What Publishing My First Book Taught Me

Last Tuesday marked a massive milestone for me: I published my first book, Imperial Dawn. Seeing my historical fantasy set in ancient Rome finally out in the wild was a surreal experience. When I first opened the sales dashboard and saw those initial orders trickle in, I was cautiously optimistic. Even with a generally favorable ARC campaign under my belt, part of me hadn’t actually expected people to find the book, let alone take the time to read it.

But as the day wore on, my optimism met reality. I kept hitting refresh, and the numbers stayed exactly the same.

A little panic set in, followed by a deep dive into the realities of indie publishing. I quickly realized that breaking 100 sales with a single book in my catalog was going to be a steep, uphill climb. The indie author space thrives on rapid release strategies, and I knew I couldn't just rest on the laurels of a debut. I had to follow up, and soon.

The Pivot to Sequels

Before launch week, I had several different projects sitting in developmental editing. I’ve always been the type of writer who wanders onto the next shiny story idea whenever inspiration strikes. But conventional wisdom dictated a pivot: I needed to fast-track the sequel to Imperial Dawn to build on the current momentum, rather than starting from scratch with an entirely new world.

So, I rolled up my sleeves and dove into edits on the sequel. Hopefully, once the core story contents are locked in, I can move straight into copyediting. For the first time in a long time, I feel a sense of structured urgency.

This shift prompted me to take a hard look at my archives. I took an inventory of my completed drafts—and found there were far more than I suspected. Then, I counted the number of sequels I would need to write just to finish the stories I’ve already started. That number was almost as high as my draft count. The habit of chasing new inspiration has left me with a lot of open loops, and it’s time to start closing them.

Finding Connection in the Silence

Since I first launched this Substack back in April 2025, it’s been a journey of consistent, iterative creation. While I’ve wrapped up some serialized stories like #SuperViral and The Sky Above, the Rivers Below, I’m still actively juggling new serials alongside my novel work.

One project close to my heart right now is a collaborative fiction endeavor for a Bangladeshi audience, working alongside other Bangladeshi writers to create short and serialized stories. The piece I’m contributing is deeply nostalgic. It draws heavily on my own experiences attending business school in Dhaka. Sometimes, I wish I could hear from others who lived through those same chaotic experiences—pulling all-nighters, frantically building slide decks for class projects, and prepping for business competitions. I want to know if the story speaks to them.

The quiet silence in which my stories often sit can be haunting. You put a piece of yourself out into the digital void, and sometimes, the void doesn't echo back.

The Reward of Finishing

Despite the silence, and despite the lingering worry about the inevitable negative reviews that come with people actually reading your work, I feel more energized than ever. I've seen a few more sales trickle in since release day, but my motivation isn't just tied to the dashboard anymore. I feel far more encouraged than anxious.

Maybe in the eventual future, I will get more feedback, more reviews, and more connection. But even if that doesn't quite happen, the simple act of finishing these stories and putting them out there is a victory. It’s an important task that deserves to be done, simply for its own sake.

And so, the writing continues.