When Success Looks Different Than You Expected

There’s a strange silence that follows a book launch. After the excitement, the promo buzz, the interviews, the pre-orders, the book fairs, and the kind words from early readers… things quieten down. Sales taper off. You watch the numbers dip. You refresh a few dashboards more times than you care to admit. You start to wonder: Was that it?

And if you're like me, you might measure your success against a curve that always seems to bend away from you.

I’ve been feeling that lately. Wherever You Will Go, my most recent novel, had such a special start. It connected with so many of you. I got mentioned on TikTok, you sent me messages, you wrote reviews. But as the weeks went on, sales slowed. That old disappointment crept in, whispering things like “You didn’t do enough,” or “People have moved on.”

But I haven't given up. I’ve been reminding myself that success looks different depending on where you're standing.

The story of Essie, my young Dominican bride who came to post-war London in search of her missing husband, is still out there. Her journey didn’t end on launch day. It lives on in the hands of every new reader who picks up the book. And behind the scenes, I've been working away and guess what?

I've finished the first draft of the sequel.

It’s called However Far We Fall, and it takes the Hope Series into a new era. Essie’s story continues, but now we also meet a new generation, uncovering fresh secrets and facing their own dilemmas in 1970s London. There’s drama. There’s love. And there are truths long buried that refuse to stay hidden. I can’t wait for you to meet this new cast of characters alongside some familiar faces.

I read somewhere that the best marketing for your current book is to write your next book. And that’s what I’m leaning into now.

Still, I know how hard it can be to keep faith in a project when results don’t match expectations. So if you’re a fellow writer reading this, or someone pursuing a dream that feels uphill at times, I’ll say what I needed to hear myself this week:

Pause and look at what you've already done. You wrote the book. You put it into the world. And you kept going.

That in itself is success.

What's next for me?

• I’ll be sharing more behind-the-scenes content from However Far We Fall as I edit and shape it into something ready to share.

• I’m planning a few giveaways and bonus content for newsletter subscribers, especially those interested in how the Hope Series was born.

• I’m also exploring new ways to connect with readers, from podcast chats to TikTok storytelling to reader Q&As.

• 
  

But above all, I’m going to keep writing.

Your encouragement is appreciated, and I always reply to messages, so let me know how you define success in the comments below!