It takes a village

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It takes a village

You might be surprised to hear that it’s a crazy-making business having your words out in the world. They fly off, have a life of their own, people like, dislike, ignore and mostly remain ignorant of them. Meanwhile, I’m at home, eating peanut butter from the jar with a knife wondering what on earth’s the point of it all. It’s a great privilege to have had the opportunity to publish books, and I take it seriously, especially as a white cis woman. But generally amongst writers this privilege can end up in isolation, comparisons and envy.

 
 I got a leg up into being a published author because of the kindness of a (then) stranger, she thought the manuscript had something and introduced me to my agent. Second Spring took off, and ignited a bidding war, found a home at Harper Collins, and has landed in hearts all over the world purely because many other kind people have supported me and championed the book. Sharing it with their friends and communities. To give you an idea of how unlikely this is, without 100k followers or more, it’s impossible to even get your manuscript seen, currently. This makes me an actual Cinderella, but without the Prince. Meanwhile an army of kind colleagues have popped round, virtually and in real life, to scrape off the peanut butter, put some sensible shoes on me, make me a cup of tea and soothe my terrors.
 
So imagine how I feel then, one of my literary Shero’s, recommending my new book. Yup. Sharon Blackie, author of Hagitude, If Women Rose Rooted and many more great books, has put The Perimenopause Journal in her August substack. Yes, THE Sharon Blackie.
 
Cock-a-hoop comes close.
Tickled-pink also.
 
I may regain coherent sentences sometime next week when I’ve calmed down. I had the overwhelming experienced of being interviewed by her for her Hagitude podcast two years ago. You can listen to my duck feet going like the clappers while I try not to swoon here.
 
Now I get the weirdness of publication; the sudden creative Winter at publication, the massive void that we fill with our terrors, I make it a priority to step up to support other women writers where I have capacity and do what I can to cheerlead and/or share my experiences. Paying it backwards and forwards.

 

It takes a village for sure.

 

You can help too, the tiniest review, social share, recommendation to friends, 5 star ratings, and Goodreads reviews are appreciated by writers more than you can imagine. Following authors on Amazon tell the algorithm a positive thing, also pre-ordering copies indicates to bookshops that ‘this one’s a winner’ so they order in copies too. 

 

So go pre-order Sharon’s new book, or request it at your local library: Wise Women: myths and stories for midlife and beyond, out in October. The Perimenopause Journal, my gorgeous joy-filled haven for kindness will be available 10th September. Everyone who pre-orders gets a golden ticket to the Rage Against The Patriarchy Disco.

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