Well, I promised to share all the bumps and lumps of this writing journey, and here’s one that makes me squirm. I recently went on an author community forum and asked how a bookseller can sell a ‘used’ paperback version of my book when I hadn’t sold any at the time. I thought I’d done my research, but simply didn’t know that ‘used’ in the publishing world doesn’t mean ‘used’ like in the real world.

The reply I got on the forum was not what I expected.

I was railed at for not researching, for not wanting my book to be sold by a bookseller, and for demanding ‘permission’ for others to sell my book. And I was told not to hold my breath because the paperback wouldn’t sell anyway.

I’m not writing this to garner sympathy. The post upset me and the level of bile spewed across the screen seemed unwarranted, but my experience is also something that new authors may go through when they dip their toes in the forum world.

My advice is to stay strong, keep asking questions and keep learning.

And when you eventually reach the lofty heights of authorly knowledge and experience, be better than the trolls who told you that you’d never make it.