11 Jan 3 Important Lessons Learned from Our Publishing Journey

Just a little over one year ago we launched the Pack-n-Go Girls adventure book series. Today we have five books published and more in the works. Mystery of the Disappearing Dolphin is the latest addition to the list. It’s available now from Amazon and will be available soon from any bookstore in the country.  The eBook version is only weeks away. We’re excited about the recognition we’ve gotten and stretched by all the new skills required in this venture. Here’s what we’ve learned along the way:

One: Everything takes more time than we think it will. Having been a writer all my life and a published author for decades, I never understood the black hole my manuscripts went into once a publisher accepted them. Now I do. It takes time to edit, rewrite, proofread, illustrate, lay out, edit again, proofread again, tweak the layout, edit again, proofread again, and well, you get the picture. I now understand why a book takes as long as it does to get into the hands of the reader.

Two: Marketing is even more challenging than writing.  I’ve always known that just because one has the skills and temperament to write doesn’t mean that one’s book will be successful or one will be able to promote it. Patrick Dennis once said, “Writing isn’t hard. It’s no harder than ditch digging.” It’s true. Writing is the fortitude it takes to shovel away for hours and hours without seeing progress or beauty. Unfortunately, marketing is the engineering, designing, troubleshooting, construction, project management, and promotion of the ditch. Who would have thought all the non-writing stuff could be so overwhelming? These days, we realize the importance of social media, reviews, and publicity. It doesn’t mean for a minute it’s easy to conquer any of these. But we do at least know it. 

Three: Our readers are golden. We knew this before the first book ever came out, but with each new book, we appreciate you all the more. We’re grateful for your reviews, that you show up to book signings, and that you buy books, even though we’re probably total strangers. We’re especially appreciative that you spread the word to others.

We’re excited to have come so far in a year with both the books and our journey of learning. We can only imagine what the coming year will bring. ~Janelle