As you have likely guessed, these updates are a few days behind. I do that so I can better give you the whole picture instead of just an emotional in-the-moment post. So, let’s talk about the day I launched this site.
I likely picked the worst day of the week to launch, but I’m Ok with that. It was right for me, and frankly, that is what matters most in this. We can’t make our decisions based off other people’s circumstances, needs, and schedules. No, I’m not talking about readers, but other writers/authors. What’s right for them might not be right for you, and in this case, Sunday was right for me.
I was excited and happy to share it first thing in the morning. The response was nice. With congratulations, words of encouragement about what was done, a few sweet people pointed out the oops I made, and a whole five people signed up for my newsletter that day. I had hoped for more, but five is a perfect number to start, and I’m honored to have them sign up. A lot of girly squealing went on for each person who signed up.
Then came the disappointment. While my online community rallied around me, my family and friends didn’t. There is not a single person in my personal life that stopped in. I know writing is not their thing. I understand that. I know they will never understand this soul-deep need to tell stories—to sit down and bleed your heart into it, whether writing a novel or telling the kiddos about Shadow-Paws the dragon, saving the dandelions from the evil kitten Lord Muffin-Foot. However, the fact that no one even bothered to pretend like they looked at my site even just to say it looked pretty was an enormous letdown.
Let’s face it, at the end of the day, I didn’t make this for them. While it would have been nice to have someone understand this is more than a hobby or a passion, It’s not really for them anyway. Whether I reach one person or a million doesn’t really matter. At the end of the day, if I helped even one person, then it was worth every single second.
