Reviews........Eeeeeeeeek!

There are so many different stages that a newly published author goes through. There's the OMG.......I just received my first contract stage! And then there's the OMG......I received my first edits stage! The third stage is OMG......I'm actually holding a print copy of my book! It's surreal.....really! And then there are the dreaded reviews! Will anyone like what I've written? What if they hate it? What if my editor is the only person on earth who thought my book was worth reading or worse.....what if she was just low on manuscripts and decided to make my year? Waahhh! We as writers go through a myriad of nightmarish thoughts!

I tried not to think about it. I sent my book off to a dozen review houses and shuddered. "Fear not!" I told myself. That was that. When I received that first review, it was I think the point where I actually realized that maybe my mother wasn't lying about my book. Maybe it really is good! I decided that right then and there, I loved this reviewer! What a wonderful person! Her heart must overflow with goodness! Surely she did this out of the goodness of her own heart....not wanting to hurt my feelings. Then I realized that this woman will never meet me. Well, probably not, but maybe one day. I don't even know her last name. She knows nothing about me. This is her job and she must have been telling the truth. Right? I hoped so.

Then a few weeks later, I got my second review and to my amazement, it was good too! I started to seriously become convinced that I was a good writer. Then a third and a fourth rolled in! The pressure of opening those emails! Eeeeeeeeeeek! And they were all good! One reviewer even recommended my book to other readers as a "must read"! She mentioned that she would one day buy the book, so I mailed her a copy! I love this woman! Thank you for reviewing my book, you kind soul! I was silly about it all. I was convinced that these people were angels sent from heaven, sprinkling happy review dust into my email Inbox!

Then one reviewer really blew my mind when she nominated me for an award! Okay, that does it! I'm convinced! I don't suck as a writer. Sure, I have good days and bad days, but from now on, I will believe in my writing. Onward!

For me, those reviews really cemented the fact that I am a writer and not only that, but I'm a published author with something special to offer my readers. Now, if I can only come down off Cloud 9 long enough to give them something else!