My May IWSG Post and my writing highs and lows

 

April was a lucky month for me as I signed two book deals and luckily for me, both the books will be out by June, maybe end of May itself. I’m doing a happy dance. Plus, I also discussed a picture book trilogy with another independent publisher.

With a new month and the first Wednesday of the month, it’s time for IWSG (Insecure Writers Support Group) post. IWSG is an online group of writers, it was started by Alex J Cavanaugh the author of Amazon Bestsellers : CassaStar, CassaStorm, CassaFire and Dragon of the Stars. The IWSG website is packed with writing related posts. To read the other IWSG posts, visit the group’s page.

May 4 question - It's the best of times; it's the worst of times. What are your writer highs (the good times)? And what are your writer lows (the crappy times)?

The awesome co-hosts for the May 4 posting of the IWSG are Kim Elliot, Melissa Maygrove, Chemist Ken, Lee Lowery, and Nancy Gideon!

I have had both the highs and lows and trust me when I say that both have been in extremes. The writer highs have ofcourse been book contracts and amazing reader reviews and the books going into multiple reprints, inching towards 10,000 copies being sold of each title. The lows have been a series of long waits by the publishers for replies and the delays of two of my non-fiction books, due to the pandemic and the lockdowns.

Writer lows: Last year I signed a contract for a picture book with a new and small publisher. I was paid a small advance by the publisher and next week the contract was terminated. Luckily the publisher (the single woman organization) asked me to keep the advance as I had revised the book. Before that in 2019, I had been commissioned a mythology book based on my serialized story, by one of India’s independent publishers, the book was ready, complete with wonderful illustrations and the final PDF was sent to me for approval. I promptly went through the PDF and sent in my changes which were done overnight. Sadly, a day later, on the day the book was supposed to be sent to the printer, the editor calls me to tell me that the book has been put on an indefinite hold. A few months later we mutually terminated the contract. As the advance hadn’t yet been paid, there was no money to return.

Well those were the lows, as I had come so close to the books being published,  and then experienced disappointment.

I try to hold on to the highs, instead of clinging to the lows.