I recently found myself feeling insecure about only having published one book. Even as I typed that, I couldn’t help but scoff at myself. “Only” one book, Jazmine? How many people even punish a book to begin with?
I’ve made some author acquaintances online, however, and they are absolutely killing it, so I couldn’t help but compare their productivity to my own. Granted, I do have other things going on, but still. It took ten years to publish More Than You Know, and that’s not something I’m ashamed of because my novel matured with me in the best way possible. It just that…
…people want more.
And this is partially my fault. More Than You Know ends on what many may call: a cliff-hanger. But I like to think of it more as…an opportunity to imagine what happens next. (LMAO, it’s a cliffhanger, Jazmine. Be forreal).
I, of course, am working on the sequel(ish) to my first book. I say “ish” because I’m trying to write the books in a way in which you can read any of the books out of order, but we’ll see how that goes. It’s the timeline of when the book will be finished that I feel the pressure of.
You see, I’m not the kind of person who can sit down and write a (good) book in a set amount of time. I don’t like to force myself to create, I like to let it come to me. I’ve already written a previous post discussing my operating in cycles. One moment, I’m obsessed with writing, the next, it’s learning how to draw, learning Spanish, etc. I let Inspiration come to me when she pleases, and I don’t dare rush her.
“I don’t wanna wait 20 years for the next book,” a family member told me regarding when my next book would be finished. But what if that’s what it takes?
I obviously won’t make anyone wait 20 years for the next book (I hope). I just don’t like the feeling of producing something that’s a deeply creative process on a time crunch. It’s the reason I’ve refused to do the traditional publishing route. I don’t want anyone telling me I need to write X amount of books in X years.
The world we live in today wants everything fast and all at once. You make a hit movie, they can’t wait for the next one. You make a hit book, they’re foaming at the mouth for the next read. If I ever reach the success I want, this is a reality I will have to deal with. The question is, how will I deal with it? Will I pump out books for the sake of staying relevant, or will I continue taking my time so that I publish something I’m truly proud of? I’m hoping for the latter.
On my vision board for 2025 I wrote down that More Than You Know would be a best seller this year. As awesome as that would be, I know it would inevitably come with the demand for the second book. I just pray that Inspiration finds me before the world does.
Haven’t read More Than You Know yet? I gotchu, here are some purchase options:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4mcqnku
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/more-than-you-know-jazmine-harris/1144119607?ean=9798988683803
Also available on Apple Books, Kindle, Kobo, and Nook!
