The unexpected delight of so many firsts …

I never thought in my 50’s I’d have a year of so many firsts! Fittingly my first picture book is a first experience story, because one of the unexpected delights of this debut year has been the joy of so many firsts.

Of course there are the big ones – first contract 🤸🏿‍♂️ first time seeing the illustrations 😍 first copies in the mail 🤗 and they were all super wonderful but expected.

A real surprise has been the total delight of all the small firsts along the way …

- first edits
- writing first dedication
- first time sharing cover with my critique group @brookegrahamauthor @sandhya_librarybagbooks @zewlanmoor @alirutstein
- first standing order @scholastic_au
- first connection with other 2024 debut authors #debutcrew2024
- first publicity meeting @cristinapase
- first time at bologna @australianpublishers
- first catalogue cover #boldtypeagency
- first sighting on @booktopiabooks
- first available for preorder @windyhollow
- first cover reveal
- first sighting on indie website @collins_booksellers
- first library catalogue @baysidelibrariesnsw
- first bookshop standing order @riverbendbooks
- first podcast booking @kygarvey_authorandpodcaster
- first time showing book to a person I dedicated it to
- first zoom interview @lbe.hackney
- first time on a giftshop website @gorgeous_giftlines
- first bookshop approach as an author @boardwalkbooks
- first time asking someone to be my MC @zewlanmoor
- first time on library supplier @jamesbennettptyltd
- first time featured on another author newsletter @lisakenway
- first Q&A @mylittlestorycorner
- first share with my circle women who have been there for all the ups and downs @leonie_speech_pathology @kellyskinner2 @madonnalangan - first time in a shop at my old mall stomping ground @harryhartog.warringah
- first photo of book not taken by me @debi_hudson (as shown) 🙏🏻

Lots more firsts still to come including, in one week today … first published book! Yay 🤸🏾‍♀️🤸🏾‍♀️🤸🏾‍♀️