Now I Get It

Until now I never completely understood the fear that so many authors get: the fear of no one liking your novel. The fear of sharing your heart and soul with the world.

Last weekend I published my debut novel, Sky Stone. It is now out there for the world to buy and read.

My reason for publishing was fairly simple. I wrote it, so I published it. I spent so long writing Sky Stone that I figured it would be a waste if I didn't. Besides, I might as well put it out there to read. What else do you do with a book? However, I didn't care about how many people would read it, I didn't care about sales, and I definitely didn't care whether people would hate my book or love it. I made Sky Stone the best that I could, for myself and no one else. Sky Stone was written because my imagination was running riot and I love to write. So why am I so nervous?

I now understand that despite my earlier feelings, a longing for praise and recognition is still a part of being human.

However, despite this fear, I will continue to stick to my original morals as a writer. I write for the love of writing. My novels will be all mine, hence when I publish I will self-publish and create my own cover. I will continue to make my writing affordable for my readers to buy because I wish to make it accessible to anyone who would like to read my writing. This isn't my job. It is my soul.

Scarlett Van Dijk

Sky Stone is available on CreateSpace.com and Amazon.com at present. The eBook is a mere 99c, the paperback is $8.95.