300 Books and a Bloody Mary: How Did That Happen? Celebrating My 300th Book Project

Guess who’s out of the deadline cave for now? Well, out long enough to take a breather and write this much delayed article and to have a little celebration. Book #302 and its detailed lined edits have just whooshed off to the author for revisions. I’ve got the headspace to celebrate instead of deciding between intentional sentence fragments vs avoiding sentence fragments, and stylistic choices vs grammatical necessity for word choices and sentence structure. Y’all… it’s been A LOT.

Milestones often sneak up on you, don't they? One minute you're head-down in work, buried in edits and release schedules, and the next... well, you've somehow helped bring 300 books into the world. Three. Hundred. Let that sink in for a moment, because I'm still trying to.

It's a little surreal, to be honest. The day the actual 300th book launched was a complete blur. I remember congratulating the author – a new release in her fantastic new series, a very happy book birthday! – and she, in turn, congratulated me. We had chatted about the book leading up to this, of course (we always do – brainstorming, character arcs, series plans…it's all part of the process), and then there was the usual flurry of release-day tasks: website updates, newsletter blasts, social media graphics… you know, the usual. It's a lot of work, launching a book. And I'm incredibly proud, not just of this milestone, but of this author and everything she's achieved.

(More on her in a bit – but I'm keeping her anonymous for reasons that will become clear. Confidentiality is kind of my thing.)

The funny thing is, I almost missed the milestone entirely. I was so focused on getting final proofs for book #301 out the door – deadlines have been crazy lately – that #300 whizzed right by. Book #301 is in the bag now, thankfully, sent off to the publisher for uploading. February was a short month made even shorter, thanks to some unexpected health stuff and visitors from overseas. Alas, zero downtime for recovery, just a giant time crunch, and a few surprises thrown in, including two surprise foreign language releases. Do those count as #302 and #303? Should they? The publishing world is a mysterious place, sometimes.

How Did I Get Here? Head Down, Heart Full

So, how did I get to 300 book projects? A lot of hard work, a lot of patience, and a whole heap of perseverance. It's been about keeping my head down and focusing on the next book, and the next book, and the…well, you get the picture.

I was asked just yesterday how I meet or get my clients by yet more overseas visitors. Another surprise! I’ve mentioned before that I have a very small, select, and carefully curated author client portfolio. It used to be bigger, but as my partnerships with certain authors grew, others, naturally, dropped off. It’s the way of working relationships, isn't it?

This particular author, the one behind milestone book #300? Our story is a perfect example of how these connections happen, and how they evolve.

From Contest Judge to Creative Partner: A Decade-Long Journey

We "met" – virtually, of course – when I judged her very first book in a writing contest. I remember being struck by her writing style; it was fresh, engaging, and just… good. After the contest (I honestly can't recall if she won or not!), she contacted me to thank me for my feedback. I, in turn, gushed about her writing – I was probably one of the very first members of her shiny new review team.

This was over a decade ago. We stayed in touch, I devoured her books, and we chatted – books, life, the usual. Then, several years ago, we caught up in person, and she asked if I was taking on new clients. I was. It was a bit of a lull as a certain author client was changing directions and we mutually agreed that where she wanted to go with her writing was not for me. I didn't think I would serve her well and we agreed to part ways. It was very amicable. We are still friends though we do not chat nearly as often now. But I digress...

So here's where it gets interesting. I'm not sure exactly when our relationship shifted from author-and-reader to friends, but today, she's one of my closest friends and one of my most cherished clients.

We started small. And let me tell you, while I have some easy-going clients, she's… not one of them. (She'll laugh when she reads this – if she ever does!). We're extremely alike. Pot, meet kettle. We're both Type-A personalities. We're both overachievers. We're both perfectionists. And, most of all, we are both total control freaks.

It's taken years of working together to build the level of trust we have now. My background in consulting and IT taught me two crucial things: first, the client is always right in the sense that their vision is paramount, and second, that doesn't mean I become a 'yes woman.' I'm not precious about my work in the sense that I welcome feedback – clients checking, double-checking, and triple-checking is all part of ensuring the final product aligns perfectly with their goals. But that feedback process is a two-way street. Healthy debate, respectful discourse, even outright disagreement – those are essential parts of the creative process. If I simply agreed with everything, I wouldn't be doing my job properly. I wouldn't be bringing my expertise, my experience, to the table. I've disagreed with all my clients at some point, including this one! But I've learned over the years to know when to push and when to back off. We've had spirited discussions (to put it mildly, sometimes) about all sorts of bookish and publishing related matters. But those discussions always come from a place of mutual respect and a shared desire to create the best possible book. Today? She throws things at me, and I catch. I ask questions, she answers. But she trusts that it gets done, and she trusts that I'll speak up if I see a potential pitfall or a better way forward. (Except, of course, for those times when I've let things slip – serious health issues and prolonged hospital stays will do that to you. She was the first to send flowers, and her note made me sob.)

