Then there's hesitation and doubt. Actually, it's more like sheer terror as you stand at the base of the mountain that you now have to climb. Will you succeed? Will people want to read your work? Will they connect with it? Will they share it? Will they talk about it?
Then there's the groundswell of support. Congratulatory sentiments begin to pour in and people seem genuinely happy for you. Confidence starts to crack the wall of self-doubt built brick by brick out of years of rejections and criticisms that are all too common in the publishing world.
Excitement builds again as you (okay, okay, me, yes, I'm talking about me) start planning, strategizing, and working based on the contract.
As Zahra has learned from her mentor, I will take a deep breath in, hold it, and slowly let it out. Then I will let the whirlwind of emotions settle into a routine of writing, editing, and marketing my work; of letting it become my dream job.
But first, I need a nap.
