outreach. Oh boy.

Everybody says I have to market myself. Put myself out there on the interwebs. It’s all part and parcel of getting out there so people know I wrote a book.

Which I did. Still can’t get over that, to be honest.

Right now it’s out for a manuscript edit, which is terrifying. Nobody has read the story yet, and here I am sending it to a complete stranger. Part of me is convinced they’re going to hate it, send it back bleeding red ink with a big ‘You’ll shoot your eye out!’ scrawled across the bottom. But another part is honestly curious about the feedback. Hopeful that I managed to create something that’s worth reading, that’s enjoyable, that stands a chance at being something I can be proud to send out into the world.

Meanwhile … while I wait … I’m creating a checklist of all the pieces that need to fall into place between now and published. ISBNs, social media, starting a newsletter. And what the hell is Goodreads anyway? Amazon or Barnes and Noble? How does Threads work? How do I market a book that doesn’t technically exist yet?

It’s most definitely a leap of faith — marketing a novel that isn’t complete and might change profoundly between now and whenever. But I’m following the template, so here we are. At least, here I am, trying my best.