Top Ten Things To Know About Being a Published Author by Wendi Nunnery

Hello everybody! Today I have a very special post for you because its my stop on the blog tour for 'The Best Kept Secret' by Wendi Nunnery. Wendi has very kindly provided me with a guest post to share with you guys, so without further ado I'll pass you over!

"Top Ten Things To Know About Being a Published Author."

Thank you for having me today, Daniel! It’s an honor to be on this tour and connect with so many awesome bloggers.

I thought I’d keep this light and fun, so I want to share my Top Ten Things To Know About Being a Published Author. I’m a big fan of lists, so thanks for humoring me.

Alright, let’s do this, starting with #10.

10) Being a published author doesn’t always mean financial security. Keep your day job.

I think Carrie Bradshaw ruined this for a lot of writers. I mean, the woman wore $500 designer heels and lived in a rather spacious apartment in New York City, but she was just a columnist at a small paper. Call me pessimistic, but there is no way she could have afforded that lifestyle if she were living in the real world. Unless your book was a New York Times bestseller, plan on keeping that 9-5. And please don’t feel badly about it. Why? Because it means you get to be a writer and still pay your bills. I call that a win-win, people.

9) You’re almost 30 and you wrote a YA novel? That doesn’t make you a dork.

I’ve had more than a few people look at me sideways when I tell them I wrote a young adult novel. It’s like they don’t understand that I was once a young adult (I’m only 29, so maybe I still am?) and I remember what it’s like. I remember feeling out of place and uncertain about the world around me. In fact, that still happens. Often. So why wouldn’t I want to write about it? I don’t have to be fifteen to write from a fifteen-year old’s perspective. I just have to be a human.

8) Your coffee consumption will increase.

Blame it on heavily-filtered Instagram photos or just blame it on Starbucks. I don’t blame anyone because I love coffee, but if you find out your book is getting published, get ready to fall in love with iced lattes. They’re going to be your best friend when it’s editing time.

Speaking of which…

7) Deadlines will frighten you at first, but eventually they will feel like gold stars.

My first content edit, where I had to go through all the big, heavy story changes, made me feel like I was in a game of emotional Tug-of-War. On one hand, I couldn’t wait to see how much better the book would become. But on the other hand, I almost didn’t know how to get started. And, in my opinion, getting started is the hardest part. Once I did, though, I found a nice pace and the changes came easily. Also? There is almost nothing better than reading these words: “The book is done!”

6) Not everything in your life will be about the book.

I think about The Best Kept Secret constantly, but I’m a wife and mother, too, and my husband and I are very active in our community. We live close to our families and friends, we volunteer, and we love to go out and discover new places in our city. I’ve worked hard to get where I am, but that doesn’t mean everything else in my life stops because my book got published. In fact, some of my hardest work is just beginning.

5) Your hardest work is just beginning.

I know, I know. This one is a downer, right? You’ve spent years writing and crafting an incredible story. You just found out your book is being published. It’s time to celebrate! Yes, please do. But also remember that authors need to connect with their readers in more ways than one. And that means blogging, tweeting, emailing, instagramming, pinning, and every other -ing under the sun (well, not every other one…). It’s the age we live in. And it’s really kind of awesome that we, as authors, can get to know the people who read our books. So even though this part can be slow-going, it’s going to pay off eventually.

4) Your publisher might not care what you think.

I know, RIGHT?! What is this about?

Money. It’s about money.

Fortunately for me, I got published by a small press and a couple of the staff are authors, too. They know how important this whole process is and, even better, they care about it on a personal level. I hope your publisher is the same way, but just know that they might not be. It’s their loss.

3) You wouldn’t mind a world where P.A. stood for “published author” and you could use it as a title on your business card.

I’m just saying…

2) You will read and probably obsess over bad reviews. So, Beloved Reviewer, please don’t be a troll.

The internet is a great place. And book reviews are pretty awesome, too. But I’m going to request on the behalf of every author that you don’t use your anonymity to write unkind things. If you don’t like a book, just say so. There’s no need to be a jerk about it.

1) The world actually keeps spinning after you find out someone wants to publish your book.

I was sitting on my couch, wearing my pajamas, drinking coffee, and binge-watching Gilmore Girls when I got the email about my book. And after I stopped laugh-crying in the bedroom with my husband, I sat back down and kept watching my show. It was a little surreal how normal it all felt. But I guess that’s what makes it fun, that an ordinary moment can suddenly become an extraordinary one.

Well thank you very much Wendi for stopping by and providing us with that wonderful guest post! You can find Wendi on Twitter (@ladynunnery) and you can find Wendi's lovely book on Amazon by clicking here. It's a journey of discovery. It touches on truths, the meaning of real friendship, the ignorance of struggle and the lesson that the best kept secrets are truly the ones that create an impact on us. To read more about this amazing novel, then you can read by full in-depth review here!

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Wendi Nunnery is the author of The Best Kept Secret. She writes about the messiness of life, and sometimes uses colorful language. She's a sucker for historical romance novels, is also a big fan of Jesus, coffee, and Harry Potter. Wendi lives, loves, and mothers in Atlanta, Georgia.

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In high school, everyone has secrets. Even well-brought-up Emma Fraser.

Emma’s sophomore year started out all wrong. First, her best friend Andy confessed to losing his virginity leaving Emma all alone in the V-Club. Then the rest of her friends got weird and suddenly Emma finds herself feeling like the people she knows best have become total strangers. And total strangers are becoming friends.

When Deegan Burke, a rich, gorgeous senior, asks Emma to be his date for the prom, Emma thinks her luck has begun to change. But rather than being able to bask in this newfound glory, her whole world starts to unravel. And when secrets that once seemed so innocent start to take a very dangerous turn, Emma discovers that true friends are friends no matter what…and some secrets aren’t worth keeping.