A guest post by Abigail Shepherd
A friend asked me the other day if I thought people would be intimidated by the fact that I’m a published author. I had to admit that I hadn’t thought about it. But I said I hoped not.

Abigail’s new novel is out in Paperback and eBook now! Check out the link below.
Well, I can now tell you that they’re not. I know, it’s weird! I mean, come on everyone, I have a BOOK out! Someone out there has actually paid money to turn my words into a BOOK. But, in my experience, most people have no idea just how hard that can be to achieve. How ridiculously unlikely. Some will even say things like ‘I’d like to write a book if I had time.” Grrrr.
The thing I did find myself wondering about was whether people would feel impressed, rather than intimidated. If some would suddenly get really friendly so I could have all the fun of snubbing them. (Not that I would. No. Of course not.) But that hasn’t happened either. Normally those sorts of people just ask if they can have a free book. Again, grrrr.
So then, to answer the statement made in the title, actually daily life doesn’t change all that much. The biggest change I’ve noticed is that I have an awful lot more to do. For most people, the fact that you have a book out isn’t all that important. And that’s fine. It doesn’t matter.
It doesn’t matter because you know what you’ve just accomplished. Your life-long dream. And your real friends and family will be proud and happy for you. They will unhesitatingly spend their money on at least one copy of your book, probably more. And in my experience at least, the online writing community will always be there to support you.
So, don’t expect to become an overnight celebrity in your community. But do expect to be a hard-working author, with a book to show for it. Oh, and start working on your next one right now. You don’t get to stop writing.
This article was originally published January 19, 2017 on www.tibetanlemon.com.

Connect with Abigail Shepherd:
Check out Abigail’s website https://bewritingblog.wordpress.com
You can also connect with her on your favorite social media platform:
- Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100016116249170
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/abiwriting
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abiwriting/
Don’t forget to check out My Year of Stories
In December 2015 Abigail came to the decision that she was finally going to be a published author. She began writing and submitting short stories, as well as trying once more to find a home for her young adult novel. The year that followed was an extraordinary journey from unpublished writer to debut novelist. In this book you are invited to follow that journey, with twelve stories to represent each month, preceded by an excerpt from Abigail’s journal, giving not only background to her work but an intriguing insight into a writer’s mind.
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[…] miss it! In the meantime, read the article Abi wrote for Kelsey back in January of last year on what it is like to be a published author and don’t forget to check out her answers to the Proustish Questionnaire when they post on […]