I believe it’s important to have rituals to celebrate and commemorate one’s big accomplishments. Graduation, birthdays, marriage, childbirth*, and other milestones have their parties, their recognition from the community that something important has happened.
That being said, I don’t know what I will do to recognize my accomplishment of self-publishing this novel. I swore to myself that I would have a book party (the real name escapes me) but that was before COVID — I wouldn’t chance a gathering now because people I love are at high risk.
I used Canva to make an advertising poster and print it in 12×16, and it’s now framed and looking for a home. That seems terribly symbolic of my feelings right now. I don’t want to get to publication day and say “That’s nice, now what?” I need to find that ritual so self-publishing feels like the accomplishment it is.
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* Just don’t get me started on gender reveals, because gender is complicated and messy.
Words Like Me 