Yes, folks, I received my first royalty check for $20.79 and I was thrilled. I sell a few books here, a few books there, and I’ve given a few away, hoping it attracts more book sales. The thing is I don’t expect to make a huge profit, and, in fact, I just want to break even at this point. Sure, I want to be recognized by n agent and sign with a printing house with all the bells and whistles. That is the big dream for any writer. For me, though, it’s more about sticking to a goal and following it to completion. Whether it is completing a poem, a book, or a triathlon, reaching one’s goal is a profession of character and inner strength.

Knowing my poems are being read and, yes, criticized and commented upon, is exciting. I want the words and images affecting others like they affected me when I wrote them down. Some of the poems I still cannot read without becoming emotional and a few I can’t read aloud due to becoming verklempt. I wonder if anyone else has had this kind of reaction. One person said many of the poems were sad but so far, the comments have been brief albeit positive. I am waiting for a more in-depth review and have a few folks who have agreed to write one, which is exciting, too. These reviews will assist me in pushing the book even more. 2017 will be the year I will be sending the book to some contests and other prize winning poetry contests. From there, who knows?

I hope that by writing this update every month or so, someone who is thinking of publishing something will take the chance and do it. Think about it: someone inspired me in each step along the way to the goal of selling my book and now I can gift this to someone else. I sure hope that one day I hear someone say that my words were inspiring or helped them complete the journey. That is the cool thing about inspiration, it is contagious.