Pub Life: Starting to Feel Real

So last week, as many of you know, YA Books Central revealed Beyond the Red’s cover. Shortly before that Red was listed online at B&N, Amazon, BAM!, IndieBound and more, and is now available for pre-order.

On Sunday, I had my author photos taken. And on Monday, these came in:



I've started signing them this week.


On Friday I’ll be headed off to Chicago for Chapter One Young Writers Conference, where I’ll be speaking (speaking!! as a speaker!!) to some awesome writerly teens about being a teen writer.

So much has been happening the past couple weeks, I’ve been getting a little overwhelmed. But I’m okay! And I’m happy. And totally in awe because this year is more than halfway over and 2016 is very quickly arriving.

And you know? I may not have ARCs yet and I know there’s still a ton of work to be done before next March. But things are slowly starting to feel real. And the more I start to see my cover pop up places I wasn’t expecting, and people I don’t know talk about my book, and the more I start to think about marketing, and events, and what 2016 is going to look like, the more it’s starting to sink in that this is actually happening. This is real. And I couldn’t be more grateful.

I love this job. Even when I’m an anxious wreck anticipating something, or I’m wondering how I’m going to get something done on time, I love this. Even as I anticipate stepping out of my comfort zone and introducing myself to people—something that does not come naturally to me at all—I’m so delighted to finally have the opportunity to do the stuff I dreamed about doing for ages.

It’s scary. And exciting. And sometimes, quite frankly, more stressful than my brain wants to handle. But things are starting to happen, and I wouldn’t trade this for anything.

Slowly, but surely, it’s all starting to feel real.

Have you been doing anything exciting this summer?

Twitter-sized bite:
Curious about life as a pre-pubbed debut author? @Ava_Jae shares how the pub life is starting to feel real. (Click to tweet

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