I was in utter shock.
On Christmas day, I got an email from a fellow author friend saying congratulations. I was confused—congratulations for what? Then I read on, seeing the words “USA Today” and a screenshot of my book cover with a number next to it.
No. That wasn’t possible.
I quickly did an online search for the latest USA Today bestselling books list. There was my book. My book that came out a year and a half ago. Inexplicably, Escape from Grimstone Manor (Monsterious #1) was now a national bestseller.
Most people have heard of the New York Times bestseller list. The USA Today list is of a similar stature (some think it’s less prestigious, some think it’s more). The tough thing about hitting the NYT list is that there are only 10 slots per list per week, but there are multiple lists in a number of very specific categories (ex: one list for the week’s top selling middle grade fiction, another for picture books, another for young adult, various lists for non-fiction, etc.)
The weekly USA Today bestseller list has 150 slots, but it’s a single list for sales of ALL books in the country in all age categories—fiction, non-fiction, cookbooks, celebrity memoirs, self-help, adult, YA, middle grade, picture books, etc. My spooky middle grade book is on the same list as Cher’s memoir and Snoop Dog’s cookbook.
So why am I telling you this?
A month ago, I wrote a post called “A Dream Derailed” (you can read it here) where I shared how I felt like my writing career had hit the skids. Disappointing book sales. Multiple rejections of proposed next projects. I wrote of how deflated and humbled I felt. But I also said that my dream of a sustained author career was worth fighting for, and I was going to keep struggling forward.
I had NO idea that a mere four weeks later, I would be a USA Today bestselling author, something I never thought I’d accomplish in my lifetime. (BONUS: If you want to see me blathering incoherently in my shock, check out my Instagram reel here.)
How’s the journey toward your dream going? Are you driving over a teeth-rattling string of potholes? Does the bridge ahead appear washed away? If so, pause. Take a cleansing breath. Acknowledge the pain, the disappointment, the frustration, the exhaustion. Then ask yourself this question—is your dream still worth it? Even if you fail? Will all the blood, sweat, and tears be worthwhile?
As you ponder that question, remember that often the journey is the destination. That it’s less about what you achieve and more about who you become along the way.
Dreams are not for the faint of heart. They aren’t guaranteed. You may never reach your promised land. But dreams make life worth living. Choose a worthy one. Create a plan. Take the first step, then the next. When you fall, get back up and keep moving. If you do, an unexpected breakthrough may be just around the corner as you take another step toward Becoming Yourself.
