This photo is from a year ago. At that time, I had not a penny left in the bank and no idea what was coming my way.
Here I am, sitting on a terrace somewhere in the polder, feeling super happy, tired, and proudly holding the proof of my second book. I had invested my last bit of money (and some more from my sweet Marcel) into the first printing of I Give Birth To The Universe. With nothing left in the bank, I frequently thought, “Am I crazy to do this? What am I thinking? Who is waiting for this book…?”
Well, it turned out quite a few people ….
After launching the book, things went wild! I felt like I was shot out of a cannon, barely holding on to the edges of my trolley, with no more rails in sight.
Most people have seen it unfold: the weekends when family and friends helped pack orders (because it seemed like such a good idea to do everything myself—webshop, shipping). One print run after another had to be ordered (thank you, Schulten Print, for your flexibility and support).
It’s a dream come true for any writer, especially when you self-publish. To get your book to the reader without the backing of big publishing houses with their bookstore deals is an incredible feat. Especially when you decide, on principle, not to work with that big blue retailer (because then all your money disappears into deep blue pockets).
Meanwhile, the demand for my book at the local bookstore is so high that they’re emailing me to place orders (as I do supply to local shops). So, the book found its way to the bookstore anyway.
They’re thrilled with it too, because customers are coming to their shop specifically for my book (I have all the shops listed on my website). So, free advertising for the local entrepreneurs! And that makes me happy because I believe that’s what it’s all about: bypassing colossal companies that drain you dry and going back to doing it ourselves, together.
Now, a year later, I’m facing the next phase: the English translation. The proof is ready, it’s currently with the proof-readers, and this fall, we’ll add the final touches. Then, this book will go out into the world as well—again, with no idea how it will fare.
And that’s what this book was all about: no more overthinking, just moving with what feels right and staying true to my intuition. What a testament to how that works! The book sold more than 19,000 copies within a year in the Netherlands.
The reader played a big part in this success. The readers who connected deeply with the story and left their reactions everywhere with the same energy made this book go viral.
This enthusiasm was something I never expected and it sparked something in me again last year. While I was still wondering at the launch whether the story was too much ‘out of the box,’ after the first reactions, I knew: Oh, this is not too much at all. Oh, then I can definitely write the third book, which has been waiting inside me for a while!
But writing the third book took some time. Over the past year, all my attention and energy were absorbed by the practical side of entrepreneurship. And yes, when you’re in your head a lot… little gets created.
But now that a very nice company (Scalabor Arnhem) has taken over the dispatching for the past two months, I feel space and relaxation returning little by little. And with that, the first inspiration has begun to bubble up again.
The energy of the third book is becoming palpable. I recognize the same feeling I had with the second book: I’ve already felt it, the book is already there, it just needs to be written….
And before that, another wonderful opportunity presented itself, bringing the circle to completion. My sister asked if we wanted to look after their house and little dog in lovely southern Spain during the winter. The place where it all began! As you can imagine, we didn’t have to think long about that.
And so, I move on to the next stage of this incredible adventure.
Let the magic continue!
