It’s January 1st, 2023. It’s the start of the new year. New goals, new intentions, recovering from holiday festivities, all the regular stuff. That and for me it means that in exactly one year my debut nonfiction narrative will be in bookstores.
That sentence is years in the making, and one I thought many times would never be written. But friends, it’s happening. I’m ecstatic and terrified in equal parts.
If I’ve learned anything on the route to traditional publishing, it’s that nothing will turn out exactly as I expected it to. As I put the finishing touches on the Tigerbelles manuscript and prepare to hand it in, I’m stepping out of the role of research and writing and into an entirely new phase. I have no idea what’s ahead of me.
I’m also thinking that there are others out there that are looking to publish works of their own, or just love a good book and would like to know what it takes for it to reach their hands.
Either way, join me on the journey. If you know me, you know that I’ll tell you the truth. The good, bad, the ugly, and also the beautiful little victories that happen along the way.
My inspiration for the week is Wilma Rudolph coming off the starting blocks in her favorite race in the Olympics, the 200-meter. In 1960 Wilma was undoubtedly the fastest woman in the world. She was also constantly criticizing her speed out of the blocks. She worked tirelessly to improve this one aspect of her craft, but in the end, it was what came after her starts that mattered. Yes, she wasn’t the quickest off the blocks, that particular skill set tended to favor smaller runners and Wilma was nearly six feet tall with legs that took a little longer to unfold. But because Wilma often started from behind, she developed the ability to propel her body past any target in front of her at a speed that was unparalleled. Wilma was fastest when she had someone to chase, something to prove.
In this photo, Wilma is all potential. All determination. Her ankle is taped up from an injury, but she is poised to fly. Nothing will hold her back.
Photo credit: Temple Family Archives
Until next week!
xo Aime
Cool post! I’m looking forward to learning more about your journey with trad publishing!