Chocks aweigh!

Well, my goodness. This time last week, I was emailing a reply to the Guardian Friend who had contacted me about something she'd read (and made the statement that my book was something that is obviously in need "out there", god how I love when people have faith in it on the days when I don't). I told her in not so many words that it was "all well and good for me to keep writing this thing, but honestly..... how to market it? HOW?"

It was almost as if I'd thrown the proverbial ball up and tossed it in to the Ether. A sort of "show me how!" exercise.

Since then, I have had one person contact me out of the blue (a total stranger) - someone who runs one of the leading websites on a topic close to my heart, and in turn, in line with the subject matter in my book - and after a few emails back and forth with requests for reciprocal website linking, she also said how honoured she would be to promote such a vital personal journey in book form on her site. Woah! That was humbling enough.

And if that wasn't all ace enough for this week, when I turned up last night at the gym for a refocus one-on-one sesh with the new manager there, we got to chatting and it turns out... she seems to be right into network marketing, as well as mental health, and is adamant that "when you're ready, I'll get onto my contact at the local paper so they can run a story on you. So get ready and let me know."

I'm like... oh... wowie wow. I didn't have to ask, I didn't have to beg. I didn't have to sell myself (yet), I didn't have to get rejected. They're starting to come to me.

A woman who read the book, at my request (she's the mother of a very old, very trusted girlfriend of mine and she has years of grief counselling, creative writing and teaching experience up her savvy little sleeve), phoned me last week too and asked to meet up with me. Her message went something like, "I've just finished reading your amaaazing manuscript and, my goodness... lots and lots of tears, what a read. It's a gift to us all...." and after that I couldn't hear, I don't think, because my heart was beating too loudly in my ears. It was the hugest acknowledgement yet. This person owes me nothing, not like a dutiful friend might not want to give it to me straight, and her opinion means a tremendous amount. I am expecting some constructive critique coming my way when we meet up over the next fortnight or so to discuss it in person. Can't wait for that one!

Methinks me better hold onto me hat this year. I've nearly finished the book in its first draft form.