What people think writing is:
✨ Inspiration strikes.

✨ You sit down.

✨ The words flow effortlessly.
 You type "The End."

✨ Your book is published.

✨ Readers magically discover it.

What writing is actually like:
• Staring at a blinking cursor wondering why yesterday's brilliant idea suddenly makes no sense.
• Rewriting the same chapter... again.
• Realizing a character doesn't work and rewriting half the book.
• Cutting scenes you loved because they don't serve the story.
• Spending months—or years—getting a manuscript into the best shape it can be.

And then... you publish. For a lot of people, that's the finish line. In reality, it's just the beginning.

Whether you're traditionally published or independent, marketing becomes part of the job. Publishers absolutely market books, but they also watch sales closely. If a book isn't performing as expected, those marketing dollars can quickly be redirected elsewhere.

At that point, every author is faced with the same reality. You have to help readers find your book. And this takes persistence.

posted by Sandra L. Rostirolla on June, 30