That's a Wrap!

On 2025. Bring on 2026!

Hello!

As we enter a new year, I reflected on how my life as a debut memoirist went in 2025. While I was in it, it was hard. Really hard. I sent out so many letters to bookstores, podcasters, reading series, interviewers, etc. and only heard back from a handful of them. I wanted to keep the momentum of my book launch going long past the launch itself. I’ve learned that being an author is about the long game. The day a book comes into the world is just the first day of the post-writing life of the work. So, two(ish) years of writing the book, two(ish) years of waiting post-book contract signing for launch day (and editing and book production!), and then an eternity of talking about it to anyone who might be interested.

Despite feeling largely ignored and unheard by the bookish community, I realized in retrospect that I actually did accomplish a lot, especially considering this was my first published book. And by doing this reflection, I decided I am very proud of all my efforts.

And no worries, I’m not done! While I’m hard at work writing my next book (and still trying to find a home for my historical fiction that I wrote during those years of waiting on my publication date), I am also still showing up for Mosaic.

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What I accomplished in 2025:

• A very successful launch event

• 6 in-person reading events (including one that was a fundraiser for a local food pantry)

• 2 virtual reading events

• 3 literary festivals

• 1 podcast (that actually aired, two others that I recorded)

• 1 bookstore author event

• 2 library author events

• 3 online author interviews

• 1 YouTube interview with a NICU parent support group and a book giveaway (Graham’s Foundation—check them out!)

• 2 very favorable book reviews

• 2 alumni association magazine mentions (one—forthcoming—is a feature article)

• 1 other alumni association sharing my book on their Goodreads bookshelf

• Official author listing on Amazon, Goodreads, and Poets & Writers

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Pretty good, right? I think so! So if you are starting your journey post-publication, don’t forget that amongst all the “nos” can be a whole lot of great “yeses.” And what is maybe a more exciting thought is what all this can lead to in the future through connections made. When you start thinking about it that way, the possibilities seem endless and unpredictable.

Reflecting also lead to some other revelations that I recently shared on my Instagram page (@lauragaddiswriter). Here they are:

Here’s to another great year of writing, reading, and meeting new people!

Cheers!

~Laura