How do you deal with uncertainty?
That is something I am trying to learn right now.
I began writing in May, and since then, I have published two collections of short stories: The Dance of the Two Sisters and Short, Short Flash Stories. Publishing them was an accomplishment, but now I face another challenge: getting them into readers’ hands.
I have sold a few copies, but not as many as I had hoped. Without a major publishing company behind me, I must learn to do everything myself—publicity, branding, advertising, promotion, and perhaps even sponsorship. Every decision raises another question: What should I invest in? What can I do on my own? What will actually help my books find an audience?
I am learning as quickly as I can, but I am also working with a fixed retirement income. My hope is that my puzzle, activity, and coloring books will begin generating a little passive income—money I can reinvest in advertising, professional editing, finding an agent, and whatever else may help me grow as an author.
Those books are now available on Amazon, and I have already made a few sales. Each one encourages me. I hope that all the hours, creativity, and sweat equity I have poured into this work will eventually pay off.
Perhaps the secret to living with uncertainty is patience. I cannot control how quickly success comes or how many people discover my books. I can only continue learning, create the best books I can, and take one purposeful step at a time.
The outcome is uncertain, but one thing is not: I am a writer now, and I intend to keep going.
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