I can’t remember much about the first time I travelled overseas on my own, except for this one moment: filling out the boarding card with my occupation as writer. A tiny moment. The pen ink was blue. I can still remember the feeling of that one little word and the way I hugged it to myself in my seat on the plane. 

That was 1990, if memory serves.

I’ve since made writing the core of my professional life, and I’ve also written fiction and non-fiction outside that professional sphere. A novel and a few short stories have been published, along with essays and a couple of reviews. 

Dark times

A few rejections sent me spiralling. I had not yet understood that I was part of a community. I reached out for support to places that could not provide it, and didn’t reach out to anybody who could. Because I didn’t know they were there.

So I wrote, and wrote and wrote. And as I say, some of it was published. 

Learning to be a better collaborator

And I tried, for a short stint, to see what it felt like on the other side of that acquisition desk, running a niche publishing imprint that specialised in writing about jazz and improvised music. One of the reasons I’m bloody glad I did it is because it led me to some of the most uplifting and soul-satisfying music I’ve ever heard, and through the music to the people who make it and who are themselves endlessly inspiring. Another reason? I learned a great deal about the hard work of author management, marketing and promotion. I learned that the authors whose work is easier to promote are the ones who understand that when it comes to getting their writing in front of readers,  they are part of a team of experts, all with the book’s best interests in mind. 

Finding a community

And then a professional acquaintance (who has since become a friend and recently has had her debut novel published to huge success) sent me a flyer and an invitation to apply for a masterclass with Antoni Jach. Thanks to my friend Lyn, and Antoni and the cohort of brilliant and welcoming writers, the wheels of my writing life started turning again. 

Reading and writing for fun and profit

In 2021. I started reading again. With the help of Instagram and Facebook and real human writers and readers, I found a community. My world filled up again with ideas, and words, and conversations … and writing. 

My second novel is looking for a home and I’m thousands of words into number 3. That in itself feels wonderful.

To add to the excitement, I’ve been putting together the book marketing course for authors that’s been on my mind for a while, sharing everything I’ve learned about how authors can successfully market and promote their work, feeling great about this essential aspect of being an author. 

Who knows when I will fill out an international boarding pass again. Doesn’t matter. I am still a writer and now I also feel like a writer again.