The 4 Most Surreal Moments of Being an Author So Far

OK, I’ve been a published author for less than a week, so this list is still in its infancy. However, there have already been some weird and wonderful moments that I just wasn’t prepared for. And as someone who overthinks EVERYTHING, being unprepared is a new feeling for me.

1. The first time someone quoted my book at me. I was having a conversation with one of my best friends, who had just finished reading The Runaway (I lent her an advance copy while we were on holiday together) and she said ‘Long is the day, and long is the night, and long is the waiting of Arawn’. I thought ‘that sounds familiar, where do I know that from?’ Then my brain exploded as I realised that as well as being the translation of an old Welsh saying, it’s a line from my book!
2. Spotting a ‘used’ copy of my book online. It was the day of publication and the book had only been available for a couple of hours, and Amazon was already listing a 2nd hand copy – for a higher price than the brand new ones! I guess that’s somebody’s business model, and maybe it works for them.
3. My colleagues getting their copies of the book delivered to the office. They arrived at the same time. On my busiest day so far this year. Suddenly there were multiple copies of The Runaway on the desks around me, and I was trying to ignore them as I ploughed through a colour-coded spreadsheet. And then co-workers came over to my desk and asked me to sign their books! Which leads me on to…
4. Signing books. This is properly weird to me. Why on earth would anything require my autograph? And signing books for people you know is even weirder – you write a heartfelt, personal message, and then finish it off with a flourishy version of your full name, as if they might not be sure which Claire was writing in the front of their book!

At this point I find myself wondering, will the experience become more or less surreal over time? I’m not sure which answer I want! But I have loved the experience and especially hearing feedback from readers who are enjoying the book – I’m not sure there’s anything more rewarding than finding out your story impacted someone else.

 

My novel ‘The Runaway’ is available to buy on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle versions.