With three months until my first published book is officially available, it has me thinking what are my goals for SOAR? When can 
I say I feel it is a success? As I mentioned in a previous post, the publishing process is very scary and includes a lot of rejection, but if you believe in yourself, you will achieve your goals.
I think the first measure of success on this journey was when Schiffer Publishing called to say they wanted to offer me a book contract! I mean let’s be honest, all writers work tirelessly to create a story that will resonate with people, and in order to get there the story needs to be published. I felt I had accomplished my goal when I signed the book contract because it solidified that all of the time spent away from my family was worth the sacrifice.
However, now that I am on this journey, I realize that success doesn’t stop just because I got a book published. It has many levels and each one has a different goal in order to feel as if it was achieved. As I await my first run copies of the book, I recently reviewed my marketing spreadsheet and looked at the goals I submitted to the publisher and the first one listed is, “Ultimately, I want this book to become a family favorite that is read time and time again. If this book were to become part of a child’s happy memory as he or she grows up that would be the best reward.”
It would be the greatest honor to have children request SOAR night after night to their parents as their bedtime story. It would mean I did my job creating a loving character in Ramone that children relate to and love. It would mean I have hopefully helped create a dialogue about the anxiety and fear children deal with on a regular basis. It would mean Ramone’s emotional journey has resonated with parents and kids alike, and he has snuck his way into the hearts of many. This would be the greatest reward of all.