Brainstorming (and plotting) is maybe my favorite stage of writing: So many possibilities! Lightning quick connections! Hardly any commitment.

Publishing is full of waiting: waiting for beta reader or CP feedback, waiting for query responses, waiting for submission responses, waiting for editor notes, waiting for cover reveals, waiting for emails, waiting for release day! And in the midst of all this waiting, it’s really easy to feel behind.

If you’re a writer looking for items to add to your list, or if you’re shopping for a writer you love, here some ideas of items to buy:

As I write this, I am days away from sending my book 2 back to my editor, which means it’s time to think about the next book.

As I’ve been giving author talks to students and talking about my writing process, I’ve become aware of how different my writing is now than when I first began.

When I started writing, that was the dream: publish the book that took me months and months to write. I told myself it would all be worth it if I got an agent with that book and got a book deal.

Now, I am so thankful my dreams didn’t come true!

I’ve recently been getting more acquaintances (or strangers) asking me how I went about this process so they can learn from it themselves. Everyone’s path is different, but hopefully this very basic introduction can help those just starting out.

I’m almost three months out from publication. What kind of emails pop up in my inbox? What are my publicist, editor, and agent talking about? I’m giving you a sneak peek to find out!