10 Things I've Learned On My Publication Journey

When I first started writing The Glow Effect, I thought the hard part would be getting the ideas out of my head and onto paper. That was just the beginning. It turns out every stage has its own learning curve. Some parts felt creative, some felt highly technical, and some were honestly more mentally exhausting than I expected. It was exciting, confusing, stressful, validating, and at times incredibly overwhelming. Somewhere along the way, you stop feeling like someone “working on a project” and start realizing the process is changing you too. Now that the manuscript is finished and in production, here are a few things I learned along the way.

1. I almost ended up with a book too thin to print the title on the spine.

I didn’t start with a target word count because I was more focused on writing something meaningful than hitting a number. At one point, I realized the manuscript might literally be too thin for the title to print on the spine, which somehow became both hilarious and horrifying. In the end it worked out because I was able to repurpose and expand on some previously omitted topics which now feels like were meant to be in there.

2. Writing the book and structuring the book were completely different skills.

Getting ideas onto paper is one thing. Organizing them into something coherent, readable, and intentional is something else entirely. There were many times where I had the content, but not the right placement. The editing process ended up taking 2 months due to my nitpicking and constantly rearranging.

3. I had to rewrite parts of it once I figured out what the book was actually about.

I started with one idea and eventually realized the deeper theme underneath it. At first, the book was mostly about wellness technologies and modern recovery tools. After adding personal stories and real life examples, I eventually realized it was really about overstimulation, nervous system overload, and burnout. Once I locked in on that, a lot of the book had to evolve with it.

4. There’s a huge difference between understanding something and explaining it clearly.

This might be the biggest thing I underestimated. There’s a difference between understanding something yourself and being able to explain it clearly in a way that feels simple, useful, and easy for someone else to follow. Writing forced me to really sharpen my thinking. I relied on my husband to read some sections to verify they were easily understandable.

5. Editing, page design, and cover design are their own emotional rollercoaster.

Before this process, I assumed finishing the manuscript would feel like the finish line. It’s not. Editing is intense because you start seeing every word and every sentence differently. Page design changes the whole reading experience. And cover design feels super personal even though it’s also strategic and commercial.

6. At some point, you have to stop refining and decide it’s done.

This was difficult for me. There is always another sentence you could tweak, another section you could improve, another idea you could expand on. Eventually, perfectionism stops making the work better and just delays getting it done. Perfectionism is one thing I have learned to release in my own glow journey.

7. You will question whether it’s good enough more times than you expect.

Even when you 100% believe in the material, you will have doubts. There were moments where I thought the book was strong and moments where I feared it wasn't good enough, and I went back and forth several times. Apparently this is completely normal.

8. There’s a long gap between finishing the manuscript and actually holding the book.

Nobody really talks about this part. You spend so much time mentally consumed by the project that there’s an odd in-between period once the writing portion is technically “done” but the book still doesn’t physically exist yet. It requires a lot of patience.

9. Writing the book and marketing the book feel like two completely different careers.

Writing is introspective. Marketing requires visibility. After spending many months writing in private, you suddenly have to become very public about what you created in order to market it. That transition has been a big adjustment for me.

10. Writing a book is not just a project. It’s an identity shift.

Somewhere during this process, I stopped feeling like someone who was “trying to write a book” and started realizing I had actually become an author. That sounds obvious, but psychologically it’s a huge shift and can take some time to process and fully own.

Writing The Glow Effect challenged me creatively, mentally, and emotionally in ways I didn’t expect, but I’m incredibly grateful for the experience. Creating something meaningful is not easy. It’s iterative, uncomfortable, and stressful, yet deeply rewarding all at once. I think that’s true of most things that are worthwhile.