Celebrating the Hike to Success

It has been two months since the release of my debut novel, The Dagda's Cauldron, and I continue to learn more every day. The main thing I have learned? I have a long way to go. In an effort to be as transparent as possible, I will tell you that all in all so far I have sold somewhere around 30 books. And I bought 8 of those for giveaways and gifts. Not exactly tearing up the bestseller charts here.

However, I also know that being successful can be measured on an infinite number of levels. So, today, I will celebrate my successes:

1. I wrote a book. To me, that is the ultimate success in this endeavor. I stuck it out, I finished it, and it is published.

2. Those who have read it, tell me they love it and can't wait for the second book in the series. Could they be lying? Maybe. Could they be stroking my ego? Maybe (and I thank you for this ). But the bottom line is there are people who genuinely love the book that I wrote. Wow. Do you know how amazing that feels?

3. I'm not quitting. Book 2 is already well under way and I love it just as much as book 1. I lose myself in the writing like I did when I read books as a kid - and even as an adult, just ask my kids. To me, finding something I love enough to keep doing, no matter what anyone else says or how they measure my success is a sign of a truly successful endeavor.

4. I have always said that if I reached just one reader and connected with them, then I would consider that a success. And I have. More than one actually. And when those people approach me and say, "I just love so-and-so in your book. I felt like I was right there and I could really feel the emotion." or "That's something I have dealt with in my life, too, and it was great to see it in a book." That's worth every minute I spent writing and editing.

So, do I consider myself a success at this author thing. You bet. That doesn't mean I don't want to reach those goals of selling hundreds and thousands of books, but for now, I am going to celebrate every step along the way and enjoy the hike.