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🌟 “If you can’t win, make the enemy tired. If you can’t make the enemy tired, make them quit.” – Carlos Gracie Sr.
This week brought a mix of great news and challenges. 🎉 Barnes & Noble will stock my books in their stores on demand! But at the same time, they’ve let me know they’re not quite ready to fully stock them on their shelves—yet.
My jiu-jitsu professor always says, “You have to get to work.” And my husband reminds me, “You can’t eat the fruit from a tree that is still growing.”
This is part of the reason why my publisher friend and I started our podcast, The Storyteller’s Shelf. We want to genuinely help authors—whether they’re hybrid, self-published, or traditionally published—be able to sit at the same table. There’s no “right” path to publishing, and every author deserves a chance to grow their tree and bear the fruit of their labor.
Instead of seeing this news as a setback, I’m treating it as an opportunity to dig in. The tree is still growing, and it’s my job to water it—by building my audience, refining my marketing strategy, and stepping up my game. This is where the real work happens.
When I set out on this journey, my dream was to help all authors feel empowered and supported. Publishing isn’t about luck; it’s about persistence. It’s about taking those hard lessons, the rejections, and the near-wins, and turning them into motivation to keep going.
To my fellow authors and dreamers: Your path is yours, and no one else’s. Keep showing up for yourself and your goals.
💬 What’s one way you’re leveling up your dreams this week? Let’s inspire and lift each other up!
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