My book is #8 in New Releases for LGBTQ Horror????

Being published is a ride, y’all. I am living in a fugue state.

So, let me be real. I thought my release date was going to go terribly. My moods were off. I was overstressed. Tiktok had view-suppressed me. I figured a few friends would buy, and otherwise it’d just be out there. A stepping stone to start my author journey, but a very lukewarm start.

And don’t get my wrong, still definitely a stepping stone. I did not become some overnight viral hit. However, my book is definitely doing more stuff than just sitting there. The publishing isn’t the only success here.

After all, on its 4th day of publishing, Daughter of Or is officially #8 in New Releases for LGBTQ+ Horror. And a little more work and I’ll just crack the LGBTQ+ Horror genre, period?

And that feels crazy?

I know its a niche genre, so I’m not like cracking all horror or fantasy out there. I’m not a sudden Amazon Best-Seller. BUT this is still something. This is more than just publishing to publish. This is the start of a little recognition, a small community.

This is something I can do something with.

My world hasn’t changed overnight, and I still eagerly await hopefully a bit more ratings and reviews. I only got one so far, and yes I’m only on day 4, but that could use some work. I guess now I should look more into getting those? But the point is, I thought this publication would either work like internet magic or not do anything. It’s my work, though.

My writer friends, my friends who read, my Tiktok followers who are interested in the book, there’s a group of people who I’ve cultivated relationships and rapport with wanting to read the book. Given my social media suppression, I went one by one and I messaged them. And they were interested. I went grassroots and it worked I guess and now I have a start. I can do something with a ranking. I can push *some* waves this way.

So this week has been wild. I thought I’d be DOA and now I’m panic putting together an author Goodreads and making plans to visit my local bookstores to ask them to stock a few of my books and planning my Tiktok return in a few days?

I thought this would be a blip. Exciting for me, but overall a little pebble. A beginning for me, but no big deal for anyone else.

And yet this feels like more. Not world-changing, but MORE nonetheless. I’m not used to being more. I don’t know what more is.

No matter where these next few weeks take me, here’s to whatever more entails.

If you want to join me on this wild journey, please do check out Daughter of Or. I think it’s pretty rad. Not the kind of the book that changes the world, but its a start.