I honestly don't remember the very first task she asked me to do. I could probably dig it up in my notes… somewhere. But soon, I was handling final edits, then release management, then audiobooks, the website, the newsletter, the graphics… Oh, the graphics. She has a very particular style, a very specific brand. I had to learn what she liked. In the early days, she checked every graphic. Tweaked everything. These days? Very little tweaking. I get her. I know her style, her branding. Occasionally, I'll get a wild hair and try something different. Sometimes she loves it, sometimes she tweaks it, sometimes she tweaks it… a lot.

The point is, it’s taken years to build this level of trust. For me to learn her preferences, her working style. For her to trust that I won't violate her confidence (I'm really good at keeping secrets – new books, new series, sneaky peeks at covers… ladies, those heroes are all mine first – I've licked them all, I tell you!). Most importantly, she knows she can rely on me. She knows that if she asks me to do something, it will get done. Unless I'm recovering from surgery and, well, you get the picture. Even then, it usually gets done. I don't think I've ever missed a deadline. Sometimes I'm even early.

Confidentiality: It's Not Just a Courtesy, It's Essential

This brings me to the whole "anonymous author" thing. My background is in banking IT and consulting, so confidentiality is practically woven into my DNA. Unless I have explicit permission, or an author is publicly open about our working relationship, I keep things strictly private. With this particular author, it's even more crucial. She's a very private person – doesn't share much of her personal life publicly – and I absolutely respect that. There's a whole spectrum of reasons why authors choose this path, and they're all valid. Some want to protect their children and family from the potential spotlight (or, let's be honest, the potential weirdness) that can come with a public profile. Others might have day jobs in sensitive fields – imagine a high-powered lawyer or a therapist writing steamy romance on the side! – where maintaining a clear separation between their professional and creative lives is essential. Still others might be writing under a pen name to explore a completely different genre or style without confusing their existing readership, or they may be dealing with personal safety concerns, stalking, or online harassment, unfortunately a very real issue for some authors. And, yes, some simply value their privacy for its own sake. It's not always about hiding; sometimes it's about maintaining control over their personal narrative. Plus, who hasn't watched that movie Misery?

I suppose if someone were really determined, they could probably figure it out. And we're certainly open about it within her reader community – they can contact me, I help with queries, book orders, and pass on their lovely feedback (which she adores, by the way).

The Yearly Planning Ritual (and Why She Goes First)

Like with all my authors, we plan everything in advance. I'm usually booked a year out. This year's release schedule for every author in my portfolio is already set. I don't have the bandwidth for surprise books (though, with these close clients, I'll always try to fit them in – it just might be a rough ride for me!). There’s already been one or two sneaky releases that weren’t planned!! You know who you are!!

Around October, we sit down (virtually, of course) and plan the next year. This includes her release schedule, her holidays, my holidays, and all my other clients' release schedules. But this client, my milestone #300 client? Her schedule goes in first. She's the priority. Why? Because she publishes the most books. In all the years we've worked together, I think our busiest year was… 11 books. Eleven. What were we thinking? This year is a "light" one – only eight!

And before anyone says, "That many books a year? They can't be any good…" – let me stop you right there. She's consistently in the top 100 Amazon bestsellers whenever she releases a new book. She's even hit #1 and #2 a couple of times in the Australian store, and come darn close in the US. Her sales rankings speak for themselves, as does the quality of her writing. I'm incredibly proud of everything she's accomplished, and I feel so privileged to be a part of her journey. That's the beauty of self-publishing – she has ultimate control, and together, we can create a release schedule (okay, it's crazy sometimes) that ensures her books are consistently wonderful and high-quality. Maybe one day we'll slow down to six books a year… but this is not that year. Right now, we are both very tired pigeons.

A Virtual Celebration (and Maybe a Few Tears)

For those of you who do know who I'm talking about (you know who you are!), please respect her privacy and my need for confidentiality. We can celebrate amongst ourselves.

Meanwhile, she and I have a virtual party date planned. I'm going to experiment with some virgin Bloody Mary recipes (research is important!), and she'll have her usual gin and tonic. We'll have snacks, we'll hop on a video call, and we'll celebrate her new book, my 300th book project, and another successful launch. There might even be a few tears – happy ones, of course.

Thank you for celebrating with me. And a massive, heartfelt thank you to all my author clients – I love and cherish each and every one of you. Thank you for being a part of my publishing career, and the job of my heart.

So, what about you? Have you ever hit a milestone that completely surprised you? Share your stories in the comments below – I love hearing from you! And if you have any questions about the publishing industry, or just want to connect, you can find me on my Facebook Page, drop me an email, or sign up for my newsletter for publishing insights, industry trends, and general book chat. Here's to many more books, many more stories, and many more unexpected milestones!

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