Not really so long ago me becoming a published author wasn't even a tickle in my imagination. Even after I started writing, the thought of publishing, though a thought, was nothing more. I had no idea how, and no clue how to find such a thing out. Google, you say, but Google requires an internet connection and I had none at the time.
Today I took some books to work - what was there had been sold. The other day a guest met me and told me his wife bought my book - I was more than thrilled to sign it for her. This morning, another guest told me he had bought my book too, though I don't think he bought one through the lodge (not sure though). Each sale is such a rush, such a thrill. That book was published in '08, but still, each sale I hear about is exciting. I mean really, someone I don't really know is reading something I wrote, and they're reading it because they want to, not because they met me first or because they are a member of my family or a high school friend.
Something I wrote is a real book. It is still a concept that is alien to me, and look at me, I have a second book out there now; and even more astonishing, it's a trilogy, which means two more are sure to come out in due time. Every once in a while someone on Facebook will tell me they have, will, or want to buy my book. I mean, yeah, I keep links to buying my books active every day, but I have never asked anyone to buy one.
When I was a kid, you never heard about authors. Someone who paid attention to names much better than I ever did might buy further books by certain authors, but authors were never on TV or in the paper, not that I ever heard of anyway. Blame it on the lack of internet at the time, I suppose, but even so it seems that the big authors are still untouchable. I've tried, though I confess I didn't try very hard really, but still I've looked up one or two authors of books I like. Never once did I get any kind of a reply. I certainly don't intend to follow suit. There's room for comments nearly everywhere on my website, though most comments are spam of a sorts - not blatantly, but still I suspect. And then there's my blog(s). I've read blogs who get upwards of a hundred comments on every post. Will I ever get that kind of a following? Only time will tell. In the mean time, I'm just happy someone is buying and liking my book(s).