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Six Things I’ve Learned After Publishing My First Book

June 16, 2023 | By Women Writers Women Books | Reply More

Six Things I’ve Learned After Publishing My First Book

by Laura Whitfield

I participated in my first literary festival last weekend as part of a panel about finding fun and taking risks. During the event the moderator asked, “What was fun about writing your book?”

“I can’t say that writing my book was fun,” I replied, “But I am having fun now!”

Here are six things I’ve learned about life on the other side of publication. For those of you writing your first book (or thinking about writing one), I hope this encourages you. If you’re a seasoned author, perhaps you’ll relate to something I share.

The rewards are worth the effort. I once heard podcast host Azul Terronez say that our job as authors is to write the best book we can write. Once we publish it, we have no control over how people will respond. I believe that’s true. I worked with a brilliant coach, crafted scenes, wrote and rewrote until I knew I’d given it my best. Then I let it go. Untethered was released a year ago and has received a number of awards and honors. Even though it took two and a half years to write, I don’t regret a moment spent polishing my manuscript. If you’re in the messy middle and want to hurry to the finish line, don’t. Slow down and give your book its best shot. You only get one chance. Don’t rush through it and live with regret.
There’s nothing better than knowing your story resonates. A great joy of being an author is when someone leaves a thoughtful review or comes up to me at an event and tells me my story really resonated with them. One of the most moving messages I received was from a high school friend who’d lost her mother five years earlier. What we had in common was that both of our mothers struggled with their mental health. She told me that she hadn’t cried since her mom died and that when she read the account of my mother in Untethered, she cried for the first time. I was reminded that we all share the human experience and, as C.S. Lewis said, “we read to know we are not alone.”
Authors are a generous lot. Over the past year, I have met dozens of talented authors at events, festivals, and through social media, and many have become close friends. Because of our shared affinity for writing and reading, we formed an instant bond. I buy, read, and review their books, and they do the same for me. When one of us launches a new book, lands a media op, or wins an award, we cheer each other on. As I work on my next book, I know there are friends out there writing, too—a thought that brings encouragement and strength.
It feels good to be part of the one percent. Did you know that eighty-one percent of people say they have a book in them but only one percent actually sit down and do the work? If you’ve launched a book into the world, you have the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve accomplished something few people have. And that’s a great feeling. I’m now working on a memoir about my journey out of a conservative faith tradition into a church that’s building community with our city’s marginalized citizens. Not only am I excited to tell this story, but the positive feedback I received about Untethered makes it easier to jump back into writing.
I’ve grown in ways I never imagined. I will never forget my first podcast interview. I am an introvert who always dreaded being in front of people and I was terrified. With each successive podcast or speaking engagement, I gained confidence and learned something new. After a while, I actually began having fun! Best of all, I began to use my voice and feel empowered.
Success doesn’t just happen. You can’t just write a book, launch it, and then expect it to sell itself. Most of us have to enlist others to help our books along. I was lucky. I was able to hire one of the top publicists in the country. But I didn’t sit back and expect them to do all the work. I partnered with them every step of the way—pitching, promoting, and more. When my publicity campaign ended after three months, I kept going. I have a PR background so this all came naturally to me. I find it energizing and fun. I meet authors every day who hate marketing their books. I get it. You may not want to spend a lot of your time promoting your work. Maybe you’d rather be writing. And that’s great. Everyone is different. Marketing is something I love and I believe my efforts have paid off.

If you are working on a book, I have some encouraging news: Keep going. There might just be joy—and deep satisfaction—waiting on the other side.

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Laura Whitfield is the author of the coming-of-age memoir, Untethered: Faith, Failure, and Finding Solid Ground (She Writes Press, 2022). She grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, the daughter of a journalist and a teacher. Laura has been an advertising copywriter, newspaper columnist, staff writer for an international relief agency, travel writer, blogger, teacher, communications director for several nonprofits, and a personal assistant to a New York Times bestselling author. Laura is passionate about her faith, books, travel, nature (especially the beach), social justice, and her family. She lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with her husband, Stephen.

Website: laurawhitfield.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurawhitfieldwriter/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurawwriter/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/writerwhitfield

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Untethered: Faith, Failure, and Finding Solid Ground

When Laura Whitfield was fourteen, her extraordinary brother, Lawrence, was killed in a mountain climbing accident. That night she had an epiphany: Life is short. Dream big, even if it means taking risks. So, after graduating from high school, she set out on her own, prepared to do just that.

Laura spent her first summer after high school on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, a magical few months filled with friendships, boys, and beer. There she met a handsome DJ who everyone called “Steve the Dream,” and risked her heart. When September came, Steve moved to New York City to become a model —prompting Laura to start thinking about modeling, too. After just one semester of college, still seeking to fill the void left by her brother’s death, she dropped out and moved to New York to become a cover girl. But while juggling the demands of life in the big city—waiting tables, failed relationships, and the cutthroat world of modeling—she lost her way.

A stirring memoir about a young woman’s quest to find hope and stability after devastating loss, Untethered is Laura’s story of overcoming shame, embracing faith, and learning that taking risks—and failing—can lead to a bigger life than you’ve ever dared to imagine.