward.“
Quiet Glory
From Elizabeth Gilbert (Big Magic):
“There is a quiet glory in merely making things and then sharing those things with an open heart on no expectations.“
Pure Joy
From Stephen King (On Writing):
I have written because it fulfilled me. I did it for the buzz. I did it for the pure joy of the thing. And if you can do it for the joy, you can do it forever.“
Success Occurs in the Privacy of the Soul
And from Rick Rubin (The Creative Act) comes the definition of success that rings truest for me:
“How shall we measure success? It isn’t popularity, money, or critical esteem. Success occurs in the privacy of the soul. It comes in the moment you decide to release the work, before exposure to a single opinion. When you’ve done all you can to bring out the work’s greatest potential. When you’re pleased and ready to let go.“
Have I been successful? Having done all I can to bring out this book’s greatest potential, I’ve let it go. I feel pleased, successful, where it matters. In the privacy of my soul.
What’s next for this author? Again I turn to Rubin’s words: “Once the work meets your highest standards, you sign off on it, let it go, and begin the next chapter of your life’s work–whatever that may be.“
Another book in the works? We’ll see. For now, I’m going to bask in the glimmer of this one for a few more days.
INTRODUCING!
Until Italy: a Traveler’s Memoir is the story of an ordinary woman transformed by an extraordinary country. A fun, quick read, perfect for a cozy evening at home, a beach read, or tucked into a travel bag for your next adventure!
Click to find your copy here.
(So fun to put a new title in this space! )