My book is published! So, now what??

Welp, publication day for Sticky Habits came and went! And what a day it was.

I was surprised by my own reaction to pub day; it was one that simmered as September 8th approached and time seemed to slow down to a crawl. Internal voices bubbled to the surface, ones experiencing ALL the feelings.

• Self-doubt: “Will anyone get this book?”

• Pride: “I did it!”

• Embarrassment: “My sales are basically nothing compared to so many authors.”

• Gratitude: “I can’t believe how sweetly people are sharing the book!”

• Let-down: “How can (so-and-so) not say a word to me about it?”

• Relief: “I’m so glad it’s finally here.”

• Exhaustion: “I’m not even close to being done marketing this book. I'm just. so. tired.”

In short: I learned that my negativity bias is STRONG. 

Chalk it up to my over-10 years online marked by a litany of disappointments (which I’ll spare you from listing), but the practical side of me expected this week to simply be another one–and possibly the biggest disappointment of all. 

I had to intentionally hold on to the moments that meant so much to me, from my friends who sent me treats and flowers, to EVE RODSKY coming to my virtual launch party, to a collage of my old Strive Hive members each holding a copy of my book (*sob!*).

When my brain wanted me to focus on the people I didn’t hear from and the influencers who haven’t yet shared the copies I sent them, my heart knew that this was a special day and one to intentionally view from rose-colored glasses.

I’m still processing it all, but I can honestly say that as time marches on, my gratitude deepens. 

What a rare thing to be a published author. What a gift it is to know people can hold my book and read my words. What a privilege to imagine this work shifting things for women, one-by-one.

And I also know the truth: this book wouldn’t have been possible on my own.

Brad has shouldered more with our home and children the last year-and-a-half so I could have time to write, edit, and market the book. Advanced readers volunteered HOURS of their lives to reading and refining my original manuscript (and the book is FAR better for it). I had legit strangers volunteer to assist with the live podcast recording. Two friends happily sacrificed their time and talents to co-host my big events honoring Sticky Habits. Countless members of our community have buoyed me up with messages encouraging me to keep going.

And of course, there’s all the professionals–from the editors, marketing folks, and graphic designers with my publisher, to podcasters and talk show hosts who welcomed me into their communities.

It truly was a team effort to get to publication. And I strive to never forget that.

This is where I come back to this special Book Launch Committee. Several hundreds of you raised your hand to support Sticky Habits when it was little more than a goal. Having your support has meant a great deal to me. And it’s also where I place my hope for the future of Sticky Habits.

Here’s a harsh truth with finally publishing a book: book sales won’t magically take off. 

Selling a book requires work. And it can’t be accomplished alone.

Of course, I’m not anywhere close to being done marketing this book.

My dining table is laden by the innards of my PR packages patiently waiting to be assembled. I still have 50 more podcasts to go to meet my goal of 100 guest appearances. The More for Moms Conference is happening in a few weeks–a tremendous project requiring hours each day to execute, all with hopes it helps increase book sales. And I'm already sketching out how to make my work corporate-friendly and begin pitching myself as a speaker, with books included as part of my fee. (This is a whole new world I don’t know the first thing about!)

These are tasks that are within my control, and I’ll do my darndest to deliver. But, I’m a one-woman team when it comes to this book. And my marketing budget is officially at $0.

So, I humbly come back to you. My voice and my efforts will only take this book so far. I need YOUR help. 

Here’s how:

1. Order the book if you haven’t yet. The preorder bonuses are getting pulled Monday! Fill out your form on that same page. (You'll want a replay of the virtual launch party. Something wild happened halfway through with Eve Rodsky!)

2. Leave a review on Amazon. No need to be super eloquent. I’m thrilled we already have two reviews!

3. Request the book from your library. Audio, ebook, or the physical edition–any of them helps.

4. Share the book. In-person or by text/email with friends and family, on your personal or public social accounts, or any time someone starts complaining about habits and consistency . . . 

Honestly, that last one is both the simplest and the most important. My dream of all dreams is for Sticky Habits to become one of those “Where did that come from?” books, all via word-of-mouth. 

If books like The Miracle Morning could do this, so can Sticky Habits. I believe that, but I can’t force it..

To encourage our efforts, take a look at the book rankings as of September 10th:

You know, those rankings don’t feel half-bad! (Does breaking the top-100 in motherhood technically make me a “bestseller?” I honestly don’t know). But, I’d love to see if we can climb these ladders. Will you give me a leg up?

Before I go, I sincerely want to thank you. For reading, for preordering, for (sometimes literally!) cheering me on. I feel so lucky to have this online community part of my life, and part of this publication. (Psst: you’re mentioned in the acknowledgments, just so you know!)

Thank you, thank you,

Monica