The Review That Made Me Cry on Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! I'm taking a minute aside to write this up, because I want to tell you about the review that made me cry on Valentine's Day. 

When I woke up this morning, I was greeted by the very first review and rating of The Vow That Twisted Fate, written by one of my advanced readers. Here is the review:

The review that made me cry on Valentine's Day may not seem like much more than a glowing review to you, but it means all the world to me! This is my first-ever five-star review!

This review is the one I've been holding my breath for after my two flopped self-published books from 5 and 7 years ago--before I researched and learned how to proceed correctly in the self-publishing process. It is my first personal five-star review after 10+ years of helping others prepare their own books for publication by beta reading (which I now do professionally). 

The review that made me cry on Valentine's Day has given me the realization that I made the right decision in putting my work out in the world again. That others would care about my work. And that we all start somewhere, but our early failures do not define us. 

If you are a reader, please know that the time it takes you to write a review for your favorite indie/self-published author means the world to us. It's better than almost any gift. And if you're a writer reading this, you should know that writing is an art. One day at a time, one learning opportunity at a time, we will continue to improve our craft. Things I have learned in this process include:

-Be patient.
-Be open-minded.
-LEARN from the critiques you receive, don't take them personally.
-Realize when you need help (editors, proofreaders, beta readers, formatters, etc.) AND ASK for it.

I can't wait to see what the rest of the writing community is putting out there! Would you like to add The Vow That Twisted Fate on Goodreaders? You can do so by clicking HERE.